Would you use someone else's EBM??

[aussienic]

There are also plenty of things you can make with left over BM. I read somewhere you can even make a soap I would keep it for mixing with solids and offering in a cup during meals of thats what you plan to do

not sure how I would feel offering my DD someone elses BM. I would if she was in hospital and my milk supply was low. would need to know it was good milk though

[Laranna]

I actually have used my sisters EBM to top up DS in the early days. Our boys are 3 weeks apart and she has a massive supply so she expressed a few lots for me. I felt bad asking her to keep expressing for us because she was also a new mum and very tired, even though she was happy to do it.

Not sure if I would use a strangers. I guess if it had come from a milk bank where it had gone through all the quality control tests etc, I would.

[Muffy]

Yes, i would have no problem in it.
the only exception to that would be i would only use EBM i would actually let someone else feed my baby KWIM?
I think it is a lovely gesture to be able to give someone else EBM if they need it.

[MantaRay]

I know how you feel hun. I used to have to throw out EBM and it was so sad. I wish I'd known of milk banks then.

To answer your question, yes, I would use EBM from family, a friend or a milk bank.

[boomba]

I would definitely use it! As long as it was screened etc! I would prefer that to formula!

Good luck with whatever you choose to do with it!

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

No. There are allergies and intolerances in the family as well as DS had such a sensitivity to caffeine, I just couldn't ask someone else to give up nuts and chocolate and have goat's milk products and no penicillin or coffee or... I don't mind doing it but I don't think I'd trust someone else to do it.

TBH formula is a better option for us because I know there are no allergens in goat's milk formula. I don't have a problem with formula. But if my baby is awake and wired for 24 hours because some donor ate just one piece of chocolate... I'd rather do formula.

I would donate, having said that. But just not accept. I know I'm OK but I don't know about you LOL.

[Nadine216]

You can use your EMB in bubba's bath water .. very good for their skin. As has been said, you can use it in their solids also. Just make sure about the dates.

I donated my milk with dd to the milk bank. They use it in state hossies for prem babies and I had loads so did not see a problem there, BUT I was screened for AIDS/HIV before hand and signed a form of consent that my milk would be used, that I don't smoke/drink/do drugs ect ect ect. I just expressed at home, freezed and brought in when I visited dd in hossie. After she got out, I stopped expressing, but there were a service that would come and pick it up at my house for free once a week. It was just to much to express with a new bubba that would not sleep

As for me using someone else's milk ... sure if I know that person and approve their lifestyle. Why not. I know of ppl (few generations back) that were breastfed by a neighbour or a friend. No expressing, just popping them on the breast for the first few weeks. There was nothing wrong with that .. I have to add that that was before AIDS.

[Maruschke]

Have you seen this article?

Australian mothers beg for black market breast milk | NSW/ACT | News.com.au

Apparantly this is more common than we realise...

AFM, yes, I would use someone else's EBM if I knew they were fit and healthy etc. But I would be very cautious.

[Indadhanu]

I would use EBM as long as I knew it was 'clean' (I don't really know about what would make breastmilk clean or unclean, but yeah knowing someone was screened I would use their breastmilk).

On a side note, a family on the Sunshine Coast were asking for EBM donors for their 8yo (i think around that age) as they had found a link between breastmilk and keeping childhood cancer at bay. They make her a milkshake every day, and she is in remission I think. Interesting read actually... I'd better read it again as I'm a bit forgetful of the details... google 'Breast milk used in cancer fight'

[Barb Glare]

HI,

Just a note to say that, goats milk formula is not allergen free. A fairly high proportion of children who are cows milk intolerant are also goats milk intolerant - so if it works for you, that's good, but it won't work for everyone.
This is an interesting discussion. It interests me that formula is not a sterile product, and has been tested and found to have reasonably high bacterial loads. But few seem to question this.

[Rachel]

I have to say that I wouldn't. I can't get past the fact that EBM is someone's body fluid!! The way I also look at it is that breast milk is only as good as the person that is making it..so yes they test for infectious diseases (which as someone else pointed out is not always foolproof) but they don't test peoples diet and other factors that effect the quality of the milk. So i wouldn't use it.But i have no problem with people that feel they would use it..it's good to have choices in this world.

[MantaRay]

That's an interesting point Rachel. However,there really is no such things as "poor quality" milk. You don't need a great diet to produce bm, and bm is all of a high quality. The real risk is either disease transmission, or harmful substances such as drugs in the milk. With the bm banks, the donors are screened, the milk has been pasteurised (and this has been shown to eliminate harmful things), and the donors also commit to keeping alcohol and mediation use within safe limits. If there were more bm banks around, and they had the funds to accept all the donations on offer, this really would be a fantastic service and would save a fortune in health dollars.

It's interesting to me that so many people are concerned about what's in bm without giving a thought to the fact that there is no way of knowing what is in formula. Studies have shown that the content in each batch of formula varies, and almost without fail contains some contaminants. Yet this seems to be less concerning to people. It's interesting the way we are more scared of natural products than man made!

[Fleur]

I have to say that I wouldn't. I can't get past the fact that EBM is someone's body fluid!!

I know what you mean, cause this was my immediate reaction..but really when you think about it, we drink bodily fluids from animals all the time...that's much more icky, really. And going back years ago, it was quite acceptable (wet-nursing).

There was something about this on the Today show this morning. Seems there is a milk bank here on the coast. And it was either there or somewhere else they mentioned that atm it is all free, but they may need to introduce a 'handling fee' I think they called it, to cover costs...maybe $10 a bottle...whcih made me go 'whoa, that's expensive!'

So, would you pay $10 for a bottle, when a tin of formula is significantly less?

It would be a shame if mothers were priced out of screened EBM when they really wanted it or needed it.

It has made me think too...my sis is also PG...yes I would feed her baby...I guess I would let her feed mine? TBH I'd never considered it before. Interesting.

[Oorki Galoorki]

i would use some one elses as well as let them feed my baby(under certain circumstances)
i would be happy to donate milk and or boobs to others

[Nadine216]

or boobs to others

My DH says he will take you up on that one!!!





PS. He also said that I have to make it CLEAR that he was just joking.

[EllaElla]

My son was Premi and I would have done anything to get him breast milk. I never had to as my constant expressing in hospital and use of assistance drugs gave me what little he needed in the beginning (I was very lucky in that sense).

I have a great supply now, a freezer stock and I would donate myself now.

[Jennifer13]

I would almost go so far as to say that I would trust the non-'treated' ebm from any woman above what you can buy from a company, whose processes, equipment and procedures are not open for public inspection and criticism. Half of the time you have no idea how many links in the supply chain have brought the cows' milk to the tin you took it home in. Not to mention what it is stored in, how it changes when it is made up, etc, etc.

Because there is such a shortage in the supply of ebm from milk banks at the moment it is offered to sick and premmie babies first, but wouldn't it be wonderful if by the time our daughters were having this discussion there was enough for every mother who couldn't bf her baby herself to have this option available? I sincerely hope the times are changing!