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Adopted Babies at the Breast
The Best Beginning Part I
By C.J. Johnson
"Please understand you may never produce a full supply for your baby, though it may happen," says Dr. Newman. "You should not be discouraged by what you may be pumping before the baby is born because a pump is never as good at extracting milk as a baby who is sucking well and well latched. The main purpose of pumping before the baby is born is to start the changes in your breast so that you will produce milk, not to build up a reserve of milk before the baby is born, though this is good if you can do it."
Star believes women can bring in milk by pumping in advance, but it takes patience. "Use galactagogues and pumping with a first rate pump to try to stimulate milk production in advance," she says. "It is important for any mother who takes it on to understand that her body's response to a breast pump may not bear much resemblance to her response to a baby at the breast. Pumping is not likely to result in a significant amount of breast milk, unless she also uses a galactogogue like domperidone."
Star warns mothers that if they are successful at producing a significant amount of milk in advance, they need to have an alternate plan, in case the hoped for placement does not go through. She cautions that pumping must continue to keep the production of milk going and that pumping can't be quickly abandoned without problems such as plugged ducts or mastitis.