If you had no breastmilk, would you use a breastmilk bank?

[Liz]

Maybe we could specially make BM soap for newborns! Made with their own mother's milk! Would be very good for their skin.. you must admit! LOL.

[*Efjay*]

I think it would be one of those things that would be a "special order" between mother & baby.


I was thinking while in the shower. I know this might be a bit silly, but I wonder what people would find more threating. An armed robbery with the weapon a syringe of blood or breastmilk? I know most of us here would say both as we all know the issues for both are the same as far as carrying disease. But put it to the general public I wonder what the response would be.

[Fi]

Ivana - maybe sell a kit that someone can use to make their own soap - if that makes sense?
Back to a point made a page or 2 ago - why some people think its OK to donate but not accept.
Well - I had oversupply with Jenna, and it was never ever a consideration that I would have to use another's milk. It just hasn't crossed my mind, and its hard to comprehend for me. So while I know I have heaps to donate to a very worhty cause, I haven't felt the need to take from it - Does that make sense?
And as for using it - if I had a preterm baby, and I was trying to establish feeding - I would take from the bank because it would be supplementing my efforts to get things going.
But if I had a term baby, and it wasn't working out - well long term I wouldn't be breastfeeding anyway, so it would seem silly to start taking from a source that is required for more needy people.
I hope that makes sense? There is a small ick factor for me - but no different to a blood transfusion. i would truly, truly hate to get a transfusion, it would be one of the worst things for me to contemplate (along with losing teeth), but I donate whenever I can.
Throughout jenna's first 6 months when I was exclusively breastfeeding, I would rather have had a wetnurse or a donation than give her formula. But that was just me.

[Liz]

FJ - First reaction to that is I would fear blood more than milk. But like you say, the risk is probably the same.

If anything.. the risk probably comes from the contaminated syringe rather than the contents! hehe.

Fi - hmmmm.. good idea! hehe. We could provide the other ingredients ready to go and you just add breastmilk! LOL. That would probably work better as a lotion than trying to get all and sundry understanding the saponification process. Breastmilk seems to be a cure-all for things.. squirt it up their noses when they have a cold.. smear it around dry/sore nipples.

Back on topic tho.. I'm guessing it would have to be restricted to needy bubs, such as premmy. But you'd have to be careful not to affect the mum's own supply. The same downward spiral of being unable to b/f due to comping might occur. If the aim is to fill a 'gap' between premmy bub being born and mum's milk coming in.. then the demand wouldn't be so huge.. because it's a matter of maybe maximum 2 weeks? Then she can express her own milk. As a replacement for being unable to establish your own breastfeeding.. that would be a lot of milk.

[Rouge]

Fi thats a very good point, re taking it from other babies that might need it more! I hadn't thought of that...

As for the soap they have face creams made out of placenta... whats the dif? I think I'd rather put breastmilk on my skin that cows placenta...

*hugs*
Cailin

[*Efjay*]

I can agree with that. I wouldn't use the milk from a bank for my older/healthy baby just for the sake of him getting BM. Not becuase I think its yuk, but I would feel guilty for taking it from a more needy baby. I feel the same about shopping in op shops. I figure those places are for people who need acsess to cheaper items. But then it was pointed out to me that buy shopping there I am also supporting the cause (places like St vinnies & the Salvo's). I still don't shop there on a regular basis, but I will often go in and browse & pick something up if I like something. I got a baby rocker/bouncer thingy & a really nice bassinet frilly skirt thing the other day.

As for supplementing your efforts. I think I would use it still but in conjuction with a supply line so while feeding at the breast baby would still be getting milk via a tube that runs along your breast to your nipple. So you still get that stimulation to help your supply along.

To true about the syringe being more a problem then its content.


I keep think of things I want to post after I post....
I think when it comes down to it. There are considerations to take in for everything. Medications that have side effects, Blood/organ transfusions, donated breastmilk. If it was put to me that my baby would have x% chance of doing well on donated BM compared to x% if formula is used then even if I did have a ick issue about it, I will still choose what was going to be best.

[Liz]

face creams made out of placenta

Yup.. my eyes have been opened WIDE about stuff that goes into skin products. It's quite alarming! Cosmetics are probably the worst. But cleansers and soaps are just chemical ****tails and are no good for your skin.

ETA: I wonder what dirty tactics Nestle would have against this milk bank? And imagine if the milk made it to supermarket shelves! LOL. Woohoo! down with Nestle!

[Rouge]

Not at all fletch! I think its only human to question something, its why we research in the first place. I was just trying to offer a different perspective, if you still feel irked by it there's nothing I can do about that. Thats what makes us human is that we are all different! Its like all things I am one of those people that can talk about all sorts of gross stuff whilst eating whereas I have a friend that if she sees spit on the sidewalk starts to gag.

This was mearly meant as a discussion no more no less. Not attacking (IMO we've been nice, and you know what I'm like about nice... did you read my recent post?) just questioning or offering different ideas.

We can still question others and ourselves and be understanding at the same time, well I know I can!

I'm going to go find a white flag J/K...

You know I mean well right?

*hugs*
Cailin

[Liz]

I dont' think it's scare tactics Fletch. I think people were just saying they couldn't understand the aversion to human products when we so readily accept other animal products.

I wouldn't donate to the bank either.. but that's just my laziness. I've expressed a total of 3 bottles for my own son! let alone someone elses! I can't even get motivated to stock up my own bank in the freezer. hehe.

[Debbie Lee]

Fletch - the semen thing was in reference to being induced. Not formula. It was just used as an example of how some people will happily use some products that are derived from a different species (in this case, pig) but won't go near products made from humans.

the prostaglandins they used to use for inductions come from.... take a guess... it's not human But it is semen. Think of what animal is said to be a close match to humans

- Kelly

[Fi]

Fletchy darling - I think the monkey semen was actually pig semen products used as the induction gel. I'm pretty sure that formula is just powdered cows milk with some extra bits added in. No monkey bits.
Sorry - I am having a little laugh here about harvesting monkey semen. How the hell would that work!! ROTFLMAO!!!!!Seriously - I am nearly peeing my pants!!!!

As I have said a number of times in the past- we are very lucky as a society that we dont have one choice, mums are given heaps of choices that hopefully work for them - so please dont think anyone is having a go.
I'm sure in some countries that are less lucky than ourselves you cant just go and buy a tin of formula off the shelf for basically 1hrs pay. And the choices that formula feeding mums have is astounding. Imagine if you couldn't feed, were formula feeding and your baby was having negative reactions to that - and there was only one type of formula to try.
We are all very lucky.

[BellyBelly]

Yep I think the worst thing about it is thinking about the poor person who's job it is to collect it

[Rouge]

PMSL @ harvesting Monkey Semen....

One of the cruelest and grossest things I've ever seen is doing that to a lion... was on some discovery channel I was grossed out shocked and intrigued all at the same time... They used some electrified probe that went up the lions butt and the shocks would cause it to well you know...

Oh gosh I'm going to regret sharing that i know...

*runs away and hides*

*hugs*
Cailin

[Fi]

Brings new light to the saying "Monkey see, monkey do".

[Liz]

I just keep picturing women lined up like cows at a dairy farm.. attached to milking machines!

To be a donator - it would take a great deal of time. I hope they find an efficient way to do it. Mind you.. 200mls would go a long way with a premmy. So in terms of expressing for a needy bub, it probably isn't THAT much effort to support a premmy for a couple of weeks.

Crikey - just saw all your posts about extracting semen!! LOL! and Cailin - yes.. you run and hide girl! LOL.

[Rouge]

Think about all the milk that gets wasted in breastpads in the early days from overflow! I was expressing so Seth could latch and it would take 50mls each side before he could get hold. And my pads would be soaked I went through boxes in a week... I still use them and he's 6mths old! I easily expressed 200mls a day for the first few weeks just to take the edge off.

Even if people only did it during their stay in hospital I think it would all add up!

*hugs*
Cailin

[Debbie Lee]

Ooo I hope I have a supply like that next time, Cailin!
I stopped leaking very quickly and I never, ever felt so full that I had to express first

[MantaRay]

I also had tonnes of milk. I started expressing for Jack when he started day care at 7 months and I always got so much more than I needed. Once he self-weaned (14 months) I went through the freezer at home and the one at day care and threw out so much frozen EBM that I could have fed someone else's baby for a year LOL. Day care must have been glad to get their freezer back! I would also donate as I'd rather someone else benefit than have extra milk to go waste.

I would also use donated EBM for a premmie. My first choice would be to use milk from a friend if available, but I would use a bank otherwise.