Adoption Awareness Month: Breastfeeding Your Adopted Child

As we contemplate adoption, there is one thing that I would really like to be able to do for our adopted child.  I felt it was very important with both my sons to breastfeed them as long as I could and I would really like to try to do this for our adopted child also. Breast milk is easily digested and contains antibodies that can help protect infants from infections. Not only does breast milk provide a great source of nutrition, but it really is a wonderful bonding time between mother and child. Something that is especially important with an adopted child.

However, breastfeeding an adopted child provides its own unique set of challenges. Here are some tips to help in breastfeeding an adopted child:

1. Relactation, where a mother has previously breastfeed, tends to be more successful than induced lactation for a mother who has never breastfed in the past. It usually provides a greater milk supply. The shorter time since she last breastfed, also helps with a larger production of milk.
   
2. Prior to the baby arriving, regular breast stimulation is needed, preferable using a hospital-grade double electric pump. Pump for 10-15 minutes every 3-4 hours for several weeks to several months before the baby arrives if this is possible. Make sure to freeze it to store up. It may take a week or more to begin producing milk. This can cause a problem if you are placed with a child that is about to be born or already born but it is still possible.
   
3. Once the baby arrives, the baby can be encouraged to suck by using a Supplemental Nursing System. This aid allows a baby to breastfeed while at the same time receiving supplemental formula through a thin tube next to your nipple.
   
4. Many women try to induce lactation by using medications and supplements.  One such supplement, Goat's Rue Capsules, are made from an herb and are reported to help increase breastmilk by stimulating the development of mammary tissue. Some physicians will prescribe short term use of an oral contraceptive containing estrogen and progesterone.
   
5. Often times supplementing with formula is needed. Realistic expections are that most likely enough milk will not be produced and supplementing will be needed. The adopted mother should concentrate on the amount she is able to provide no matter how small, and the bond she is creating with her child.
   
6. If you are unable to produce milk, you can still use the Supplemental Nursing System to fed your child formula and create the skin to skin contact that helps create a feeling of trust and security for a newborn.
   
7. La Leche League International can provide more information, and possibly connect you with other adoptive mothers in your area who are nursing or have nursed. They also have online forums where you can ask questions of leaders and other nursing mothers. 
   
8. Local lacation consultants can also be a great resource in making sure the baby is latching on properly and giving even more tips and advice. Do not hesitate to call them if you have any concerns.

According Jody Wright of Infant Massage USA, "I also found, personally, a profound hormonal benefit to breastfeeding. I might sit down to nurse in a harried state, and a few minutes later realize I could not even remember why I had been upset." [Read Jody Wright's story of breastfeeding her three adopted children.]

Breastfeeding an adopted infant is definitely possible and definitely worth it. The more educated and commited one, the better chance there is of having a positive outcome for both mother and child.

 Sources:

• Journal of the American Dietetic Association
• Alison Dodge of Happy Bambino
• Great Expectations: The Essential Guide to Breastfeeding ©2009 by Marianne Niefert, M.D. Used with permission from Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.
• Breastfeeding an adopted baby (Baby Center)

Mothering Publisher O'Mara Sets the Record Straight: Breast is Best

Peggy O'Mara, publisher, editor and owner of Mothering magazine for 33 years, is one of the most respected voices in natural parenting. O'Mara is setting the record straight in her latest editorial "Case is Closed: Breast is Best."

The editorial responds to the controversial and much publicized article by Hanna Rosin in the April 2009 issue of the Atlanta Monthly, entitled "The Case Against Breastfeeding." O'Mara's experience and impressive knowledge on breastfeeding are abundantly evident in this thoroughly researched response.

"Hanna Rosin's article exposes the dichotomy between the high value we place on breastfeeding and the low value we place on mothering, but it is cowardly to blame breastfeeding," states O'Mara. "Slandering breastfeeding because our society makes it inconvenient is like vacillating on equal pay for women because it's difficult to achieve. "

[Review the entire article]

About Peggy O'Mara
Peggy O'Mara of http://www.mothering.com/, has been the editor and publisher of Mothering magazine for 33 years. A published author and dynamic speaker, she has lectured and conducted workshops in conjunction with organizations such as the Omega Institute, Esalen, La Leche International, and Bioneers. She has appeared on numerous television and radio programs and has been featured in national publications, including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Mother Earth News, and Utne Magazine.

Top 10 Breastfeeding Tips for Working Moms

Top 10 Breastfeeding Tips for Working Moms
By Lois Whittaker Owner, Cushie Pushie Company
marketing@cushiepushie.com http://www.cushiepushie.com/

Being a mom and breastfeeding is a very important job and hard work for both new and experienced moms. You are providing vital nutrients to your precious bundles of joy. Add in a full-time job, and it sometimes seems a bit overwhelming. As a fellow working mom and someone who breastfeed her two boys, you can be successful and here are ten breastfeeding tips for working moms to help:

1. Get lots of rest– You’ll be tempted to try to do too much as the overachiever you probably are.
2. Drink lots of water & eat right – Put a big sports bottle of water and ice at your desk and finish it by lunch then another by the time you leave work. Break away from your desk to eat a healthy lunch.
3. Schedule pumping time on your calendar – Make an appointment with your breast pump. If it’s not on your calendar people will think you are free and schedule you.
4. Network – Whether it be from a good friend, parenting website, breastfeeding group, or lactation consultant, if you need help ask. They can give tons of suggestions you’d never think of on your own.
5. Get Comfortable – Whether it’s while nursing your baby or pumping, you need to find spot where both you and your baby can be comfortable. Scout out a private location at work where you can pump. Put a sign on the door to keep others out, so you can pump without being interrupted if needed.
6. Ask about Flex Time and Alternative Work Schedules – If you don’t ask, your work will not offer it. Maybe you can go back to work part-time initially or work new hours that would better align with your babies’ feeding schedule. Ask about telecommuting if it’s available and would work for your job.
7. Try to Find A Daycare Close to Work – You could pop over quick “lunch” for baby.
   
8. Get the Right Tools – Don’t skimp on a breast pump. This will be a huge part of your life and you need one that is comfortable and can do the job. Buy a good one or rent one. Get a good nursing pillow, nursing bra and breast support pillow to help make your life easier.
9. Don’t Give Up - Stress from juggling work and family, can cause you to quit before you would like to. Don’t give up, you can do this!!!
10. Relax, be flexible, AND ENJOY – Make breastfeeding a personal experience and adapt as you need. What works for one may not work for another. Just find your nursing groove and relax because you are providing your baby a precious gift. Enjoy the experience of snuggling with your baby as you feed him.

Happy Breastfeeding!!!!

Apparel and Gift Items in Support of Breastfeeding

Just in time for the holidays, the Cushie Pushie Company is launching its new line of fun pro-breastfeeding apparel and gift items. The gift items are geared towards nursing moms and their babies.

The “Eat at Mom’s” and “I Eat at Mom’s” items highlight the more humorous benefits of breastfeeding. These include 24-hour access, no wait, all babies can eat, always served fresh, and premium milk on tap, along with the wonderful “tips” given of smiles, kisses, and hugs from a loving baby.

Available items include t-shirts, an organic cotton t-shirt, sweatshirts, onsies for baby, toddler tees, bibs, mouse pads, and tote bags. Theyare available in Infant (6 mos-2T), Toddler (6 mos-4T), Woman (small–2XL), Uni-Sex (small-4XL), Plus (16/18-32/34), and even Maternity sizes (small-2XL) Fulfillment is currently being provided by Café Press. Also available for the holidays are breastfeeding gift baskets for those breastfeeding moms on your list, including some of the merchandise above as well as the Cushie Pushie Breast Support pillow, the company’s signature product. Baskets can be customized to fit your unique needs.

About Cushie Pushie Company
The Cushie Pushie Company is headquartered in Lawrenceville, NJ. A working mother of two, Lois Whittaker is the owner of the company and inventor of the Cushie PushieTM. With a goal to make breastfeeding easier for new as well as experience moms, the Cushie Pushie Company aims to provide a quality product at a reasonable cost.

For more information, visit www.cushiepushie.com.
For additional press information, visit www.cushiepushie.com/press.htm.

Salma Hayek Receives Inaugural Cushie PushieTM Breastfeeding Gift Basket | Gift Basket Premiers at La Leche League of Northern CA and HI Conference

To celebrate the birth of her daughter Valentina, Salma Hayek received the initial Cushie Pushie^TM Breastfeeding Gift Basket as a baby gift earlier this month. On October 12, the gift basket premiered at the La Leche League (LLL) of Northern California and Hawaii Conference 2007 for health care professionals and breastfeeding moms. [Read more] [See the new Cushie Pushie Breastfeeding Gift Basket]

Cushie Pushie Breastfeeding E-Store

Check out the Cushie Pushie Breastfeeding E-Store powered by Amazon for your breastfeeding neccessities and accessories. You can visit the store at: http://www.cushiepushie.com/e-store.htm.

Some innovative items include:

• The Original Burp Catcher - the burp cloth that stops the spit up before it makes a mess!
• Booby Tubes - safe, gel-free breast pack designed especially to help ease the common discomforts experienced by nursing mamas.
• VIVA! Breastfeeding Pillow - 2007 iParenting Media Award Winner Best Products, Mom Invented

Look for the following Organic items:

• Organic Cotton Burp Cloths - 4 pack
• Organic Cotton Disposable Nursing Pads
• Organic Nursing Pillow