What do you think of online breast milk exchanges?
Buying Breast Milk From Strangers Isn't Worth the Risk
One of my clearest memories from the first year of my son's life is the day I put a bottle of my just-pumped breast milk
down on the kitchen counter, and then reached for something (the cap,
maybe?) and promptly knocked it over, spilling ounces of the "liquid gold"
I'd worked so hard to produce. I cried. And then I cried some more. And
then I didn't stop crying until my husband came along and said maybe it
really was time to start supplementing my breast milk with formula.
My
son was a constant and voracious nurser, pretty much perpetually at the
breast, who rapidly went from barely on the weight charts to the top of
them in what felt like no time flat. My milk supply,
which later proved more than adequate for his younger sister, struggled
to keep up with his demand. But, having read and heard all about the
benefits of breastfeeding, I was determined to keep him on breast milk for as long as possible. Formula (even if only one supplementary bottle a day) felt like failure.
And
so I understand the desperation of nursing mothers and their
dedication to breast milk at all costs, but there's a new trend I'm
having a hard time wrapping my mind around: women who buy breast milk online from other women they don't know.
Doctors warn against the practice,
citing dangers like the transmission of hepatitis and HIV. They note
that it's much safer (though perhaps not easier) to get breast milk that
has been treated and screened and properly handled at a hospital-based
breast milk bank.
One doctor interviewed by Denver's KDVR TV
had this to say to women who buy breast milk from unknown, unscreened
sources online: "What are you, crazy? In all honesty, this is your
baby’s life. Take it serious."
Clearly, it really is crazy to feed your newborn anything you're not sure of.
Not to sound paranoid, but how can you be sure of what's really in
that totally unregulated "breast milk" you're buying from a stranger?
When there are other options (even if your own milk can't keep up and
you aren't able to get breast milk from a known safe source like a
hospital, the dreaded formula isn't THAT bad), it just doesn't make sense to take the risk.
And, correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't giving your kid someone else's
breast milk sort of miss some of the key benefits of breastfeeding: the
way your body uniquely adjusts to your child's changing nutritional
needs, passes along your antibodies to help fight infection, and also
helps you bond?
Still, I have a hard time with that doctor's
suggestion that these women who buy breast milk online aren't taking
their children's lives seriously. They may be making a poor decision, but I imagine they're making it with good intentions.
We've all been so brainwashed that breast milk is the only way -- that
to deny our children breast milk is practically to cheat them of their
future -- that, in desperation, some women are clearly making choices
that are not that carefully considered. Maybe, rather than offering
these mothers derision, the medical community should instead offer them
support.
What do you think of online breast milk exchanges?
i wouldnt buy or sell my bm but i have no problem meeting other moms thru sites like human milk 4 human babies on FB.
i dont understand....the article seems rather inaccurate. in my state you cant BUY (or sell) breastmilk unless you are affiliated with a milk bank. its no different than selling blood or an organ from one individual to another, its just not legal where i live. mothers donate milk and can be reimbursed for costs associated like storage bags, gas to meet somewhere for pick-up or shipping charges. if you take away the financial gain aspect of milksharing that in itself eliminates donors who are doing it just for the money....like a crackhead or something.
my son was on donor milk for the first ten months of his life and not once did i EVER feel like it was unsafe....in fact after finding shards of stainless steel in my sons formula container i think it was a much safer option than feeding my baby slivers of metal. these are woman who pump and save this milk for their OWN children, how many mother do you know that would knowingly feed their child something that is harmful? also the majority of woman who donated to me (in my experience) were college educated/middle class working moms and received full prenatal care which would include any type of std testing so i never had to worry about hiv/aids or something crazy like that. and in all honesty even if they did have some kind of a health condition or were taking a medication very rarely, if EVER does that get passed onto the milk.
as for the issue of mom's milk being made just for "their baby", while it is most beneficial to breastfeed your own child if you have to supplement donor milk is by far a superior substitute to a product like formula. it still has the antibodies to help build an immune system, is a natural laxative, has the correct enzymes making it easy to digest, lowers your child's chances of obesity/heart disease/type two diabetes and is also not chemically based or contains high fructose corn syrup.
as for breastfeeding helping a mother bond, although i will say that i missed out on that experience through breastfeeding i still bonded with my child just like my husband did (who never breastfed him either lol) so i dont think the only way to bond with baby is by feeding them :)
I honestly think online exchanges are just fine if parties are honest and especially if they have medical tests to prove disease free. I have donated to 3 oms/babies who needed milk..2 were adopted kiddos and 1 is a mom with IGT. I know my milk is safe and healthy so I do not feel bad about giving it to those in need. If I had the choice of formula or donor milk I would take donor milk. I dont see a drugged out disease ridden mom taking the time topump and donate milk
BTW I think this article is very biased and based on opinions not facts...there are places you can sell milk but MOST moms do not, they donate out of the kindness of their hearts
I don't like this article because it makes people think even more that milk sharing or wet nursing is not acceptable as an option plus it is illegal to sell breastmilk in my state and the 3 breastmilk sharing sites that I have seen make sure that is clear. Also to call parents crazy and tell them they are making poor decisions is horrible. By not selling the milk the woman giving up the milk isn't gaining anything and there is less likely of a chance of someone trying to get top dollar for something that may be less than what it should be.
Quoting tabi_cat1023:BTW I think this article is very biased and based on opinions not facts...there are places you can sell milk but MOST moms do not, they donate out of the kindness of their hearts
I currently pump for a local mommy and would wet nurse if she was ever okay with it because pumping can be a pain even if I only do it for about an hour a day. I always joke with her that I missed my calling as a wet nurse!
Quoting maggiandmike:
Ok of milk sharing bothers you, let's bring back wet nursing! I hate pumping, but I'd gladly wet nurse a baby.
In ER with baby
- Cafe Jenn
on Feb. 17, 2012 at 9:31 AM