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

Hmmm I don't know if would want to be kept alive just so my baby could have my milk. I mean if there was no chance of me surviving at all, then I would just like to be let go. But it would probably never happen as the cost involved would be huge.

oh yeah i am the same but if it was just so baby could get the colustrum, i would be ticking yes if it was an option.

But its a bit OT anyway.

I answered yes in thinking that it would only be only until my milk came in for an ill or premmie baby. Jonah got my good stuff mostly in the beginning, although I think the stress, my BP meds and not having him with me really made my supply suffer. But her had it when it counted and I don't feel bad or guilty that he ended up being formula fed. Of course I would have liked it to go for longer that it did and I am mor determined for next time but I don't think he has suffered in any way (and I know no one is saying he has at all, I'm just saying is all :))

What a great discussion this is.

Bec, Your right even a little bit counts & you should be proud that you were able to give him that.

Thanks FJ, I really am proud :D

Oh on the topic of dying and BM etc. I would want to be kept alive atleast until the baby had had all the colostrum, then I would maybe suggest a BM bank, only if they were premmie though and not ill in any way. I don't think I would want to be kept alive just so the baby could have my milk. I just see that as a waste of a bed when someone else might need it. I would however be kept alive if they needed me to be to incubate the baby until they could be born, but that's a whole other discussion all together.

Hmmmmmm, I'm sure it's possible to relactate Shannon. A MCHN that we saw was telling us that women who have adopted babies can breastfeed them. Apparently there's some kind of apparatus that goes over the shoulder and some way attaches to the nipple. The baby sucks from that and gets the milk but the sucking action on the nipple can make a woman lactate. Now that sounds like a lot of bull to me and I was surprised, maybe I should do some research.

Shannon, did you know that relactating is possible? FJ would be able to help you out with info if you're interested.

I know all the diseases and things now days are a very big part of the reason that wet-nursing has lost all popularity, but I wonder whether it would still be more popular if formula wasn't available. Just a thought. I guess it would have to be as the babies would starve otherwise. It's just interesting that in the past upper class women preferred lower class women feeding their babies than doing it themselves, and now, as a society, we find the idea of even using other people's screened milk "eek"! This is such an interesting dicussion. I'm enjoying all the different POVs.

Melanie

Tigergirl, you could try the ABA website to start. There were stories in last months ABA magazine about adoptive mums who were bfing. Apparently even men can - I know this sounds ludicrous but there are documented cases!

Wow, that is awesome, off to look at that. It's very interesting.

ETA: I can't find that info on there, can you point me in the right direction? Ta.

Shannon - What a bugger that Jess is having such a tough time. Is there another milk which is closer? I'm thinking goats milk, but I'm not sure at all.

I too would feed another persons child. To me there isn't a special bond of feeding - I dont know why but to me its just a bodily function. And I would actually rather someone feed my child at the breast if they had to than express and do the bottle thing. I would love to see someone feeding another person's baby!!! Do you think the baby would know? How wierd to feel the sensation of someone else's feeding style. Just totaly fascinating!!!

That is an interesting idea Fi... doesn't irk me when i really think about it... it's just an incredibly generous act. Some species of animals are capable of it (even feeding babies of a differing species) and if we humans think we are "better" than animals then why don't we do it more often? Loving your own child is easy but I think to extend that love to the child of another is really extra special.

I think I feel the same way. If, for some reason I wasn't able to feed my premmie baby (say if I was in an accident or something.... causing early labour) I wouldn't mind it if someone BF my baby so that it gets the whole attachment thing - because that's pretty important too. Of course, I'd want to know the person (a close friend, one of my sisters... something like that).

Shannon, another thing you may like to try is trhe A2 milks. DH uses this milk & its done wonders for his bowels.

Yep it is possible to relactate. You can email me if you would like some info.

Tigergirl, I can't find the info there either. Pity, it must have just been in the magazine. FionaJill should have info though...

Bugger, thanks though. Will e-mail Fiona :)

shannon it is lovely having like minded people around me. it is absolutely possible to relactate. usually a supply line is used. have you tried jessalyn on the breast? i guess it would depend how long it has been since her last feed. good luck with your research if you choose to look into it further. it is hard when we are unsure about a decision we have made. hugs.
beckles

Im going to put my two bob in here.

I think if i had a premmie baby id probably use the milk bank if it was offered. But unfortunatley i dont think breastfeeding is supported enough in hospitals to have it offered. I think the majority of nurses dont encourage mums to keep trying when its so damn hard to begin with.
If i were a first time mum again and i couldnt b/f for some reason then i dont think i would use the milk bank, and thats only for the reason of lack of information and support of using BM.

I think its sad that mums arent helped more when trying to feed there baby's, its not like you can say to you baby 'oh hang on, your hungry so lets try again tomorrow, you can do without cant you' this is why formula is the only option. And this is totally understandble.


As far as being kept alive while bub gets BM. Thats and even harder answer because i think even though the baby is still newborn dont you think it would be more traumatic for it to be feeding of its dead mum. Id want the best for my kids if that were to happen but keeping me alive just isnt it. How painfull that would be for everyone involved. Id opt for formula unfortunately. At least my baby was being fed.

In the case of death I don't think the baby would be feeding from the dead mum but that they would take the milk from the mum so that he/she could still have the mum's milk.

And I think that there are a lot of nurses that encourage BF, I know they did at the hospital that I went to, I think it just depends on the nurse and the hospital. I think though a lot of it is time constraints. They have schedules that they have to stick to and unfortunately BF can take a long time and they don't have time. I'm sure they would be more supportive if they had the time but unfortunately they don't and I really feel for them in that circumstance, they probably want to do more but they can't.

I think considering I have had an extremely premmie bub myself (he was 12 weeks early), and knowing the absolute importance breastmilk is to premmies, YES YES YES. but living rurally, It would depend on the availability as to how long it would be plausible to keep using it.
Also, there was a set of orphaned twins who were premmie in the RWH Brisbane when i had my son. they actually had a sign up on the humidicribs, telling staff to give them lots of touching, and love, as there mother had abandoned them. A breastmilk bank would be also vital to such needy babies as those. My heart absolutely broke when i saw how small, and unloved these babes were.