Dear Georgeanne, LLL leader,
I run a lactation clinic at a tertiary level teaching hospital.  In my
experience, I've helped two women with induced lactation of an adopted
baby.  The first woman came to me about four months before her adopted
baby came (she "booked" the baby and had her once the baby was
discharged from the hospital).  She started pumping and massaging her
breasts meticulously three hourly.  One month before the baby came, she
was prescribed metroclopromide and took it and continued pumping.  At
the end of it, she was esctatic that she was able to express colostrum.  By
the time the baby came, she was all ready to put her to the breast.  She fed
her using the Supplemental Nursing System (Medela) and found that the
baby was willing to attach and she was very happy to be able to provide the
breast milk and formula for the baby in this way.  She went on to do mixed
feeding for some time.
The second mother, had experience breastfeeding her babies about twenty
years ago. This time, she chose to breastfeed her adopted son ( this is her
stepson- she share the same husband with the baby's biological mother).
She is the first wife.  The two women shared the baby and both breastfed
them.  The baby's biological mother breastfed the baby while she was at
home.  While she was at work, the baby's "first" mother breastfed him.  The
two women shared the same baby and showered love and affection on him
equally. The boy thrived well on the two women's love.  For this adopted
mother, she just kept breastfeeding him until her supply came.
I hope these anecdotes can help you in helping the mother who is adopting
a baby in Russia.  Best regards - you will need a lot of patience to help her.
 I have another mother who is expecting to adopt a baby and came to me
asking for help in induced lactation.  She will be the third mother that I will
help with induced lactation.  I will share with you the case when we
manage to get the baby on to the breast.
Doris Fok,
lactation consultant
K.K. Women's and Children's Hospital
100 Bukit Timah Road
Singapore 229899.