How do you feel about unscreened donor milk?

[Phteven]

I guess that it's incorrect to call informal donations unscreened. Clearly Mums are screening, they are just relying on honesty and their own observations as a screening method rather than blood tests.

[Maruschke]

I guess that it's incorrect to call informal donations unscreened. Clearly Mums are screening, they are just relying on honesty and their own observations as a screening method rather than blood tests.

Good point, though when I made the OP I was thinking of formal blood tests. We are always constantly assessing situations, no way to really avoid it.

Mylitta that was a great post.

[Cassius2]

I have donated BM in both situations: to a stranger and to a close friend in need. the stranger was through my homebirth network and i guess had the reassurance of my pathology etc from my IM etc. and my close friend had trust in me.

I was never formally screened for the donation of BM and TBH if i was in the same situation and had access to the same support networks then I would accept.

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

Very interesting debate! I have donated milk myself, but never accepted. My DS was intolerant to cow milk and hypersensitive to caffeine and sugar - so just a small bit of Cadbury's would mean a nightmare 24 hours for me. I'm not going to screen mothers for their normal diet because it was a strange diet I was on. Also DH is allergic to nuts so I was also nut-free in pregnancy and BFing. I cannot in all reason ask other women to give up chocolate brazil nuts. Or sticky toffee puddings. Or to change their usual drinks.

I wouldn't accept milk from a stranger either, I would like to vet the woman if not formally test her.

Also, I fed my newborn formula. It really isn't the end of the world. I'd have preferred to have not been in hospital with bullies insisting I would never feed my child myself then trying to ensure I gave up, but that's lesson learnt for next time rather than wishing it never happened.