Introduction: Choosing adoption can be a very positive experience for some couples; however, along with feelings of excitement with regard to the adoption process, some parents also feel sadness. Nowadays, the awareness of the importance of breastfeeding and its positive effects on an adopted child is rising increasingly. Even though their community is really small, the adoptive mothers that wish to encourage breastfeeding need the support of their partners, the society, and healthcare workers. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to present the experience of breastfeeding an adopted child and to explore the importance of supportive individuals and groups for mothers in the process of induced lactation. Methods: In the first part of this thesis, a qualitative paradigm with a descriptive method of work was used, where the study material was the academic literature in Slovene and English, found with the help of databases like COBISS, ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Cochrane Library. In the second, empirical part of this thesis, the qualitative paradigm was used once again, where an unscripted interview with a woman, who adopted a child and then decided to breastfeed him was conducted. Results: A woman that breastfed an adopted child took part in the research. She believes that breastfeeding improves the relationship and strengthens the bond between the adoptive mother and her child, but many doctors and undecided parents fail to realise the potential possibilities of breastfeeding an adopted child. Healthcare workers, her partner, and her close family played a very significant role in her life at the time of inducing lactation. She also pointed out the importance of support groups which unite women and offer not only support, but also information and a sense of belonging. Discussion and conclusion: The advantages of breastfeeding an adoptive child are mostly of a psychological nature, and serve to enhance the bond between mother and child. The characterization of success has more to do with the mother’s feeling while breastfeeding, than with the amount of milk she produces. During the adoption process, mothers need empathy and support from society, gentle care from their relatives and healthcare workers who they trust, which slowly leads to them trusting themselves and the child. Mothers who receive accurate and dependable information, along with the support of healthcare experts, their partners, and society, are more likely to opt for breastfeeding and their final results are more successful.
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