Adoption and Breastfeeding

I am currently part of a breastfeeding study group organized by Velvet Escario-Roxas.  I was fortunate enough to have attended the One Asia Breastfeeding Partners Forum 9 and learned so much from it.  Meanwhile, Velvet has been in so many international conferences - which means that she has so much more information about breastfeeding issues to share.

Our study group actually focuses on the book of Dr. Jack Newman.  However, we discuss a lot of issues which crop up along the way.  One of the topics we recently discussed is adoptive breastfeeding.  Did you know that it is possible for adoptive moms to undergo induced lactation and breastfeed their adopted babies?

Guest Post: Essentials for a Successful Relactation

All of the relactation stories I have previously shared refer to anecdotal experiences of the moms, wet nurses or the lactation counselor.  For this guest post, I will be sharing the story of Lan Perez.  As with Donna, Lan successfully transitioned from pure formula feeding to pure breastfeeding.

While Donna shared her own experience, Lan has not only written a step by step guide but she has also painstakingly enumerated the characteristics and traits necessary for a mom to successfully relactate.  Let me emphasize - while relactation is possible, it is not easy and the mom must be willing to throw away that bottle, be humble to accept help and milk from other mothers and be open to to change her lifestyle.

Yes, relactation is a miracle but it is not magic that can be done with a snap of your fingers.  Lan shares with us her journey and I hope this will not only inspire fellow moms but will also clarify questions or doubts about relactation.  Click this link to read more about my previous posts on relactation.
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I'm Lan Perez, mother to two wonderful kids. My daughter, Andre, is now 5 years old and was never breastfed. My son, 3-month-old Jaden, was initially mixed-fed then exclusively formula-fed. Now he is exclusively breastfeeding. This is my relactation story.

I was 24 when I gave birth to my eldest. As first time parents, hubby and I were really excited to welcome the first baby in our family (she was, after all, the firstborn and first grandchild). We bought everything we believed she would need when she came out. I thought I was prepared, but I was wrong—I didn’t know a thing about parenting. I was exhausted, and I experienced post-partum depression.

Guest Post: From 40oz. of formula milk to none!

I never get tired of hearing relactation stories.  Because we live in a formula feeding culture, I have met moms who "chose" to formula feed their babies but end up regretting this choice after a month or so.   Is that the end of their breastfeeding journey?  Happily, I can confidently answer NO!  If adopted moms and grandmothers can breastfeed babies then moms can successfully undergo relactation.  However, it is not easy and it will take a lot of hard work and determination.

Metro Manila moms are lucky that there is a center - Arugan Creche - where moms can successfully learn how to relactate from experts in the breastfeeding field - Velvet Escario-Roxas with lactation masseuse Rechilda Talle.  The relactating mom also needs support from other moms in the form of donated breastmilk, to ensure that the baby will not go hungry while the mom builds up her supply.
For this guest post, I would like to share the story of Donna Marie Bondoc who painstakingly chronicled her relactation journey in hopes of inspiring other formula feeding moms that breastfeeding is not a lost cause.

Guest Post: Relactation is a Journey from the Heart

One of the practices that we are taught during our L.A.T.C.H. peer counselor training is the concept of YIELD. As breastfeeding peer counselors, LATCHers are the first line of breastfeeding support that mothers contact when they get discharged from the hospital. However, we do know that there are other counselors who are more experienced than LATCHers and hence, we are humble to admit our limitations and will yield to the more experienced counselor.

Guest Post: My Relactation Journey

Today's guest post comes from Cheng Guzman-Duran, a mother of one (soon to be 2) who successfully relacted and breastfed her first baby.  Despite the long entry, I have decided not to chop up her submission into 2 posts for continuity purposes.  Hope you learn from her experience.  And YES, relactation is possible!

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I’ll be very honest.  When I gave birth to our first baby, my first-time mom experience was not a bed of roses.  It was very difficult.  But it was the best learning experience I had.

My husband and I settled in a small condo unit after we got married in 2007.  It was our own little place in the world, where we can grow together and start building a family.  When we finally conceived after 2.5 years of medical intervention, tears, and prayers (a whole lot!), we wanted the best for our baby.   We downloaded a list of all the baby stuff we’ll need, and started preparing for our baby’s arrival.  We enrolled in a child preparation class.  We read books about pregnancy and breastfeeding.  Halfway, we figured that our small home may not be the best place to raise a baby. (I was particularly concerned about ventilation because windows and doors were always closed and an airconditioned closed space is not a very good environment for a baby.  I wanted him to get as much fresh air as possible.)  We decided to tell my parents that we will be staying with them after I deliver because the house is quite spacious, and we requested them to find a good nanny to take care of our son when I return to work.  Of course, the grandparents-to-be got all excited and they planned to renovate one room in the house for us to stay in.   

Toddler Moms and Relactation

Since I joined L.A.T.C.H., I have received several inquiries connected with relactation. The ages of their babies vary from 1 month to 16 months. For a mom to successfully relactate, a lot of dedication, special strategies and medication is usually necessary. Thus, I always refer cases like these to the International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) in the Philippines. There are currently just 5 with a couple more applicants trying to complete their certification.

However, I also give the moms some reading materials on relactation so they know what to expect before they contact the IBCLCs. Here are some of the materials I share:

1. Kellymom

2. La Leche League International

3. Idaho Public Health (PDF)

4. Dr. Jay Gordon

For moms with toddlers, however, I also advice them not to stress out about relactation anymore. As a toddler, it is more important for him/her to learn how to eat healthy foods and have a balanced diet. In fact, milk is gradually replaced by solids beyond the first year. In fact, some kids completely stop drinking milk by age 2 and get their calcium and other requirements from foods such as malunggay, orange juice, cheese and yogurt. In my previous post, I shared the thoughts of Dr. Francesca Tatad-To, on the importance of having a balanced and healthy diet instead of filling up toddlers with milk. Thus, the best advice I can share to moms with toddlers is to focus on their children's diet and making sure that they are fed with healthy nutritious food, rather than worrying and stressing themselves out with relactation.