How do I know when (or if) I can breastfeed?

[Anonymous]

So... I'm infertile and it sucks, a lot (honestly, it pretty much destroys me when I think about it). But, I figure, if I can't carry my own child then I may want to adopt a newborn baby since it's a good thing to do for the baby to give it a home, and I get to be a mother, which is like my dream at this point. I've decided I definitely want to breastfeed since I think it's good for the baby and it would be sort of bonding. But... since I can't get pregnant, how will my body know to produce enough milk? Will it ever?

I'm not sure if anyone else here has had any experiences related to this, but I figured I would ask because google hasn't helped me at all.

[Red_Arrow]

I have heard in the past that women have breastfed babies that they did not give birth to. Of course, if a woman was already lactating from her own baby, she could continue with another, but I think what I heard about was actually lactating without having given birth. And of course nowdays medicine does so much, that I am guessing seeing a doctor who knows enough about it (not every doctor knows about everyting, some even less thatn others, lol) may help as @xobrowneyedbeauty said.

[Red_Arrow]

Two suggested articles for reading:
breastfeedingusa.org/.../breastfeeding-your-adopted-baby and
www.aboutkidshealth.ca/.../...thout-pregnancy.aspx

[Anonymous]

You should try maternity and breastfeeding a child and you can do that

[xobrowneyedbeauty]

I'm in medical school and we kind of learned about this in physiology just a couple weeks ago. Your body produces a lot of a certain hormone you need to make milk when you're pregnant and another hormone you need for it when you're in labor so I don't know if you can naturally lactate without being pregnant first. You could talk to a lactation consultant and find out if there's a way to induce lactation though. There may be a hormone pill you can take for it or something.

[Asker]

Thank you. I guess I'll just have to try that then and hope it's possible. :/

[AshleyMD]

I think everyone can, even men can. Apparently you just have to stimulate your nipples and breasts in the correct way, I don't what is correct way though, and keep doing it for a certain amount of time.

[Asker]

I heard that too, but I didn't know if I would produce enough to support a child even if I did that.

[AshleyMD]

I have no idea if you could, but if you can breastfeed you can always supplement the rest with formula if you can't produce enough.

[Klaatu51]

all girls can breastfeed... no?