Breastfeeding an adult for health benefits (NOT sexual fantasy)

Hi all,

I am a student currently doing alot of work in the bio-medical field, while combining TAO philosophies and ancient Chinese theories to experiment and theorise my own findings.

My research has led me to breast milk, colostrum etc and not only the raw nutrients it possesses but also its amazing curative properties.

Not sure whether this is the appropriate place to post this query but I was wondering if any new mums or soon to be mums would ever consider breastfeeding an adult or supplying bottled milk purely for the health benefits it provides?

*Please note- this is in no way relating to erotic\sexual practices.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

I'm sorry if I have offended anyone or if this is the wrong section!:shakehead::redface:

Are you asking a rhetorical question or looking for actual volunteers?

Well, I'd rather it go to a sick baby if I had to give it up, but I suppose if it was proven that there were great benefits for adults, I might possibly consider thinking about contemplating giving it ;) Not right from the source of course (unless we're talking about my hubby lol) but bottled and in small amounts...

:lol: Just wanted to sub to this before it gets removed.

Biomedstudent, try eBay, I read an article about this sort of thing a while back and a few women provide for this type of, erm, thing.

Oh, are they asking if we're willing to donate? I assumed they were asking if anyone would, just hypothetical... :o

A midwife once told me footy players drink it. Don't know if it's true. Don't know where they'd get it from.

I was sneaking some of my BM to my elder daughter (6) when she was sick in the hope that it would help her recover quicker. Maybe for research purposes I would donate a small amount of milk to see what other benefits it would have for adults.

I would happily give it to family or friends if they were sick etc as it cures pretty much anything lol...but not to a stranger, and certainly not from the breast...that part of the post just seems way off for me :dunno: :lol:

No I wouldn't consider giving it to anyone other than my children - good luck with your research

Well, I have a freezer full and the milk bank isn't taking anymore from me due to Pie's age. She isn't drinking it & it's about three months old... so it's down the sink time soon :(

I'd much rather see it go to someone - anyone - than down the sink.

If supply was an issue & I was having trouble getting those amouts then I'd probably be a bit more picky with where it went.

And err, yeah...not from the breast :lol:

There is article on breastfeeding in Mongolia (or a similar place, can't quite remember) that talks about how older members of the community are given breastmilk when they are sick. The focus of the article is on extended breastfeeding (kids), but the community also recognise the benefits for adults at different times of their lives.

Thanks so much for the very prompt feedback!:D ..Again, sincere apoligies to those who took offence.

The obvious concensus is that feeding anyone other than family members from the breast would be abhorent to say the least:shakehead:.. although donating in bottle form would be considered as a realistic practice by those who wish to help others in need.. obviously after your own child is cared for.
I should mention for all those who are unaware - there is actually a breast milk donation bank located on the Gold Coast (I have no affiliation with this organisation whatsoever)

Do most women find they have an excess of breast milk?

I wouldn't breastfeed an adult. I don't have an issue with donating an adult breastmilk- but I would never breastfeed them, family member or not.

That said I had a hell of a time trying to express while BFing and I don't think I'm a candidate for donating EBM.

biomedstudent...women make as much milk as their baby needs, but you can create extra milk by pumping or expressing milk over a period of time to build up supply. Its the same principle as milking cows.

I read about this the other day. People buy it in hope it'll cure their cancer and such. I'm not sure if that particular part of the study was conclusive or not. Apparently athletes use it to help injuries heal faster and such too. I can't remember what country the studies were from but I know it has a strict screening process and followed the same processing standard milk banks use here. None of it is from the breast, all expressed and processed.

There was an article in the New Idea, the daughter would express the milk for her sick father. Its said to boost his immunity and give him strength to fight cancer. He pours it on his cornflakes. Google 'I breastfeed my dad', its a New Idea article.
I would donate wherever I could but would not feel comfortable with it from the breast. To me its a very personal bonding experience with my baby

I would definately donate - if I could express more than 40mls an hour :rolleyes:- for anyone that needed it.
Bottled only though, not straight from the source. I have read about a guy that was fighting cancer who had his daughters (? I think?) EBM on his cereal each morning. Very interesting.

:

---

Its the same principle as milking cows.

---

MOOooOo... (thats me being a cow, not insulting you lol)

ETA- yea Kate, that's the one I was thinking of.

I think there'd be physcial limitations in regards to actually breastfeeding an adult. I've read (on BB) that kids lose the ability to feed effectively at the breast at a certain age (7+ years or something like that), so a bottle may be necessary anyway.

Hi,

Strangely enough (or not so) none of us actually thought it was a sexual fantasy - just a commonsense approach to boosting immunity and promoting health. 12 years ago I donated milk longterm for a 13 year old who had severe ulcerative colitis. Me and other mums expressed milk for her in Melbourne's South East suburbs - her condition improved markedly. Simple google searches will reveal similar stories.

Thanks so much for the feedback everyone!

It just perplexes me sometimes, talking to people in the medical field who dole out drugs to everyone.. whether they have the sniffles or are in a bad mood and we don't seem to realise there are cures right under our noses.. (pun intended!)

I think we still have along way to go and I hope people can start to see the major issues relating to where we as a society are choosing to place our resources in the health field..

drugs don't cure people... people cure people

I would question why an adult would need to get the milk directly from the breast. Adults don't usually feel the need to get milk directly from a cow, and are happy enough with a glass, so i think this would also apply if they were having human breastmilk.

:

---

I think there'd be physcial limitations in regards to actually breastfeeding an adult. I've read (on BB) that kids lose the ability to feed effectively at the breast at a certain age (7+ years or something like that), so a bottle may be necessary anyway.

---

Yep..I wouldn't think it is possible for an adult/older child to breastfeed because they can't latch on properly like a baby, so it would have to be EBM.
I probably wouldn't...unless it was a close family member. More for practical reasons, I had difficulty trying to BF DD and found it hard enough trying to express for her, so I probably wouldn't express for someone else!

There are African cultures where breastmilk of weaning mothers is given to adults with medical issues... I am sure the benefits would be immense in a medical setting, and if you remove the physical contact of an adult feeding another adult at the breast, then there would be no ethical issue.

My milk is my gold lol Short answer no haha

Hi,

Womens milk costs nothing and is given freely. There are billions of dollars in developing a pharmaceutical to *cure* something. Look at the recent backslapping about an oral rotavirus vaccine - which protects against 1 strain of rotavirus. Breastfeeding effectively protects against rotavirus.
I think, too, that we are starting a rumour about older children and adults losing the ability to feed. Through the ages women have breastfed milk to adults and children in need. Have a look at the Reubens painting Roman Charity where a young mother feeds her starving father in law in prison. Many of us know that our husbands have managed to work it out (or is that just TMI) I have known many 7, 8 and 9 year olds that breastfeed just fine - I think once again we are blinkered by our own cultural norms.

I'd most certainly donate my EBM to adults if it was going to help.

Providing I could express enough and my baby was getting plenty too.

I stand corrected Barb!

I've only just recently heard about this being done. There is a woman here in town (a friend of friends) with stage 4 lung cancer. A small group of my friend's are donating some of their extra breast milk to her in the hopes it will help (I think she makes it into smoothies). I'd be ok donating a bit too so long as I have enough for my little one.

I have given my ebm to a friends mother who had cancer. If someone is willing to try it and it helps I don't see a problem with it.

I would be interested in this, providing i could EBM enough for them and also prividing i had plenty for my own childs needs

I had problems feeding my first so dunno what my chances would be, but yeah saying i was a good BF mother and could produce enough to also help with this by all means if it helps cure things :)

I would give my EBM... I agree with ezymay, if someone is willing to try it then I don't have a problem with it.