Would you use someone else's EBM??

**Laranna** · June 8th, 2009, 12:55 PM

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** · June 8th, 2009, 01:06 PM

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** · June 8th, 2009, 01:22 PM

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** · June 8th, 2009, 08:06 PM

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** · June 8th, 2009, 08:21 PM

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** · June 8th, 2009, 08:21 PM

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** · June 9th, 2009, 05:16 AM

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** · June 9th, 2009, 05:59 AM

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** · June 9th, 2009, 07:29 AM

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.

**Heaven** · June 9th, 2009, 08:33 AM

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...

Hmmm.......... maybe I should sell it on ebay, lol.

You can use your EMB in bubba's bath water .. very good for their skin.

Oooh........I have some in the fridge thats been there a couple of days that I should have frozen but never got around to, maybe I'll use if for that. Although DD has baths with DH at night, lol, wonder what he'd say. Maybe I'll just run the bath and put it in and he'll think it's the QV oil, hahaha.

**Rachel** · June 9th, 2009, 10:18 PM

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** · June 10th, 2009, 07:50 AM

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!

**DANNIIM** · June 10th, 2009, 12:34 PM

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!

I thought about this a little more and it is so true what MR has said! Do we ever question what sort of paddock a cow is in, whether it has been sprayed with pesticides?? No, we just drink the damn carton without a thought in the world.

**Fleur** · June 10th, 2009, 05:14 PM

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.

**Phteven** · June 10th, 2009, 05:28 PM

If I had a premmie baby or my baby was in NICU I wouldn't hesitate. Why would I settle for second best when my baby needs the very best nutrition it can get. One of our members helped feed her neices' baby while her neice waited for her milkk to come in. Although it was against hospital policy the middies just pretended they hadn't noticed.
My DH was BF by his Aunt and he's turned out ok.

Since donated EBM is in very short supply I wouldn't use it for a healthy baby because I think the need of sick babies is greater.
If I had milk and someone I knew needed it I would be more than happy to donate EBM or put their baby on my boob.

**ezymay** · June 10th, 2009, 09:35 PM

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.

Yes I agree when you think we regularly drink the bodily fluid of a cow... that is gross but we give that to our kids (well no quite yet in our case but in a few months)