Induced Lactation for Adoptive Parents

If you're considering inducing lactation as an adoptive parent, I'm here to support you every step of the way. As a fellow adoptive parent, I understand the unique challenges and joys that come with this journey.

Inducing lactation can create a special bond between you and your baby, providing numerous benefits such as supporting attachment and providing essential nutrients and immunities...especially important when attachment and physical health may be impaired by poor or lack of prenatal care or prenatal substance exposure^1,2. Breastfeeding may also offer a sense of normalcy after a long and often unexpected road to parenthood. It even connects you with your baby on a biological level -- genetic material in the adoptive parent’s milk (microRNA) affects how the baby's genes get expressed.^3,4.And for those of you of the Muslim faith, it is an avenue to meet the milk kinship requirement^5,6,7.

I know that the process of inducing lactation as an adoptive parent can be filled with uncertainties, especially when it comes to adoption plans. Whether you begin inducing lactation in advance of an adoption match or have an adoption match with a short lead time to induce lactation, there are options available to help you navigate this process with flexibility and efficiency⁸.

I would love to help you navigate this journey! If you have any questions or need guidance on inducing lactation, feel free to schedule a free mini consultation with me HERE. Or, if you are ready to jump right in check out my consultation packages HERE. I work with parents in person or via telehealth from wherever you are. I'm here to support you and provide personalized advice based on your unique situation.

References:

 ¹Anuszkiewicz, N. R., Sztyber, B., & Baranowska, B. (2022). Characteristics of breastfeeding by adoptive mothers: Description of the phenomenon in Poland and worldwide. Adoption & Fostering, 46(4), 397-412.

²Stutzman, S. (2022, January 27). Prenatal substance exposure: Risk, development, and intervention. Adoption Learning Partners webinar. https://www.adoptionlearningpartners.org/catalog/webinars/prenatal-substance-exposure.cfm

³Alsaweed, M., Lai, C. T., Hartmann, P. E., Geddes, D. T., & Kakulas, F. (2016). Human milk miRNAs primarily originate from the mammary gland resulting in unique miRNA profiles of fractionated milk. Scientific reports, 6(1), 1-13.

⁴Melnik, B. C., John, S. M., & Schmitz, G. (2013). Milk is not just food but most likely a genetic transfection system activating mTORC1 signaling for postnatal growth. Nutrition journal, 12, 103. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-12-103

⁵Al-Mohsen, Z. A., & Frookh Jamal, H. (2020). Induction of Lactation After Adoption in a Muslim Mother With History of Breast Cancer: A Case Study. Journal of Human Lactation, 0890334420976333.

⁶Praborini, A., Febriyanti, D., & Subekti, R. (2019). Induced Lactation for Adoptive Breastfeeding Dyads. Clinical Lactation, 10(3), 127-135.

⁷Moran, L., & Gilad, J. (2007). From folklore to scientific evidence: Breast-feeding and wet-nursing in Islam and the case of non-puerperal lactation. International journal of biomedical science: IJBS, 3(4), 251.

⁸Schnell, A. (2022). The Three Step Framework for Inducing Lactation^TM. Journal of Human Lactation, 38(2), 252-261.