The quest to offer my children the chance for the best health possible has led me further down the road of natural health than I would have ever imagined.
Well actually, I never imagined being anywhere NEAR the road of natural health.
I am a Registered Nurse, better known as RN. Not only that, I grew up in a world and culture where mainstream medicine was duly adhered to.
No. Questions. Asked.
Having children and the subsequent millions of new decisions that lie before you….can really make you examine your understanding of important things.
After a process of grueling discussions, countless hours of reading and careful reconsideration my husband and I decided it was our role to take ownership of our children’s health. We did. And we haven’t looked back.
We honestly grew into this process in such a natural way, one change after the other, all for the purpose of supporting and strengthening our children’s bodies to function the way they were so beautifully designed.
THEN, a curve-ball came when we adopted our son at 2 weeks old.
I was a bit challenged without the ‘control’ of it being MY pregnancy and MY breastfeeding experience. However, we were determined to do whatever was possible to give this precious little boy the absolute best.
The PLAN: Attempt to breastfeed him with as much success as I could, and supplement with homemade formula.
Difficulty level: HARD. This undertaking was one of the most challenging, yet rewarding endeavors I have attempted for any of my children.
Feeding an Adopted Baby: Our Approach
Breastfeeding
- My 2-year-old daughter was still nursing at least 4 times a day at the point that our adopted son came home. (We prayed that she would continue to nurse until we got ‘our baby’, as we did not know when our future child would come home to us). So I had all the duct work there and was still producing some milk, which seemed like a better place to start then ground zero.
- I had ordered a Lact-Aid Nursing Training System which is absolutely incredible. It allows anyone with a no/low milk supply to feed baby at the breast. The night he came home, I used a syringe with a feeding tube, and he latched like a pro. The next day, I started using the Lact-Aid, which I continued to use every day.
- I immediately began taking MotherLove, extra fenugreek supplements, and fennel essential oil. I also read the book “Making More Milk“, an incredible book for trouble-shooting breast milk supply issues (including nursing an adopted baby).
- I tried many other things during this time. I made eating a nutrient-dense diet a priority for me during this time, as much as I was able. I tried drinking nonalcoholic beer, which I hate! (as the hops/barley can increase milk supply) and eating foods that increase lactation. I also got a prescription for a medication called domperidone for acid reflux, which I use to have, however, I was using it for its side effect of increased milk production. I had varying success with those things but discontinued the domperidone because of the side effect of breast tenderness.
Breastfeeding an Adopted Baby
- For many unforeseen reasons at the time, my body was resistant to responding the way I was hoping it would when it came to the quantity of milk produced. He was definitely getting breast milk from me each time we nursed, but the most I made at a time was about 2 ounces a feeding. I would advise a mom considering induced lactation to really examine her level of health and the nutrient-density of her current diet. It is my experience that induced lactation is VERY energy-demanding on the body, and I wouldn’t advise doing it without strong overall health and a very healthy diet, that won’t leave her, or her baby, depleted.
- I nursed my adopted son until he was almost 5 months old. This was the time when it had become very clear to me that to foster the best bonding between us I would need to stop breastfeeding. This was one of the hardest decisions for me to make, and yet I knew deep down that this was the best for both of us. I was becoming incredibly weary of the whole process, and my nursing sessions were characterized by anxiety, rather than love. I so badly wanted it for him, and yet my body so badly needed a serious rest from the demands of nursing a baby, which I had been doing for almost 3 years straight.
- Being able to give him all of those ounces of milk from me (and the dozen + women that donated breast milk!!) was SUCH a blessing to my mother’s heart. I am forever grateful for that lifelong gift that will keep on giving. It was extremely challenging, and cost my body physical sacrifice, and yet I wouldn’t change a thing. That boy was worth every second.
Homemade Formula
“Our homemade formula has been designed to provide maximum possible correspondence with the various components of human milk.” Sally Fallon, Nourishing Traditions
“Homemade formula is by far the best alternative to mom’s milk and a far more natural option than store-bought, commercial formula. This kind of formula is what you can feed your baby and feel good about, rather than wonder what bad things are in the powdered stuff.” Katherine Erlich M.D., Super Nutrition for Babies.
- The majority of my son’s intake was in the form of homemade formula. The night we found out this 2 week old baby boy would be ours the next day, we went busy to work preparing my house for him! This included whipping up a batch of homemade formula. I was prepared and had decided beforehand that I would nurse and supplement with this homemade raw milk formula recipe. I had all the ingredients on hand.
- I would fill the “Nursing Training System” bag full of homemade formula, then nurse him at my breast with this teeny-tiny feeding tube snuck in the corner of his mouth. Through this tube, he was fed warm homemade baby formula for every feeding. When we were out sometimes I would use the nursing system, and sometimes I would use a bottle.
- After the first couple of times making this recipe, it would take me 10 minutes to throw it together from start to finish, being careful to follow the instructions exactly. Then I would put it in glass mason jars and stick it in the fridge. Depending on how old he was and how many ounces he was getting I would make a batch daily to every other day. It became part of our routine.
My Conclusions as an RN on the Benefits of Homemade Formula
- This homemade formula recipe was critical to my son’s health and development. Knowing that I could still offer the child that I adopted solid nutrition, fresh and made up completely of real-food ingredients, was such reassurance to this mama’s heart. The rare privilege of breastfeeding him, coupled with this nutrient-dense formula recipe gave him the best start possible.
- The time it took to make a batch of this every day or every other day was completely worth it. Actually, compared to all the other things I was doing for his nourishment, this was a rather simple routine.
Does this sound like something you want to try? Click here to obtain the ingredients for the homemade formula kit.
If you wish, try the homemade formula with goat milk instead.
Study after study proves the superiority of breast milk over formula. This reality will never change. Babies NEED breast milk, and mindful parents should do everything in their power to create success in the breastfeeding relationship. Even homemade raw cow’s milk formula pales in comparison to mom’s milk.
However, when attempts to breastfeed or increase breast milk are unsuccessful, or in other situations like adoption or very ill mothers, this homemade formula recipe is available as a far superior choice to commercial formula. It takes a little work to gather ingredients, but once you are ready, you will find this recipe user-friendly, and most importantly, highly nourishing to your precious baby.
Where to Source Homemade Formula Ingredients
If utilizing homemade formula is something you wish to pursue, click here for a single quality source for the homemade formula kit as piecing together the ingredients can be a challenge.
i have been thinking about this lately. thank you for this article.
Thank you for sharing this, Sarah, I shared it on my page with our families.
I would love to be able to use homemade formula as a foster parent but its not realistic! The baby would be taken away and my license suspended immediately. You have to keep in mind various social services are in your house multiple timjes a week to work with kids in foster care. You are expected to send bottles when a child goes to visit his bio family and believe me they will double check what you are feeding their kid. Learned that the hard way because I switched our last placement to Natures Only organic formula instead of the Gerber he came on. Unfortunately the foster system only supports a traditional medical model. Just this week i got reprimanded for having an amber teething necklace on our foster baby.
What a frustration that must be for you!! Our son was a domestic adoption, but we are now in the early stages of pursing a state adoption, and I have thought about the very things you say. I am not surprised in the least that the agencies and case workers work from the medical model, just so saddened by it. Seriously, reprimanded for an amber teething necklace?! Oh man. Good for you mama for loving those kids so well, as well as you are allowed in this aspect. I so admire you for doing what you can. I’m sure its hard when you so badly want to give them ‘the best’ in regards to health, and yet you simply can’t. My heart aches for those kids whose lives are directed by ‘the state’ who doesn’t know or love them. So grateful for amazing families like yours who will advocate and champion for them though!! Thanks so much for sharing, and blessings as you care for the children in your home.
I know it’s not longer relevant but I thought of you when I saw this Staci Tofslie Sinkler
Good for you. Great job on you mom .
I just re-read what I wrote and realized I left out a few words resulting in some poor grammar. Hopefully my point is still clear. Sorry about that!
As the adoptive parent of four adult children, I read this article with great interest wishing this recipe at been available when my children were babies. It was with some dismay that I read that the author of this article would the fact that she drank beer while breast-feeding to promote milk production. This used to be recommended by doctors but it is a known fact now that the alcohol can be present in breast milk and is extremely unhealthy for developing baby brains. I am not a medical professional but all of my adoptive children have Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). I have attended many workshops and lectures by medical professionals about alcohol and it’s affect on the brain both before and after the baby is born. My motivation for writing this comment is that no one else reading this otherwise excellent article with think it is still an acceptable practice to drink while breastfeeding.
Susan I do apologize for disturbing you! One important point I should have included was the beer I was drinking, was ‘non-alcoholic’ beer, which I suppose means its not really beer at all. I think there is a very small amount of alcohol still present in non-alcoholic beer, but nothing that would be a concern.
I was under the impression that small amounts of alcohol during breastfeeding was not a harm to the baby…I see that you have researched this quite a bit though, and your concern is alarming. Has alcohol AFTER pregnancy been found to cause fetal alcohol syndrome? Please share with us some resources on that, as this is definitely something mamas need to know. The risks of any alcohol during pregnancy is a well known danger, but I would like to know if there are similar dangers for infants of breastfeeding moms.
So sorry that this was such a shocker to you, with the journey you’ve been on with your children, I can see why! I’m sure you’ve been a great advocate for them. I hope others don’t see this as permission to drink while breastfeeding. Thanks for your concern.
Lauren,thank you for your reply. I’m glad to hear it was ‘non-alcoholic’ beer!
I will try and find the information I had about alcohol and breastfeeding. Most of the lectures and workshops I attended were with associates from the University of Washington FASD unit which at that time was doing the ‘cutting edge’ research in this field in the US . This was quite a long time ago and I’m not sure if the research has changed. I tried a google search but all I found was very vague recommendations except for avoiding heavy alcohol consumption of course.
I know my niece who is a wonderful new first time mother says she has a strict policy of ‘pumping and dumping’ if she has consumed any alcohol. She uses stored breast milk instead as a substitute.
I am also an orchardist and I am in the midst of pruning 5000 trees right now! I’m pretty tired by evening so it may take me a bit to source out this information myself. I will ask a friend who is also a FASD advocate if she can locate the information as we attended the same workshops
Thank you for your kind comments about being an advocate for my children. Yes, we have been on quite the journey over the last 30 years. With the challenges in life our children face it is on-going job and at times quite heart breaking.
This brings me to my last point. Given the precious nature of babies and children, even if there is not firm evidence for a link between breastfeeding and alcohol consumption, why take the risk?
Susan
Lauren, I have located some very recent information on alcohol use and breastfeeding. It comes from a newly published book entitled “Drink- The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol” by Ann Dowsett Johnston. She is a well known and highly respected Canadian writer and public speaker.
The book has a short chapter called “The Last Taboo- Drinking and Pregnancy”. It is a extremely well done overview of FASD and she interviews and cites many leading world experts in the field.
She quotes Svetlana Popova, a senior scientist at Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and one of three leading investigators on a twelve-country international study on the prevalence of FASD. Popova states: Even half a glass of wine can be damaging to a fetus. It could damage any one of a number of organs, or the central nervous system.
Popova also talks about breastfeeding. This is a direct quote from the book: “Women should abstain from drinking during breastfeeding. Alcohol consumed by the mother passes easily into her breast milk at concentrations similar to that in her bloodstream. Therefore, alcohol goes directly to the baby, which might result in impaired mental and motor development, changes in sleep patterns, and growth deficits. FASD is largely preventable. What woman wants to damage her child? Unfortunately, the public tends to stick with ideas that they like–or are convenient.”
Whew! This is Susan again- that puts it in very clear terms. I know from my own adopted children the anguish and continued heart break they suffer due to their own FASD. Is any alcohol consumption worth it pre/post natal? I think not.
I hope this helped clarify this issue.
Brewers yeast is why it works wall mart sells it in pill form to up lactation
What a cutie! I only recently started getting into Nourishing Traditions and the idea of homemade formula, but I’m so glad I did. I, thankfully, was able to breastfeed my first child (still breastfeeding at 14 months), but I have considered adoption, and while I’d love to breastfeed an adopted baby too, it’s good to know ahead of time the additional physical toll it would take on me!
Great article. I was unable to breastfeed and ended up making homemade dairy free formula for my 2 month old after she was diagnosed with a milk protein allergy due to the commercial formula I was giving her until then. She is now 16 months old and off the charts with her growth. My newborn son, just over 2 weeks old now, is on the same formula and thriving away. I hope other mothers find out this amazing option and realize it’s worth making.
Cheers.
Camden is adorable!! Thank you for sharing your story. I worked really hard to BF both of my boys (3 years for the first one, almost 3.5 for the second one). BF and homemade formula were the only 2 choices I had in mind while preparing to get pregnant and being pregnant. I’m so glad things worked out for me and I’m also glad I was aware of the homemade formula in case BF did not work out.