Induced Lactation for Adoption or Surrogacy

Is it possible to breastfeed an adopted baby or a child born via surrogacy? How do you induce lactation when you have not experienced pregnancy? Host Dawn Davenport, Executive Director of Creating a Family, the national infertility & adoption education and support nonprofit, interviews Danielle Gauss, an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant and a member of International Lactation Consultants Association.

Hit the Highlights
  • What is meant by induced lactation?
  • Nutritional and emotional benefits of breastfeeding.
  • Methods for inducing lactation.
    • Hormone stimulant with prolactin stimulant with pumping
    • Prolactin stimulation medication and pumping
    • Breast pump only
  • How far in advance should you begin with hormones or prolactin stimulating meds?
  • What is the inducing lactation protocol for adoptive breastfeeding?
  • How does it work?
  • What type of breast pump is best for inducing lactation?
  • How often to pump?
  • Safety of prolactin stimulating medications- domperidone (Motillium) or metoclopramide (Reglan)?
  • Are Motillium and Reglan approved by the FDA?
  • Side effects of medication on mother and baby?
  • What is the American Academy of Pediatrics’ position on adoptive breastfeeding or surrogacy breastfeeding?
  • American Academy of Family Physicians’ position: The physician should discuss with the adoptive mother the option to breastfeed her child. A knowledgeable physician or lactation consultant may help the mother develop a milk supply before or after an adoption.
  • Herbal supplements that help induce lactation.
  • What percentage of women who induce lactation will be able to produce all the milk their baby needs?
  • Is it easier for a woman who has been pregnant and breastfed to induce lactation?
  • Supplemental feeding systems. Which is best?
  • Importance of the age of the baby when you attempt to breastfeed through induced lactation.
  • We know that breast milk is best nutritionally and I am not at all discounting the emotional component, but is it best if you have to take drugs to induce it?
  • Has there been research analyzing breast milk of women who were pregnant with breast milk from induced lactation?
  • How to explain adoptive breastfeeding to family and friends?
  • Expectant mother or birth mother acceptance of adoptive mother’s breastfeeding. Should adoptive mother’s who plan on breastfeeding tell the expectant mom or birth mother?
  • Is it possible for men or transgender women to induce lactation?
  • Top Tips for Adoptive Breastfeeding

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Image Credit: Chris Alban Hansen