“I did not go through the pregnancy, but I manage to breastfeed my adopted daughter”

After several attempts to get pregnant and frustrated fertilization processes, the journalist Ana Regina Fritsch, 40 years old, opted for adoption. “The process is complicated, it seems like they want you to give up. You have to be 150% sure that you want to adopt”, she reports. Despite the difficulties, after 3 years of waitingthe gaúcha received a call from the Childhood and Youth Court about the date of birth of the little girl who would be her daughter🇧🇷 The little one alice arrived in the world on January 13 of this year and just six hours later he was already in Ana’s lap.

While waiting for that special moment to arrive, Ana discovered the so-called “foster breastfeeding” and was interested in living this experience. It was her sister Sabrina, physiotherapist and doula, who introduced the subject. “Breastfeeding is a cerebral process”, she said when advising Ana to seek more information on the subject.

“I never imagined that I would be able to have a newborn baby in my arms, much less be able to breastfeed!”, comments the gaucho. Decided to go through with the experience, she studied on her own, in addition to consulting doctors to delve deeper into the subject and make sure that it would be possible. breastfeed without having generated a daughter🇧🇷

According to neonatal pediatrician Simone Reichert, who accompanied Ana during the process, lactation is encouraged by hormonessuch as by sucking movements on the nipples that are interpreted by the body as a signal to start breast milk production🇧🇷 THE psychological preparationeven before Alice’s birth, and the strong desire of breastfeeding were essential for everything to work out, as well as the prescription of lactogoguessubstances that increase the production of hormones that influence lactation, says the doctor.

Despite feeling prepared, the first-time mother was thrilled when she saw that her daughter was actually able to breastfeed in her lap. “It was very natural, there was no charge, I didn’t expect that from me,” she shares. Reichert states that the main difficulties of biological mothers when breastfeeding are caused by tiredness, stress, anxiety and self-demands. As Ana was able to get rid of these sufferings through medical preparation, she ended up being successful.

“It’s the greatest experience I could have as a mother. Alice needs me, and as long as I’m with her, I’m hers alone. Anyone can give a bottle, not the breast”, says Ana. The tip of the new mother for those who want to breastfeed is to seek information, seek medical assistance and especially not to charge yourself so much🇧🇷 “The desire to breastfeed is the most important thing”, he reaffirms. Through knowledge and willpower, she discovered the formula to breastfeed Alice and to nourish and feed that love so great that only mothers know.

Mothers who don’t produce milk can also breastfeed!

O breastfeeding it’s more than just feeding the baby, it’s a moment of affection and strengthening of the bond between mother and child. In addition, according to the World Health Organization, it reduces neonatal mortality and stimulates the immunization of the baby. THE induced lactation is a technique that allows these moments to be experienced by women who have difficulty in lactation or don’t produce any milk (as in the case of adoptive mothers).

We spoke with Juliana Oliveira, a nurse from the Breastfeeding Support Group at the Hospital e Maternidade São Luiz Itaim, to better understand some of these techniques. Check out the interview:

CLAUDIA: What should women who want to breastfeed and do not produce milk do?
Juliana Oliveira: Seek help from a professional who can help you with breastfeeding management. The use of medication and the relactation technique may initiate milk production, but it is essential that some feedings are accompanied by a professional to ensure that the baby is being positioned correctly and stimulating the breast in the best way, for the maintenance of lactation.

The woman should also hydrate herself very well (at least 3 liters of water a day is recommended), eat well (there are no specific foods to increase milk production, but healthy and frequent food – every 3 3 hours – it’s important) and try to have moments of rest. Maternal well-being is a factor of great influence for the maintenance of breastfeeding, while stress and tiredness make milk production difficult.

CLAUDIA: Which induced lactation methods and techniques are more efficient?
Juliana Oliveira: The most effective and safe way to stimulate lactation is through the baby sucking. In the case of adoptive mothers, the relactation technique is used, with which we encourage the baby to perform sucking on the breast. In the first feedings, artificial milk is used during the technique, so that the baby feels the milk while sucking and is interested in maintaining the suctions. When the woman starts to produce her own milk, the baby will suck without needing this stimulus.

CLAUDIA: What is relactation?
Juliana Oliveira: Relactation consists of fixing one end of a probe in the mother’s areolar region with an adhesive tape (micropore) and immersing the other end of the probe in a container containing milk. Position the baby on the breast, so that it can grasp the areolar region and the probe.

The probe will work as a “straw”, as the baby sucks the breast, it will pull the milk that is in the container. When receiving milk, the baby will remain suckling and the sucking will stimulate the mother’s milk production. As milk production increases, the baby will be able to extract milk from the breast itself and will no longer need the probe to maintain suction.

CLAUDIA: What are lactogogues and how do they work?
Juliana Oliveira: These are drugs that stimulate lactation. They act to increase prolactin levels (hormone responsible for milk production). Any medication must be prescribed and guided by a doctor who is accompanying the woman and/or the baby (obstetrician or pediatrician), as it is important to remember that any medication can trigger side effects.

CLAUDIA: Is the stimulation of the baby’s sucking enough to initiate lactation?
Juliana Oliveira: Yes, baby sucking, as long as it is done effectively and with the correct attachment, is capable of stimulating milk production. When the baby bites the areolar region, he initiates suction movements, which stimulate the release of the hormones oxytocin and prolactin. Oxytocin is responsible for milk ejection, that is, as the baby breastfeeds, its suction strength combined with the action of oxytocin that “pushes” the milk out promotes breast emptying.

Prolactin will kick in to produce and replace the milk being expressed. Even the baby’s sucking is enough not only to initiate, but to increase milk production as he grows. Her way of breastfeeding changes as the months go by, and the mother’s body recognizes this change, realizing that the baby is growing and demanding a greater volume of milk, the mother is able to adjust her production and meet this demand.

CLAUDIA: What other techniques can stimulate lactation?
Juliana Oliveira: Suction through breast pumps can help stimulate the baby, but it does not replace the sucking done by the baby. The baby’s physical contact with the mother stimulates greater hormone release, in addition to the fact that the movement made by the baby is more complex and very different from the movement made by the pump. You can associate the two stimuli, position the baby on the breast and after the feeding use the pump to continue stimulating and promote greater emptying of the breast.

CLAUDIA: What are the main reasons that prevent biological mothers from producing milk?
Juliana Oliveira: The main factor that hinders the production of milk by women who had a healthy pregnancy is emotional. Pressure, insecurity, stress and tiredness have a great influence on the lactation process. That is why it is important that the woman has a support network, that is, people around her who support and help her, encouraging her, allowing her moments of rest, reminding her to hydrate and eat, and helping her to recognize whether breastfeeding is being done correctly and effectively.

In some situations, the baby does not provide the necessary stimulation, either because it does not latch on correctly, or because it does not perform suction capable of extracting milk from the breast, or because it has strict and regulated times for breastfeeding. When the mother imposes a time limit on the duration of breastfeeding, the baby does not promote complete emptying of the breast. When milk is not removed from the breast, lactation suppressor peptides come into action and inhibit milk production, it is as if the body understands that milk is not being needed, since it is standing still or accumulated inside the breast and thus the production decreases. It is important, therefore, to promote breastfeeding on demand, so that the baby breastfeeds as much as necessary and the mother’s body maintains production adjusted to her demand.

The specialist recommends that those who want to breastfeed look for a breastfeeding support group. Some public maternity hospitals offer breastfeeding support services that take place at the milk bank. The Brazilian Network of Milk Banks is an initiative of the Ministry of Health and the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, which seeks to promote, protect and support breastfeeding. On the network’s website, there is a list of all milk banks in Brazil, and it is possible to find the one closest to the woman to schedule an appointment.