Preparing to Breastfeed after Surrogacy or Adoption
Breastfeeding is a beautiful way to nourish your baby and create a deep emotional connection, even if you didn’t have the chance to carry them yourself. If you’re an adoptive mom or have welcomed your baby through surrogacy, you may be wondering if breastfeeding is possible. Through induced lactation, a process that encourages milk production without pregnancy—using stimulation and, sometimes, supportive medications—you can provide your baby with the health benefits of breast milk while creating a unique, nurturing bond that strengthens with every feeding.
Get Expert Help: Having the support and encouragement of an experienced professional can make all the difference as you begin this journey. There are many options, and a Lactation Consultant can provide expert advice in helping you create a plan for induced lactation, answer your questions, and support you every step of the way.
Preparing for Breastfeeding
It’s possible to establish milk production for your baby, even if you’ve never been pregnant or given birth. The key to success is consistent breast stimulation through nursing and/or pumping, which encourages milk production over time. It may take days or even weeks for drops of milk to appear, but any milk you produce before your baby arrives can be frozen for later use. Hormonal medications and/or herbs may offer additional support in preparing your breasts to produce milk and increase your milk supply.
Start as Early as Possible
It can take time to produce milk, so starting early gives you the best chance of success. The earlier you begin, the better your milk supply will be once your baby is born. While it’s not always possible for a mother who has never been pregnant to produce a full milk supply, most mothers will produce some milk. Research shows that pumping regularly, breastfeeding as much as you can, and having a strong support system will help you succeed.
Here are some ways to prepare:
- Understand Induced Lactation: As soon as you decide to breastfeed, take the time to learn about induced lactation and breastfeeding. Understanding the process will help you feel more confident as you begin.
- Regular Pumping: Many women inducing lactation use hormonal medications and herbal remedies, but some don’t. Regular breast stimulation, including massage, hand expression, and pumping, may be all you need to produce some milk for your baby.
- Use a hospital-grade breast pump for 10–15 minutes, at least eight times per day.
- After pumping, try gentle hand expression to help express more milk and encourage further milk production.
- Hormone Protocol: The goal of hormone therapy is to stimulate breast tissue, similar to the growth that typically occurs during pregnancy. Working with a healthcare provider is vital when following this hormone protocol, as these medications require a prescription.
- Hormone therapy usually includes:
- Oral contraceptives (birth control pills): These medications include estrogen and progesterone and are prescribed for several months before your baby’s arrival to help promote breast tissue growth.
- Prolactin-stimulating medication: 6-8 weeks prior to your baby’s expected arrival, birth control pills are stopped and prolactin-stimulating medication begins. This, along with regular pumping, will help your milk supply to increase.
- Hormone therapy usually includes:
- Herbal supplements: In addition to hormones, some mothers use herbal supplements to help increase milk supply. Consult with your lactation consultant and healthcare provider for more information about herbal options.
After Baby’s Arrival
- Breastfeed Early: Start breastfeeding as soon as possible and try to nurse directly as often as you can. Nursing at the breast often gives better results than pumping alone.
- Breastfeed Often: Frequent feedings may help to further boost milk production.
- Supplemental Nursing System (SNS): Use an SNS to feed your baby expressed milk or supplemental formula while breastfeeding. This helps to ensure that your baby receives plenty of milk, making feedings more enjoyable, while you receive additional breast stimulation and milk removal which will help to further increase your milk supply.
- Pump After Feedings: Pumping after feedings helps maximize milk removal and boost milk supply.
- Diaper Output and Weight Gain: It’s important to keep an eye on your baby’s wet and dirty diapers, as well as their weight gain, to make sure they are getting enough milk and growing well.
More than Breast Milk: Breastfeeding is about so much more than just providing milk. It’s a time to offer your baby warmth, comfort, and security. Some mothers go to great lengths to prepare in advance, while others may not have the chance and instead begin by offering their baby the breast occasionally once they arrive. Even if you don’t produce much milk, breastfeeding can still be a beautiful way to bond with your baby—whether during feedings, quiet moments together, or whenever you offer comfort and love.
What If I Have Questions?
If you are interested in learning more, these Aeroflow classes expand on some of the topics discussed above:
- Ultimate Breastfeeding Prep
- Pumping 101
- Lactation Q & A
To register for these classes, log into your portal or click here.
Want More Info?
For a directory of Aeroflow’s other Care Guides offering information on pregnancy, baby care, and more, browse our comprehensive list of titles:
Our classes and accompanying materials are intended for general education purposes and should not replace medical evaluation or consultation. Please seek advice from your own healthcare providers for individualized recommendations.
References
- https://ibconline.ca/induction/
- https://diposit.ub.edu/dspace/bitstream/2445/173189/1/705816.pdf
- https://llli.org/news/breastfeeding-without-giving-birth-2/
- https://llli.org/breastfeeding-info/adoption/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32926655/
- https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2023/0200/letter-induced-lactation.html
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8088744/
Abrams, S., Landers, S., Noble, L., Poindexter, B., Committee on Nutrition, Section on Breastfeeding & Committee on Fetus and Newborn. (2017). Donor human milk for the high-risk infant: Preparation, safety, and usage options in the United States. Pediatrics, 139(1): e20163440.
Cazorla-Ortiz, G., Obregon-Guiterrez, N., Rozas-Garcia, M. & Goberna-Tricas, J. Methods and success factors of induced lactation: A scoping review. (2020). Journal of Human Lactation, 36(4): 739-749.
Ferri, R., Rosen-Carole, C., Jackson, J., Carreno-Rijo, E., Greenbergy, K. & the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine. (2020). ABM clinical protocol #33: Lactation care for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, plus patients. Breastfeeding Medicine, 15(5): 284-293.
Marasco, L, West, D. (2020). Making more milk, 2nd Edition. McGraw Hill.
Nice, F. (2015). Selection and use of galactagogues. Childhood Obesity and Nutrition, 7(4): 192-194.
Schnell, A. (2013). Breastfeeding without Birthing. Praeclarus Press.
Sriraman, N., Evans, A., Lawrence, R., Noble, L. & the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine’s Board of Directors. (2018). Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine’s 2017 position statement on informal breast milk sharing for the term healthy infant. Breastfeeding Medicine, 13(1): 1-3.