Guest guest Posted July 8, 2007 Report Share Posted July 8, 2007 Hi Caron, http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/adoption.html Thanks for the link, Caron! I thought the information was interesting. I'm aware of the WHO infant feeding options, but still wondering if it takes into account the differences in breast milk from mother to mother. For instance, should a toddler be getting breast milk " meant " for a newborn? Is it, indeed, better than no breast milk at all? Can it cause stomach upset and other problems if the milk is not matched to the child's needs? Reasons I probably won't be traveling the breast feeding road: mother doesn't want to breast feed adopting a child over the age of 1 child's instincts to breastfeed are near gone access to breast milk is 0-? negative stories about adoptive breastfeeding using anything artificial (pumps, drugs, etc.) is a MAJOR turnoff I guess if I found a milk bank and it was affordable, I'd consider using it in place of formula. Right now, if faced with a child who wants milk, I'm not sure what to do besides feed the baby fresh fruits and vegetables. I'm disconcerted with what I've read about ALL formulas, and there seems to be no attractive road to travel for adoptive parents. If adoptive parents were, as a group, knowledgeable about nutrition, there would be better alternatives. Alas, that day hasn't come. Janet rawfood , " Caron " <carongroups wrote: - Janet FitzGerald So, even if the option to buy milk from other mothers was there, I'm not convinced it is the best way to go. I tend to think my best option is to get the best raw foods into her. Hi Janet, The WHO lists infant feeding options, in order of preference, as being: 1. mother's milk from the source (ie physical breastfeeding) 2. mother's milk from an other source (ie bottle, or otherwise feeding expressed breastmilk) 3. donor mother's milk (ie a wet nurse, or from a milk bank, in order of preference) 4. infant formula Depending on the child's age when she joins your family, raw foods may be the best of your options. I do remain open-minded about the topic and wish to learn much more. However, it has been difficult to bring this topic up in the raw world since few people are in the same situation. There is another parent on this list with a child from China, but both her daughter and mine are well past the breastfeeding stage. Read the article I posted the link to (I forget the exact link, but if you go to the ABA website, at www.breastfeeding.asn.au and search for relatation, or adoptive lactation, you'll find a couple of articles), as it has some good information on how to get it started, not all of the methods require drugs, though as always, drugs speed up the process. This is a topic I could go on and on and on about. I need to start a list for raw adoptive parents, or something. I'm happy to discuss this topic, though I haven't adopted a child, and only birthed one so far. I think it's great that you put the effort in to wean your daughter off the foods fed to her in the orphanage, and get her started on some good healthy foods, it's never an easy battle! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 8, 2007 Report Share Posted July 8, 2007 - Janet FitzGerald >I'm aware of the WHO infant feeding options, but still wondering if it takes into account the differences in breast milk from mother to mother. For instance, should a toddler be getting breast milk " meant " for a newborn? Is it, indeed, better than no breast milk at all? Can it cause stomach upset and other problems if the milk is not matched to the child's needs? I know a lot of mothers who have tandem fed their children - that is, feeding a toddler or infant through pregnancy, and feeding the newborn and the older child concurrently, though not necessarily at the same time...though it can be done ;o) It's safe to say that ANY breastmilk is better than ANY infant formula, beyond that, there are no definites. (except, of course, breastmilk laced with narcotics or alcohol, or similar). >Reasons I probably won't be traveling the breast feeding road: mother doesn't want to breast feed adopting a child over the age of 1 child's instincts to breastfeed are near gone access to breast milk is 0-? negative stories about adoptive breastfeeding using anything artificial (pumps, drugs, etc.) is a MAJOR turnoff As with anything your body is capable of, it is possible to do it without any artificial anythings, it's just that the artificial aids (crutches) make the process easier and often quicker. Yes, it's probably a difficult thing to do, breastfeeding after a birth can have difficulties, so I can only imagine the effort it would take to lactate without the hormones to help the process along. I certainly won't try to convince you one way or the other ) I will say that an older child can learn to breastfeed (my mother breastfed a friend's baby she was babysitting with my older brother, because he wouldn't take the formula when she made it, and she didn't have another lot to feed him); also that I can tell you negative stories I've heard about any and all aspects of life, including raw foods ;o) It doesn't make the experience a wholly negative one, it just means that that person, or those people, had a negative experience. In any event, I hope your adoption goes smoothly, and that whichever method of feeding you choose only adds to the harmony of your home, and the health of your family. >I guess if I found a milk bank and it was affordable, I'd consider using it in place of formula. Right now, if faced with a child who wants milk, I'm not sure what to do besides feed the baby fresh fruits and vegetables. I'm disconcerted with what I've read about ALL formulas, and there seems to be no attractive road to travel for adoptive parents. If adoptive parents were, as a group, knowledgeable about nutrition, there would be better alternatives. Alas, that day hasn't come. I hope that day does come, and soon. All parents could do with some better education about infant and child nutrition. Re milk, there's always the option of nut milks (I've heard of almond milk, and hemp milk, and can find out methods of making them if you need), or you could water down a smoothie, if it came to that (you may need to strain it to get it though a bottle teat). Again, I think any method of feeding fruit and veges is better than any formula. Even the congee is better than formula (it's basically rice milk, with other juices or pureed foods added in as the baby gets older, giving it more texture). I'd love to hear how you go with the adoption, and the feeding of your new child ) Caron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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