i like that analogy fionajill, "risks/side effects" that all medications have" it is so true, but the benefits outway them by farrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr imo. true astrid about the pump, i agree. i wouldn't want payment but a free pump would be nice!
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i like that analogy fionajill, "risks/side effects" that all medications have" it is so true, but the benefits outway them by farrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr imo. true astrid about the pump, i agree. i wouldn't want payment but a free pump would be nice!
LOL, I am picturing a little room off the hall with instead of pictures of porn for the usual type of "donantion" we would have a littel nursery set up with lots of pics of babies & even a cd on repeat of baby sounds. Maybe some posters of those "milky waterfalls" too. LMAO!
Another thing to ponder. DH and I were discussing this the other day (like me he wouldn't hesitate to use the milk bank), and he wondered if using bank milk would be even more beneficial in buidling immunity, than milk from mum alone, as it contains the anitbodies from lots of women. Interesting thought anyway!!
That is an interesting thought!
I might be wrong here - but dont milk banks work by basically pouring all the milk ina big vat and babies are fed off that (I know its not exactly liek that, but you get the picture ;) )
So dont all womans milk get diluted and strengthened by the other mums? So if one woman has something in her diet that may react with bubs - theorectically this will be watered down by someone elses milk.
And they babies wont be getting much milk anyway - as they are premmies etc - so I'm thinking the effect of food on the milk quality would be negligable.
Just my thought - not sure if this is correct or not.
That actually occurred to me too. Did I read it in this thread or another (oh.. probably the immunisation debate thread) that whilst the mum is sick, the baby gets the antibodies to fight it.. and is less likely to catch whatever the mum's got. Soooo.. could it be that our fears of diseases being transmitted through donated milk be are a bit ott? If anything.. they could be receiving the antibodies? I know things like HIV etc are transmittable.. but those ones are screenable.:
he wondered if using bank milk would be even more beneficial in buidling immunity, than milk from mum alone, as it contains the anitbodies from lots of women.
There's certainly a lot to think about with it.. but I'm sure the 'experts' have weighed all these things up for a very long time before opening the bank.
The ABC (TV channel) just had an excellent report about this on their 7.30 Report. Now I'm even more convinced I would use human breast milk if I had a premmie.
Ooo that sounds interesting, Bathsheba. What were the main points?
They gave a couple of case studies of mothers and babies using it and went through the whole process of making sure it was a safe product. It's certainly a lot more regulated than most women imagine... probably even more so than some formulas. They emphasised it was exclusively for premmie babies. They can help only 50 a year at this stage.
I notice that since I posted in this thread more woman have selected the "no" option than "yes". I wonder if that was done merely on first impulse or after reading the info on the subject. I guess it's just a poll and people have felt free to make a decision based on an emotional response rather than a scientific/informed one. I'm not critising people for doing that I'd just hope that they would take the time to find out more information if they found themselves with a vulnerable premmie baby. My intital reaction was "Urgh!" as well btw. But as last night's show highlighted: it's safer than a blood transfusion (which most people agree to at the drop of a hat) and there have been no negative outcomes, only positive. Where's the risk?
I've wondered that too about the poll. Might be interesting to re-run the poll to see if peoples views have changed. I know I would now vote yes, rather than I don't know.
Yep, when I first discovered the poll there was no further information in the thread... I imagined that it was human milk, unpasturized (the 7.30 Report confirmed that it underwent a special pasturization treatment that preserved the goodness etc). I made many incorrect assumptions when I selected "unsure"... if the poll was redone after providing some basic information I think the results would be very different.
WEll.. the info was there in the link.. but I would agree that most would have voted on emotions before reading it or really thinking it through. LIke me! :o
Whoops! Was it? (Just went back and checked... you're right!) But it's also very easy just to vote without thinking hey? It wasn't until I was about half way through reading this entire thread (reading everyone's comments) that my opinion clarified... I think there was info pasted into the actual thread that swayed me.
yeah same here. FJ quoted some info, which made me a definite maybe. LOL. But the more I think about it, and thinking of it as medicinal for a little premmie.. I would most likely use it.
for me it is not whether it is pasturised or not. i would give any breastmilk over cow's milk formula any day as for my family i believe breastmilk of any kind is less risky than formula for my children.
Beckles I am of the same opinion as you.
Jo
Even after having read all the info, I'm still going to say that I'd not use bank milk, but ask a friend with a baby to help me. I just can't bring myself to trust a BM bank right now, but then I've never accepted a blood transfusion either and I donate blood. I'd donate milk too, just still wonder about the process and how it would work too much. I wouldn't do it until after I'd donated myself, if at all.
yay jo thanks for saying that, sometimes i feel a bit isolated here. hugs.
Beckles - I agree with you also!
thanks guys, hugs.
*bump*
I voted no and dont have anything against anyone that would use the banks but i just wouldnt.
ooohhh.....interesting.
It reminds me of a story my mum told me once. She was looking after my aunty's baby (her sister in law's baby) but they were like sisters, known each other since little. And they both had boys at the same age. Anyway, her nephew would not stop crying and was hungry and my aunty was late. Mum didn't know what to do so she breast fed him a bit. She thought it would be ok but said she felt really weird and grossed out by it and it just felt wrong. She said she only gave him a little bit to stop him crying and never told my aunty coz she was worried what she would say. I wonder how wet-nurses could do it, and how ppl could give their babies to others to feed. I think it would weird me out too. But I think donated milk is ok.
I say YES with no hesitation, my twins born 8 weeks early, and with the knowledge I have now of the importance of breast milk I say YES YES YES
Julie
Gees this thread brings back memorys!
Yes I would Support
Yes I would Give
Yes I would Use
Wow interesting! Having said that Im unsure what I would do... knowing the benefits of bfing etc. I know it would be the best thing but the thought of it makes me feel squirmy even knowing that the procedures for screening etc would be stringent. I just looked at Izzy and I wonder if its a jealousy thing- I know that sounds weird - will have to think more and post back later!....
I'm still of the same mind: if my baby, especially if he/she was prem and highly vulnerable I would choose screened human breast milk just like I would choose screened human blood if a transfusion was needed.
Both are simply life saving fluids in my mind. The more i read about artifical milk the more dubious i am... it's ok for my 12 month old as a compliment to my own diminished supply of BM but if I had a premmie that would be different.
no i wouldnt give maddy someone else milk.. just doesnt seem right!
I've been re-reading earlier comments... some nearly a year old! Liz's (I hope you don't mind matey!) seems to sum a lot of them up:
QUOTE:
First reaction: ICK.. no way!
2nd thought: Think it's a good idea.. but wouldn't trust the screening (thinking about the complications associated with blood etc.. screening just isn't good enough)
3rd thought: After reading about it being pasteurised etc etc.. I think I probably would consider it.. especially for a premmy.
Yep definately. Rather give my bub milk from a human mum than a cow.
Same response from me.... second time around:
YES YES YES
I bumped this due to the article below from today, which is going to be covered further in the media from activity at the ABA conference today...
:
Doctors call for breast milk banks (ABC News)
Neonatal specialists say the lives of many premature babies could be saved if there were more breast milk donation banks in Australia.
The first national breastfeeding conference is being held in Melbourne and will today hear about the success of the milk bank at Perth's King Edward Memorial Hospital.
The bank opened a year ago and has provided 55 premature babies with donated breast milk.
The bank's manager Dr Ben Hartmann says breast milk is better for the immature immune and digestive systems than artificial formula.
"When a mum does give birth prematurely, there can often be several reasons that she can't provide her own breast milk," he said.
"During those days we need to feed babies intravenously so if we can actually provide donor milk and get those babies onto full feeds, mum's milk then comes in and she can take over.
"It means we can get those IV lines out and that's a potential source of infection for babies."
Dr Hartmann says the lives of more premature babies could be saved if there were banks in other cities.
"Babies in our unit will be down to 23 weeks or 24 weeks gestation, I guess their immune system and their digestive system is quite immature," he said.
"We need to provide nutrition that's appropriate and in easily digestible forms but we also know that breast milk contains a lot of immunological protective properties."
Thanks for posting the article again Kelly, now we're all on the same page so to speak. :)
I also think to myself: if my baby needed a blood transfusion would I opt for cow's blood? Ugh no way! It's very similar: both simply fluids with specific properties for sustaining life.
I don't deny the "ick" factor of donated human BM... but really logic should prevail when it comes to premmies :) As long as it was screened then it would scientifically be ideal for a premmie.... and I would use that as a basis for getting over the "ick" factor.
I'd have no hesitation in both donating to or recieving from a milk bank.
I actually did apply to be a donor as I had oversupply, but it was too late in my breastfeeding journey before they got back to me (I had nearly weaned). Hopefully next bub will be a different story and I'll be able to donate.