Would you use someone else's EBM??

[fionas]

I'd be happy to use EBM if I had a premmie baby because my gut feeling is that they really need it.

And I'd be happy to donate milk.

But I wouldn't be happy to use EBM for a baby that was a few months old. I don't have a good scientific reason for this. Just in my own experience, DD had my EBM for two months (and subsequently formula) and has been to the doctors once in two years. The other babies in Mothers Group who were fully breastfed have been sick way more often so that makes me concerned about using other people's EBM. I know that runs contrary to all the research out there but that has been my experience.

Having said that, I think that Milk Banks are a fantastic idea and I fully support them for people who want to use them. I would be more than happy to donate to them but wouldn't necessarily use their services myself.

[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.

[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.

[Phteven]

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.

[Inanna]

I would be more than happy to use another Mamas breast milk. When Imogen was born extremely premature I was so so sick and my milk despite 2nd hourly expressing wouldn't come. A ml was like gold! So, I organised a friend to express and bring it up to the Brisbane hospital for me... I told no one. It was day 4post birth and I refused Imogen being fed formula as I knew how detrimental formula can/is for a premmies belly... Anyway just having done that must have relaxed me enough and in my milk came! Thank goodness! But I was so overwhelmingly (Im tearing up just writing this) grateful that my friend would do this for me.

I thinkit's interesting how some are quite opposed in the general populus and worried about diet etc... Yet, the additives and impurities found in formula is also documented.

When DD13 was about 6 months old a woman in my homebirth group had a baby with trisomy 21. He was a sick little fella and she due to the stress couldn't express. I along with numerous othr women expressed and she exclusively fed him expressed ebm. I remember the absolute gatitude in her eyes...

I see my boobie milk as a gift. I would gladly share it - readily breastfeed at my breast anothers bubby (and have done) and would allow another to feed my baby at her breast (and have done!).

I agree we have to be mindful of diseases - but I trust the women I know well enough to do this for me and I assume them with me likewise...

Go the sharing of booby milk I say!

[boomba]

Beautiful post flowerchild!

[MantaRay]

I agree Boomba. FC, I have teared up reading that. You and your community are very special people. I think that is the most amazing gift you could give - bm for a sick baby.

[Inanna]

I agree on reflection MR it was an amazing thing for a small group of women to do... It was just needed and we all just did it yk? That was in Brisbane in 1995/96 I often do wonder what happened to that baby and his Mama...

[Willow]

If I had a sick or premmie baby and could not supply breastmilk myself, I would not hesitate. I would prefer milk from a milk bank, but that's just purely psychological!

Apart from in very extreme circumstances, I would not allow my baby to be fed at the breast of another woman. Again, purely psychological. I see the act of feeding my babies as a very, very special relationship between my children and myself and I would really struggle with it . Funnily enough, I'd happily feed another woman's baby if she was happy for me to and circumstances called for it.

But in normal everyday situations, no.

[Inanna]

I just wanted to clarify - my situation where I fed and had my baby fed by another were in emergencies. Ruby was fed by a close friend when I was hospitalised suddenly - and I fed another baby when his Mama was attending hospital with her other very very distressed child... I agree it's not something that I would do casually - simply because I also believe there is a sanctity in the energy of breastfeeding.

Also, just throwing into the mix that I believe blood banks pasteurise the milk... Killing many of the "good things"... What do people think of that...

[Shanti]

This is a great thread.
I too have some frozen EBM that I am not sure what to do with and it's getting close to it's expiry date and won't be suitable to feed to DD any longer... i like the idea of bathing in it and also making soap out of it
I have had to throw EBM out a few times and it was so upsetting (mainly after I'd had a drink) it's liquid gold it really is. Nothing compares!

I'm not comfortable with someone else's milk being fed to my child as it is a bodily fluid after all, however in cases of prem babies and very sick babies, I really do think it's such a wonderful gift to be able to give to quite possibly save a child's health/life.
I think it's amazing what some women do for others and their babies

[ezymay]

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)

[Jennifer13]

I would be totally happy to both accept and donate EBM. I wish I could do it now, but unfortunately my DD has bf beyond the bfing age they will accept EBM. If anyone asked privately, I wouldn't hesitate.

If any other children of mine are unable to receive my own milk I only hope there are some wonderful ladies like so many of you out there who are happy to help them out.

[~ Mylitta ~]

I can PM you a load of info from Mercy Hospital about donation if you like.

I've got the link to the pamphlet about the Mercy's Breastmilk Bank, but I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post it. It's opening in August and I'm planning on donating I know that if Kyson had been born early (well earlier than his 2.5 weeks early, lol) and my milk hadn't come in, I would have loved to have had the opportunity to give him donated EBM.

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

MR, yes, we don't know everything about formula, but we do know there's no nuts or caffeine in it. Which I wouldn't want to assume about EBM.

I have no problem with Liebling having someone else's EBM or even BFing - just so long as I'd monitored their diet for a week and knew that there were no harmful things going in. That's nuts, cow's milk and caffeine. I am pretty sure no-one would give up chocolate just to feed my child! So I wouldn't accept it.

If we were allergy/sensitivity-free then I wouldn't have a problem with it.

[Heaven]

Also, just throwing into the mix that I believe blood banks pasteurise the milk... Killing many of the "good things"... What do people think of that...

Yeah they do, I was reading it on the website (there's one at the Gold Coast). I was thinking the same thing about it being pasteurised and wouldn't that kind of defeat the purpose. But I suppose it is still better than nothing.

I've asked the milk bank if I live too far away to donate (coz they come and pick it up from you), but they haven't got back to me yet.

[MantaRay]

I have read up about the pasteurisation, and I believe that it kills less than half of the "goodness". This is considered to still be very beneficial, particularly for a sick or premmie baby and still superior to the alternative of formula. I guess a private donation of unpasteurised EBM from a family member or friend would provide more goodness in the sense that it hasn't been pasteurised, but obviously this isn't available to everyone, and I imagine in some cases people might prefer to accept the pasteurised EBM.