How do you feel about unscreened donor milk?

[Maruschke]

I am falling in love with the idea of donor milk. Not for us, because we don't need it, but as a general concept that I think has a lot of merit and really ought to be more mainstream.

Just curious how you feel about receiving milk without the donor first having their blood tests etc? 12 months ago I hated the idea, but since birth it really doesn't phase me. I think I'd ask a few questions if I didn't know the person, but I would definitely accept unscreened and unpasturised donor milk.

[nothing2lose]

NOPE! Not in a million years. I work with people living with HIV and Hep C. Nope.

[delphmoon]

Nope.

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[blessedatlast]

Doesn't bother me.. A blood test result is only as good as the day the blood test was done anyway.. I trust the person gives full disclosure about their lifestyle and if they did have anything there's not much chance of my baby getting it through the milk anyway. Having said that, the women who have donated to me always offer blood results..

I picked up some milk for DS on the weekend from one on my belly buddies. She had some lovely rich colostrum and transition milk.. I love that if my supply is low I can still give my baby the best

ETA: Before I had DS I was always open to using donor milk, but wasn't sure if I could have him breastfed by someone else.. Now though, if I couldn't and he would actually feed from someone else it totally wouldn't bother me. When he was in special care I was sick one night so couldn't go in.. We had just started BF and I wished so desperately I knew someone at the time that could have gone and BF him just so he didn't miss out on that closeness..

[Arimeh]

If it was a friend yup - stranger from where we live? Nope.

[Maruschke]

stranger from where we live?

I was hoping she'd be a teen before she got stoned / drunk / off her face ...

[Olive]

ive been a BM donor to to close friend....
not sure how i feel about receiving from someone i dont know, id probably say no, but seen as im not in the position, its hard to say

[blessedatlast]

Thing is, often when the call for milk goes out the people that are willing to do it are most likely part of a natural parenting community, so even if you don't know them, someone you know does.. You know they have the same ideas about BF as you do, which is why they are willing to donate milk. It's not like they are just completely random strangers..

[delphmoon]

It not that Im worried that a potential BM donor won't disclose any health/blood borne issues etc its more that they don't even know themselves that they have something, for example hepatitis.

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[blessedatlast]

Yeah but most people have an antenatal screen anyway and they are normally willing to get more recent tests if requested .. The issue with this is, often when donor milk is needed, it's needed NOW, not in a week when the blood results are back..

[nothing2lose]

It not that Im worried that a potential BM donor won't disclose any health/blood borne issues etc its more that they don't even know themselves that they have something, for example hepatitis.

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Yeah, that.

[delphmoon]

Yeah but most people have an antenatal screen anyway and they are normally willing to get more recent tests if requested .. The issue with this is, often when donor milk is needed, it's needed NOW, not in a week when the blood results are back..

Yeah but this thread is about unscreened people

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[Maruschke]

When my DD2 needed donor BM, she needed it THAT DAY. The tests have a two day wait period before you know if the donor is clean... and by then it was too late.

[Phteven]

It depends on the situation. If it was a gift directly from a woman to my baby I would be guided by my knowledge of her lifestyle and her knowledge of her health. If it was from a milk bank, then I would want it screened because I wouldn't have access to information about the donors in the same way that I would in a more informal donation.

[blessedatlast]

I misinterpreted the OP.. I thought it meant without seeing or requesting the tests, rather than them not being screened at all..

Still wouldn't bother me.. As I said before, the tests are only as good as the day you get them really anyway Anything could happen during the time before the milk reaches you..

[PumpkinZulu]

I have accepted donor milk without a blood test. It was offered, but I didn't find it necessary

[onthefly]

Before i would have said no, but now I'd probably say yes. I'd probably trust another mother offering milk over formula, if that's my other option.

[Barb Glare]

Hi,

Just wanted to point out, Hep C isn't transmitted via breastmilk. And HIV amongst Australian Born women is extremely uncommon (about 1 woman infected every 2 years)