Hi Gillian, If you haven't already read them I'll point you in the direction of the WHO booklet on relactation http://www.who.int/child-adolescent-health/New_Publications/NUTRITION/WHO_CHS_CAH_98_14.pdf and the NEW ABA booklet on Relactation and Adoptive Breastfeeding (if you have the old one throw it out!!!) To answer your questions there's really a dearth of research in this area so it's difficult to make any recommendations. My feeling is that hormonal protocols can be useful in situations where women have not previously been pregnant but that if they are helpful they are not as important as frequent breast stimulation and milk removal and I don't think that there is likely to be much if any advantage in cases of relactation (as with your client). There are a number of hormonal protocols around. There is one that has been used in PNG for many years that uses Depo Provera and there is another that is currently being used a lot that involves use of a contraceptive pill for a minimum of a month (preferably many months). You can find instructions at http://www.asklenore.info A caution with the latter method is that some women have some pretty significant side effects from it (bleeding, weight gain, increased BP, depression requiring medication etc) and I think that close medical supervision is advisable. However, not all women have a problem with it and while some don't think it has been useful others absolutely swear by it. I also had a paper published in BF Review last year about maximising milk supply in adoptive mothers that you might find helpful (worldwide, the research in environments where fewer drugs are used shows more milk being produced in environments where more drugs (incl hormonal protocols) are used!). Regardless of any drugs that are used maximising breastfeeding will maximise the milk supply and providing information to assist the mother in how she can do this would be advantageous. I'd be a little concerned with the situation.....private adoptions are illegal in all of Australia as far as I am aware so I'm guessing that an informal placement is planned. This could get very very messy. Good luck! Karleen Gribble Australia > > Good morning all, > I was contacted yesterday by a mother who will be adopting her sisters = > baby (due end Sept) and wishes to breastfeed it from birth. Would she need to mimic a pregnancy first,ie with = > hormones, or would nipple stimulation +/- galactagogues be all that is = > necessary to stimulate milk production? Would the use of hormones ensure = > a full supply? Which path do we take? > Due to a lot of social issues, she is determined to give this baby the = > best start she can. It was her partner that suggested she try and = > breastfeed this baby (great support). She also has a very supportive GP = > who is quite curious to see this work (there's gunna be some great = > learning curves happening here)! She is aware of what is going to be = > involved, and is sooo keen to start.=20 *********************************************** To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest) To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet All commands go to [log in to unmask] The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(R) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html