Women Rally Around Widower to Breast-Feed Infant Son

Breastmilk is actually very fragile and an infant will get the maximum health benefits when he nurses directly from the breast. Handling the milk can damage all of its magical properties.

I am 32, my sister is 30. The ladies at our church breast fed her when she was an infant. My mom was ill and could not so the women pitched in.. This was pretty common at our church.

I nursed both of my sons until they were 3 1/2 yrs old. Breast milk isn't just for health, it is for nurturing. Yes, only a mother can provide breastmilk from the breast--but it does not mean that she will bond with the child. The suckling experience is the closeness from the human nipple. Yes, the father can bond through feeding but it is NOT necessary for bonding; it is through loving. A father does NOT need to feed his child in order to bond with him. Bonding is holding, touching, speaking soft words, kindness, gentleness, guidance, patience, laughing, acceptance, and loving through God's word, It doesn't matter if the mother or the father does the feeding--it's the bonding factor of love. When a child is held--whether he is fed by his mother or fed by his father, it is the warmth & closeness, the looking into the eyes that comforts him. No, a father does NOT need to feed his baby in order to bond. Whether breast fed or bottle fed, take time with your children, be patient, care for them, listen to them, be loving--that is the only need they have--that is the bond. The poorest of the poor can tell you that. God bless this father & child and these loving, unselfish women and families! Pamela

Why does everyone in America have to be so anal and uptight? The man is bonding with his son, but he can't produce milk, and if you would of read the article, it also said, the women also pumped some of the breast milk. The child needs to know security and love, and its a proven medical fact, that by suckling, the child calms itsself and remains content!

Breastfeeding should be reserved for mother and child only. Maybe spare a little milk but the act of actual suckling should only be between parent and child. It is too intimate and bonding of an experience to be shared with the neighborhood.

It says right in the article that some of the women go there and pump. That means that the baby would be getting bottle fed. I would pretty much guarantee that the father is giving the baby the bottle quite a bit.

Maybe he does and we just don't know it. Don't look for the negative but try to understand how a family and a community are coming together to try and unite and bring some healing to an extremely tragic situation. The last thing they need is judgement from others.

I agree, could'nt they pump the milk and store it? That seem much more realistic, rather than women popping by all day to pop their titties out! I think this is an obvious attemp to get attention from the media!

Sheryl said:
"How about baby's milk in a bottle. Breast milk? From other women? Does he know these women? Their hygiene habits, their eating/drinking habits? Drug use? Hygiene? Yes I know I said hygiene twice.... it's because I think this is one of the nasiest things I have ever heard. They have this neat new invention, it's call FORMULA, it comes pre-mixed, or you can mix it yourself? Isn't there sometype of law that is being broken here? This is just nasty...plain and simple.... nasty."
Know what's even more unhygienic? That baby came out of a vagina - YUK! We 'all know' woman parts are filthy, unhygienic things no baby should ever be exposed to. GROSS! Hey Sheryl, there's no such thing as baby's milk, they don't make milk, you dolt, they're babies. You're not going to reproduce, right? I can only hope.

The only thing I can think about on this situation is "hygiene and what can be transmitted through breastmilk" are major concerns. Are these women clean, are they on any medications, do they have an occassional glass on wine, do they have a breast infection (this can happen when breastfeeding)?---I could go on and on. I believe the father should use his next best option and buy formula for the baby and feed the child himself. Although I can't speak for the dead, I just don't believe the mother would want this. I know I would not want strangers breastfeeding my children. I believe that breastfeeding is personal and private. Breastmilk is unique to each individual mother for HER baby. I don't believe it was intended for a whole community to breastfeed one baby. This is deep! I am really in awe that the father agreed! But as my mama used to say, "to each is own". I pray for the father's strength in the loss of his wife and health for the baby" :)

That is wrong on so many levels,it is also not safe.He does not know the medical history of all of these women.A bottle fed child is just as healthy.I have bottle fed all of mine and they are very healthy.Buy a bottle man.

this is the stupidest thing I EVER heard - thats what bottles and formula are for - it borders on perverted to me

It sayus here that some women drop off pumped milk, so I assume he does feed him from a bottle.... however, the skin to ski this baby recieves from the other nursing women is very valuable, more so than just his father feeding him.

Aboslutely! I agree 100%. Take a closer look. We can be very unselfish and a very aring people. sometimes in our own hussle and bussle we don't take the time to take a closer look, to stop and smell the roses, to stop and see the good natured people around us.

They do not go into details on how the women were chosen yet everyone assumes there was not criteria to be met. I do not know the situation and while it is odd to me I find it incredibly touching these women are willing to do such a thing!

This is community at its best. Daddy is not paranoid and Moses will be surrounded by love for years to come.