"Generally, before the baby comes, moms are getting only drops of milk
with pumping. But once that baby comes, breastfeeding with the Lact-aid
brings in lots of milk. I've had several moms make 1/2 to 3/4 supplies
with this method....  Catherine Watson Genna, IBCLC  NYC"

That's what we've seen, too.  It is essential that moms who pump without 
domperidone are well aware that getting droplets or drops is common, but 
getting a measurable amount just from pumping is rare.  I have seen too many 
who weren't aware and have gotten discouraged and quit before they ever had 
a chance to get a baby to the breast.  Sometimes I have had a very hard time 
convincing women, when I have had a chance to talk with them beforehand, 
too.  Sometimes, they had heard someone else say that they would get alot of 
milk from pumping, and that was what they were hoping for, so they chose to 
believe that and disregard what I have had to say.  I have had a few get 
upset with me, and even hang up the phone on me, because I wouldn't tell 
them what they wanted to hear.  Others have just chosen to believe that they 
would be the exceptions that would start producing copious amounts of milk, 
from a pump alone.  Some who go into it with unrealistic expectations will 
shift their attitude and still nurse their babies, but others will throw in 
the towel, often finding some other excuse for why they "couldn't nurse".  
That the baby wouldn't latch is a common one.  It is true that some babies 
have a hard time learning to latch, but such moms sometimes only try it a 
time or two and then give up.  Some really grasp at straws to find an 
excuse.  One woman told me that her cat had scratched her nipple while she 
was pumping, so she couldn't nurse, but I know that what happened was that, 
after pumping and seeing no milk, she was afraid that there would never be 
milk and she would have to admit to failure, once again, just as with the 
issue of trying to give birth to a baby.  That way, they can keep thinking 
"but if my cat hadn't scratched my nipple (or whatever) I would have 
succeeded".  Believe me, I know, from experience, how hard it is for some 
women to reconcile their inability to give birth to a baby.  It is something 
I still deal with, daily, at the age of 50!  Nursing an adopted baby can be 
very helpful with that, but only if it is done for the right reasons, 
essentially that it is done primarily for the benefit of the baby.  For the 
mother to want to do it for her own benefit is fine, too, but if her main 
reason for doing it is for herself, it is likely to backfire on her.

I also want to say that I am thrilled to see the posts by Catherine, Pat and 
others who have posted about their experience counseling adoptive mothers.   
It has generally been difficult for adoptive moms to find helpful 
information and support from anyone other than other adoptive nursing moms.  
Those who are well enough informed, and care enough, to provide the help 
that these moms and babies need, actually have the power to change lives!  
If I'd had one of you to work with 22 years ago, when I adopted my first 
baby (and when I adopted my second baby, 19 years ago), I am sure that I 
would have had a major success story with them, too, rather than a minimal 
success story!

I should also say that I am horrified at Pat;s story about the mom who 
brought in a huge milk supply, only to have a very, very, ignorant doctor 
tell her that her milk was no good and she should throw it away and give her 
baby formula.  I would be willing to bet that the grief that mom experienced 
from that will be tough for her to deal with for a very long time.  It 
certainly must have taken a great deal of the joy out of the baby's adoption 
and probably interferred with bonding to some extent.  I'd like to gather 
about a thousand pictures of healthy babies who have been breastfed by their 
adoptive mothers and dump them on that doctor's desk!  What a horrible, 
frustrating thing for everyone involved!

Oh, Pat the story about your grandchild offering the Lact-Aid tube to her 
mother is priceless!  When we first got Julia, before I figured out how to 
get her nursing, two year old Thomas would lift the other side of my shirt 
while he was nursing and offer it to Julia, saying, "Baby gwink!".

Aloha,
Darillyn

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