Would you feed your baby someone else's BM?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
It happens in THIS country in different ethnic groups. These babies are not coming down with HIV and other such illnesses from breast milk.

This topic is a silly hypothetical. If I could not produce my own milk, I would go to forumula. If I had a premie and I could not produce milk, I would find a doaner for the critical time. I could not keep up with it anyways, it's very expensive to nourish your baby with someone else's breastmilk.

Why would it be very expensive? I am currently donating milk to a mother who adopted recently. Her newborn has not had a drop of formula. She's been able to feed him exclusively with breastmilk donated by others.

[Anonymous]

I think milk banks charge for it. Something like $1-3 per ounce comes to mind, which would get pretty expensive pretty fast. But maybe they use a sliding scale?

Direct donations, like what you're doing, don't have the value-added element that milk banks offer, like irradiation and long-term storage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think milk banks charge for it. Something like $1-3 per ounce comes to mind, which would get pretty expensive pretty fast. But maybe they use a sliding scale?

Direct donations, like what you're doing, don't have the value-added element that milk banks offer, like irradiation and long-term storage.

Yes, there is definitely an element of trust in donating milk like I am doing. I am willing to get a doctor's note for any mom who would feel better by having that, but my three EBF children seems to be enough evidence for the mom currently receiving the donated milk.

As for the long-term storage issue, I simply freeze milk in 4-6 ounce bags. The mom comes over with a cooler filled with ice/icepacks. She then takes the frozen milk home and uses as needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think milk banks charge for it. Something like $1-3 per ounce comes to mind, which would get pretty expensive pretty fast. But maybe they use a sliding scale?

Direct donations, like what you're doing, don't have the value-added element that milk banks offer, like irradiation and long-term storage.

Yes, there is definitely an element of trust in donating milk like I am doing. I am willing to get a doctor's note for any mom who would feel better by having that, but my three EBF children seems to be enough evidence for the mom currently receiving the donated milk.

As for the long-term storage issue, I simply freeze milk in 4-6 ounce bags. The mom comes over with a cooler filled with ice/icepacks. She then takes the frozen milk home and uses as needed.

No, I would not do it this way. I would not put my baby at risk in any way. I'm sure you are a clean and wonderful person, but no way. I would take milk from a good friend or relative, but NOT someone I met on a yahoo group.

At $1-3/oz, you are looking at $25-75/day or $175-525/week. I think my healthy baby could cope with formula if I could not produce breastmilk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Yes, there is definitely an element of trust in donating milk like I am doing. I am willing to get a doctor's note for any mom who would feel better by having that, but my three EBF children seems to be enough evidence for the mom currently receiving the donated milk.

I have been donating milk to a family wiht an adopted baby for nearly a year. Their baby is the same age as mine and we've become friends through the process. Clearly from the posts to this thread there are varying degrees of comfort with the practice. But to the original poster - if you are comfortable, take the milk. If not, then don't.

[Anonymous]

I understand people's reservations about this, both for theoretical health issues and the general "weirdness" factor, but I think everyone is overlooking the sheer kindness of the gesture.

I think it is wonderful that you have a friend who is willing to help you. If you feel comfortable with it (you must be somewhat okay with it or are considering it, but are interested in public reaction if you are posting this question at all) I say do it. If the health issues are resolved, and its just an "ick" factor, then I think you should do what feels right.

But I do think its really a beautiful gesture to offer it up. I myself am an overproducer (I can get 6 ounces and 4 ounces from each breast in one pump) and have thought about donation. I think donating to a hospital or to that yahoo group might be something really wonderful to do.

Why not help others in need if you can?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
No, I would not do it this way. I would not put my baby at risk in any way. I'm sure you are a clean and wonderful person, but no way. I would take milk from a good friend or relative, but NOT someone I met on a yahoo group.

At $1-3/oz, you are looking at $25-75/day or $175-525/week. I think my healthy baby could cope with formula if I could not produce breastmilk.

To each his own. I respect your viewpoint as I hope you respect my decision to donate. I have more than enough breastmilk and I am glad I can give it to someone who wants it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wasn't there a topic not a few months back where a mom was livid that a daycare worker may have given her child someone else's BM?

So, why are we rehashing the same debate over again?

What's so interesting is that about half (or more) of the posters told that mom it was definitely no big deal and to chill out.

I thought the same thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
No, I would not do it this way. I would not put my baby at risk in any way. I'm sure you are a clean and wonderful person, but no way. I would take milk from a good friend or relative, but NOT someone I met on a yahoo group.

At $1-3/oz, you are looking at $25-75/day or $175-525/week. I think my healthy baby could cope with formula if I could not produce breastmilk.

To each his own. I respect your viewpoint as I hope you respect my decision to donate. I have more than enough breastmilk and I am glad I can give it to someone who wants it.

For the record, I do not think what you are doing is wrong, quite opposite, I think what you are doing is very giving. I really don't even think breastmilk is gross in anyway (heck I did it for a year).

I just simply could not get it from a stranger unless it was processed. My prefrence would be to pay for it, which I could never in my wildest dreams afford.

[Anonymous]

Am I the only parent of a toddler who read the OP and thought BM stood for bowel movement? Yeeks, breast milk yes, BM, no way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I drink milk that has been pasteurized and is subject to FDA guidelines. Breast milk has no safeguards.

I drink raw milk. I am a part of a cow share and that's how I can legally drink raw milk. It is not disgusting or unsafe. Personally pasturized milk allows for very sloppy husbandry. Did you know that the FDA "guidelines" allow for puss from lactating cows (who have mastitis infections) to be left in the milk? You are still drinking puss, but its been pasturized. Yummy! The US has the highest upper limit in comparison to developed nations for puss allowance in our drinking milk.

I am sure a mom who has a severe mastitis infection who is lactating puss along with her milk is not breast feeding ANYONE until that is taken care of, but not our dairy cows, they keep pumping away!

You're buying into propoganda. Just because they know milk will be pasteurized doesn't mean that farmers will just stick a milking machine onto the teats and put the milk from mastitis cows into their bulk tank. These cows are separated from the rest of the herd and the milk dumped. Coops and other processors test each load of milk for antibiotics and cells that would indicate that mastitis cows' milk is not being separated. Each cow's teats are cleaned before every milking. Farmers do all they can to prevent their cows from having mastitis, because they don't make money off sick cows.

Signed,
Someone who grew up on a big ol' western dairy farm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A mom on an online forum where I live sent out a request for breast milk a few days ago. Nobody batted an eye.

I have a ton of BM in my freezer that I won't use. I pump more in a day than my baby needs (she only drinks 1 bottle, I nurse her the rest of the time). Let me know if she is still interested and I can give her some.

We're not in the DC area anymore, otherwise I'd fix you two up!

[Anonymous]

I don't think we're talking just "theoretical health issues" here. If taking things from strangers for your kids were totally safe, I'd probably let my kids eat homebaked Halloween treats. As far as I know, that has been a no-no for many years. You never know who is out there in the world. Formula may not be quite as nutritious breastmilk, but it is safe. Those who donate are being kind and I recognize the gesture, but wow, I can't imagine being a recipient. Three healthy children in the donor's home don't prove she's not a nutcase (although PP, you don't sound like one--I'm just saying, you could be and she might not know).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
No, I would not do it this way. I would not put my baby at risk in any way. I'm sure you are a clean and wonderful person, but no way. I would take milk from a good friend or relative, but NOT someone I met on a yahoo group.

At $1-3/oz, you are looking at $25-75/day or $175-525/week. I think my healthy baby could cope with formula if I could not produce breastmilk.

To each his own. I respect your viewpoint as I hope you respect my decision to donate. I have more than enough breastmilk and I am glad I can give it to someone who wants it.

For the record, I do not think what you are doing is wrong, quite opposite, I think what you are doing is very giving. I really don't even think breastmilk is gross in anyway (heck I did it for a year).

I just simply could not get it from a stranger unless it was processed. My prefrence would be to pay for it, which I could never in my wildest dreams afford.

You want to know what's really funny? After the recipient and I had been emailing back and forth for a bit, we finally spoke on the phone. And it turns out that we'd known each other from when we were stationed overseas! Talk about small world, eh?

Anonymous wrote:I don't think we're talking just "theoretical health issues" here. If taking things from strangers for your kids were totally safe, I'd probably let my kids eat homebaked Halloween treats. As far as I know, that has been a no-no for many years. You never know who is out there in the world. Formula may not be quite as nutritious breastmilk, but it is safe. Those who donate are being kind and I recognize the gesture, but wow, I can't imagine being a recipient. Three healthy children in the donor's home don't prove she's not a nutcase (although PP, you don't sound like one--I'm just saying, you could be and she might not know).

No, I'm not a nutcase, but you don't know me from Adam. And you'd have every right to be cautious--it's your baby after all! I totally get that and again, to each her own. I'm just glad there are people willing to received donated milk since I have enough to give away.

[Anonymous]

Would you give your friend's blood for a transfusion to your baby? that basically should be the question- if you feel that your friend has been screened to your satisfaction- then great- but otherwise- screen! It's a bodily fluid- make sure it's "acceptable" for you before you give it to your child.. gl