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Breastfeeding has a lot going for it: great nutrition, lots of opportunity for bonding, and then of course those attractive containers. But is it really possible to breastfeed a child without going through pregnancy and birth?

The answer is yes, with caveats. A lot depends on the age of the child when he or she comes home, how much preparation the adoptive mother is able to do beforehand and her understanding that successful adoptive breastfeeding doesn't necessarily look like breastfeeding a child born to you.

Andrew Adesman and Christine A. Adamec, authors of Parenting Your Adopted Child, say that adoptive mothers may use medication or put themselves on a pumping schedule (with a hospital-grade...

Breastfeeding has a lot going for it: great nutrition, lots of opportunity for bonding, and then of course those attractive containers. But is it really possible to breastfeed a child without going through pregnancy and birth?

The answer is yes, with caveats. A lot depends on the age of the child when he or she comes home, how much preparation the adoptive mother is able to do beforehand and her understanding that successful adoptive breastfeeding doesn't necessarily look like breastfeeding a child born to you.

Andrew Adesman and Christine A. Adamec, authors of Parenting Your Adopted Child, say that adoptive mothers may use medication or put themselves on a pumping schedule (with a hospital-grade breast pump) to induce lactation, but most women will need to supplement by either using bottles or a supplemental nursing system. This is a system that uses tubes taped to the mother's nipples to give the baby formula while he or she suckles.

If you want to learn more about breastfeeding your adopted child, check out your local La Leche League support group and the Adoptive Breastfeeding Resource Website.

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