Would you use someone else's EBM??

[Heaven]

I have a lot of EBM stored in the freezer and might not get to use it all as DD never has EBM so I guess some of it might go to waste

I was thinking about donating it to a milk bank but I'm not sure if I can bc you have to have blood tests and the milk would obviously have been expressed before that. And also I don't know if I live close enough to one. I was thinking it would be a shame if some of it went to waste. There should be more milk banks around!!

So that got me thinking about the concept of donating milk and what people think about it. Would you use milk from a milk bank that has been donated by lots of different people and been pasturised? Would you use milk from a friend that they hadn't been pasturised etc? Would you use milk from a family member? What are the conditions in which you would accept donor milk?

It's an interesting thought. It seems to me that accepting milk from another human that makes milk esp for human babies seems weird to people. But we all drink milk from cows?? Although I was only talking about this with friends who don't have babies themselves so I'd be interested to hear what you all think!!

[Trillian]

I know of women who do it regularly to help out friends if they need it. I suppose it would come down to your overall health, whether you smoke or drank etc as to whether a stranger would accept it just as frozen ebm and not pasturised etc. I would possibly consider taking it from a friend if I needed any (but I don't, so hypothetically) but they would have to be a non smoker/drinker and in good health and not on any medications etc.

[Bumperstump Cummerbund]

Purely hypothetically, as I don't have kids - I don't have a problem with family feeding my bub. For instance, if myself and my sister were both breastfeeding, and I'd left my baby with her and it was time for a feed, I'm okay with her feeding my bub.

I'm not really sure how I feel about BM from a stranger though - to me, it doesn't matter how much testing is done, things can slip through or be mixed up. I have certain values, like not smoking, that the doner may not have, KWIM?

[NaeNae]

I think there is actually a call for EBM for premmie babies - can't tell you much more about it coz I am always catching the very end of the advert when it comes on.

[Liz]

There's a screening process for those who can donate to a milk bank, so yes I'd use milk bank milk.

A friend.. yes, if I know them well and know their lifestyle.

Family.. same.. I'd have to be happy with their lifestyle.

I'm not sure about someone else actually feeding my babies. Not in an everyday babysitting situation. In special cases I guess i'd be ok with it.. like if I ended up in hospital or something and couldn't feed. I dunno ....

[luna moth]

I'd struggle with it. I can't stand handling other people's milk - have had to do it for work, and I always wear gloves, it's a bodily fluid, after all. I also really don't like the smell of it (I imagine my own will be different)

That said, I'm all for blood transfusion and organ donation, so why not?

[~Trish~]

I don't think I could, but it's purely for psychological reasons LOL! It would just feel weird to me, BUT that's just me.

You could always use your EBM later to add to your DD's solids (add it to rice cereal, potato, wheat bix, etc).

[widdly]

I would be more than happy to use a trusted friend or family members EBM, I would also be happy to use EBM from a milk bank.

[Heaven]

Trish- thanks, that's what I was thinking I would do. Hopefully I'll use it in time.

[~Raven~]

I would be more than happy to use a trusted friend or family members EBM, I would also be happy to use EBM from a milk bank.

Me too!

I'd also BF someone elses bub or allow mine to be BF by someone else too if it was needed. I'd not let my baby or someone elses baby starve to death. I thought about this after hurricane Katrina when bubba starved because there was no formula for them