I see several lesbian couples each year.  The issues they deal with are
generally the same issues that anyone inducing lactation would experience in
an adoptive situation.  However there can be what I guess you could call
"role" issues that complicate things from time to time.  Recently, a woman
phoned who was considering inducing lactation for a baby her partner (who
was artificially induced) was carrying.  The woman who phoned me had
fertility problems and couldn't get pregnant but she wanted to be able to
breastfeed the baby.  However, the pregnant partner was sending strong
signals that she didn't want to breastfeed at all (in fact she found it
distasteful to contemplate), and would prefer bottle feeding. The
non-pregnant partner was wondering if she could make enough milk to
breastfeed their baby without supplementation. I gave her the protocol, and
told her only time would tell.  Since she had a hx of infertility, one never
knows.   I wondered if the pregnant partner would be willing, even for a
short time, to pump and provide some early milk to help the baby's immune
system.  If they found that the birthing mom could tolerate pumping and
bottle feeding or having the non-preg. partner deliver milk via feeding
tube, this might work for a while.  The preg. partner was willing to
consider this, although she had concerns might be confusing to the baby to
have each parent feed the baby in different ways.   In such a situation, the
issues are more about negotiating what feels do-able, comfortable, tolerable
and improving communication about divergent goals or beliefs about
parenting.  One of course sees this in heterosexual couples as well.

Barbara Wilson-Clay, BS, IBCLC
Austin Lactation Associates
LactNews Press
www.lactnews.com

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