Would you allow this?

[Charlotte91]

I was listening to Fifi and Jules podcast and one of the things they were talking about was "Would you let someone else breastfeed your baby?"

Would you? The senario is that your leaving your child with a member of your mothers group or a friend/family.

Would you be happy enough for that person to nurse your child?

[Catastrophic]

No. Not personally. That is a special bond between me and my daughters - I would hate to share that.
But in saying that, if someone needed my EBM I would be more then happy to help supply (If I was lactating)

[Phteven]

Yes I would.
Milk from a wet nurse is the second best food for a baby if milk from their mother is not available.

My 2nd had tongue tie and he was a terrible chomper so I suspect that no-one would have offered to feed him twice.

[Tinks]

I would. It's been done for generations. My aunt used to feed other babies in hospital if their mothers didn't have enough milk. I don't know why it's frowned upon these days.

[~clover~]

Personally, no, but back in the days before formula that was the only option for alot of mums. My friends have done it. One was weaning & needed relief, so fed the friends baby. I was offered for the same reason, but I didn't feel comfortable with it.
My natural instinct with friends upset babies is to pick them up & put them to the breast if they cry. Any baby. But I wouldn't do it. It crosses boundaries for most.

Each to their own.

[nothing2lose]

It would depend on the circumstances and who was doing the feeding but generally, no.

The reality is you don't know what may be in their system (drugs, toxins, diseases) that they may not even be aware of...

[[M]umma[M]ia]

No, I wouldnt. Just not for me.

[wysiwyg]

I also would not have an issue either having a bub breastfed by someone else or feeding someone else's if they wanted me too.

(Slightly off topic but there was a very interesting episode of Human Planet (Cities - Surviving the Urban Jungle) watched the other day, where a particular community in India (Bishnoi) worship/look after a type of gazelle (Blackbuck) and if orphaned fawns will not take the bottle, the women will breastfeed the fawns for a couple of weeks until they are strong enough to be released - I thought was absolutely amazing how the fawn knew exactly what to do)

[kimmi]

It would depend on the circumstances and who was doing the feeding but generally, no.

The reality is you don't know what may be in their system (drugs, toxins, diseases) that they may not even be aware of...

That would be my (if I had a baby) hesitation. SO many diseases are transmitted through breast milk!

[EsJay]

if it was someone i know and trust and know their background etc then yes as a one off. Although at 19 months im not sure dd would take someone else's boob!
i would also reciprocate if asked and i felt comfortable with that mummy, or would supply ebm if asked.

I would only take one side when i was born so my mum fed other babies in hospital who's mums couldnt feed because they were sick. proud of her for doing that

[onthefly]

I'd rather milk from a known human than from an unknown cow.

[Jennifer13]

Yes, but of course there's limited situations where I would leave my baby without being there or have someone else's baby for an extended period of time.

I've told DP if anything happens to me (serious illness or worse) when we have a bfing baby the first thing he must do is contact my ABA group and put the call out. I don't care how the baby is fed, as long as it is given bm. IMO someone else bfing and holding my baby is not going to threaten the mothering bond I have with my child. That is about much more than feeding. I would just want to give my child the best possible food.

I'd feel the same bfing someone else's baby - I don't feel a bond when I cuddle them, just that i am satisfying a baby's need to be held. Feeding them is just one other need. I've bottle fed other people's babies and I don't think that encouraged a bond either. I would absolutely only do it if the baby's mother/carer wanted it though.

[STARRYSKY]

Exactly as Jennifer has put it so nicely!

I wouldn't have a problem with it and would BF another bub if asked to.

[Amaunet]

If I trusted them enough to leave my child with them, then yep, I'd trust/allow them to bf my child if necessary.

My mum was babysitting for a friend whose car broke down 2 hours away. She was feeding my little bro so she just fed the other bubba too. Her friend was a fellow nursing mothers association member (aba now) and she didn't mind at all

[Jas]

In cetain circumstances yes I would absolutely! But not as an everyday thing

[Liz]

In cetain circumstances yes I would absolutely! But not as an everyday thing

Yep.. exactly how I was going to answer

[Danielle_NZ]

Interesting topic. Not sure where I stand on it for an everyday activity but it does have it's time and place.

[loulabelle]

If my baby needed milk and I couldn't give it, then yep, I would. As long as I knew the person well, knew that they were healthy and drug free etc.

I would also have no problem feeding someone else's baby if I needed to.


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