Comfort nursing with adopted newborn and parenting class recommendations?
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Anonymous
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We are almost finished with our home study (yay!) and would appreciate any advice from other adoptive parents.
Anyone have experience with comfort nursing (also have seen it called dry nursing) an adopted newborn? For personal medical reasons I am not comfortable with taking hormones for lactation, but am interested in experiences with comfort nursing. From what I have read, others used it in the evening before bed after a bottle or when baby is fussy and not necessarily hungry (hoping to avoid frustration on baby's end of nursing without receiving food if baby is hungry) and to use it as a bonding tool (we are planning on skin-to-skin as well). Also would appreciate recommendations for newborn parenting classes. Has anyone found one geared towards adoptive parents? Thanks in advance! |
Anonymous
YAY, congratulations, how exciting! We also adopted 2 newborns (at separate times). Sorry, I don't have any experience with comfort nursing, I did not know anything about it. I chose not to do hormones for lactation because it seemed like it would be too stressful and really our first adoption was a surprise/whirlwind kind of thing and there was no time to think about anything except the nonessentials. All this to say, that my kids are 8 & 10 and fully bonded to us. Good luck! |
Anonymous
NP here, and Congratulations, OP! I didn't nurse either, like PP, but we did do some skin-to-skin snuggling while watching the Price is Right daily. So, sorry, not really any help on your specific question, but congratulations on your growing family! |
Anonymous
Sometimes the issue is the parent bonding to the child, not the child bonding to the parent. |
Anonymous
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Despite the negative responses on here, and having no direct experience myself, you might want to contact a lactation consultant. Not for hormones or the like, but I wonder if a SNS or similar set up with formula may be useful in your situation?
Unfortunately, this board seriously stands by the opinion that anything nursing that is not pure nutrition is negative. I breastfed. My DD never took to a pacifier, despite me trying roughly 400 different options at what felt like a million different opportunities. Likewise bottles. She comfort nursed, despite my best intentions, and it was okay. I’m going to say: Do what is right for your family. |
Anonymous
| OP, if you have breastfed before, it might work. But I do know a few people who tried comfort nursing as their first breastfeeding and the milk just did not appear, so the baby wasn't that into it. Keep your expectations low. |
Anonymous
| I think Serena Joy tried this. In all seriousness, I think snuggling and skin to skin are enough for newborn bonding and you’ll just introduce necessary stress if he/she gets upset by it or refuses it |
Anonymous
Unnecessary* |
Anonymous
| What a beautiful act of love for your child. Why are women so negative? |
Anonymous
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OP, if you want to try it and have read about success stories with this practice, there's no harm in giving it a try--as long as you keep your expectations low. Ask your pediatrician first.
If you end up trying it and it works for you and the baby, that's great. If not, that's totally fine, too. Breastfeeding is a special bond, but so is the routine and cuddling of a bottle. So whatever happens, whenever you feed your baby, it will be a lovely, quiet, bonding time. Enjoy it. |
Anonymous
Yes, I am an adoptive parent and breasted. I did not take hormones but did take a med that is commonly prescribed plus herbs. And I used an SNS at every single feeding. It took about 3 months of doing this before I produced milk. Just trying to latch and nurse without "reward" might end up being more stressful for both you and your baby. I suggest consulting a lactation specialist as well. |
Anonymous
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I think I'd just do lots of skin to skin contact and snuggling. But I found nursing to be really uncomfortable for many weeks.
I'd definitely look around for a lactation consultant to help you figure this out. The latch could be different, which can cause a lot of nipple pain. I found breastfeeding to be pretty stressful, especially at first. I felt much more bonded with a baby snuggly asleep on my chest while I sat on the couch and adored them. But certainly do all your research so you feel comfortable with this. |
Anonymous
| This is the first time I've heard of this practice! So, thanks, had no idea this existed or was done. Congratulations on your baby. |
Anonymous
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I know a woman who did this and it appeared comfortable for mother and child. The mom had 3 bio kids whom I assume she had breastfed prior to adopting the 4th child.
I have an adopted child (at 10 months). He is a teen now and feel we fully bonded without breast feeding. |
Anonymous
I tried comfort nursing with no hormones and it didn’t work at all...baby was upset that no milk came out and it was uncomfortable for me, so I stopped trying after a few days. And with a true newborn, you don’t want them to waste energy trying to get milk out when it’s not there. So I’m glad I tried to satisfy my own curiosity but I wouldn’t do it again! And as a practical matter, baby and I bonded over me providing him with bottles at all hours of the night
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