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Why Breast Milk Sharing Is Booming Online
Filed under: Babies, In The News, Breast-Feeding
Despite a widespread push to breast-feed, the FDA warns against sharing unregulated breast milk. Credit: Getty
Specifically, they warn against sharing unregulated breast milk, citing the obvious dangers of infectious diseases, illegal drugs and prescription drugs being passed on to the baby. It's unlikely that the donor has been screened for such. In addition, there are potential storage and handling issues.
Given that millions of healthy babies drink formula (a complete, proven source of infant nutrition), it's safe to say that any potential ill effects from the breast milk substitute are negligible. That said, it's hard to imagine today's safety-obsessed moms feeding their children another woman's milk without comprehensive knowledge of where it came from. Hard to imagine, that is, until you consider how women who can't breast-feed must feel when they log on to an all-knowing parenting website or engage in playground conversation with those who consider breast-feeding an indisputable mommy must.
Then there's the concerted effort by several organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association and the World Health Organization to push the "breast is best" concept. In fact, WHO actually recommends "raw" donor milk
"If you make a choice to formula feed out of convenience, then you do not deserve to have kids!" said one poster.
"Every baby deserves human milk," said another.
Needless to say, new moms are feeling squeezed.
"If we formula feed, we feel we are giving our amazing children 'second best' or handicapping them for life," said one mother who admitted to sobbing in the shower from shame and guilt when she gave up breast-feeding.
Has the breast milk brigade of pushy peers, organization endorsements and calculated campaigns gone too far when a mother feels like unscreened milk is her only option to raise a healthy baby?
It's not hard to see how a mother could feel compelled to go to unsafe lengths to be sure her child is receiving the magical milk responsible for illness-free childhoods and supposedly above-average intellects. Considering milk from one of the 10 human milk banks in the U.S.
As natural as nursing may seem, many women don't produce enough milk, produce none at all or have extreme difficulty with the latching process. Add that to the possibility of a clogged milk duct or infection and, well, breast-feeding doesn't sound quite as beautiful as the La Leche League literature implies. On the other hand, some new mothers' cups runneth over. Eats on Feets donors claim they want to share their excess with those who need it most -- and often free of charge.
After all, in addition to being cheap and convenient, breast milk composition changes as babies grow to provide exactly what's needed for each stage of development. And it's not as if breast milk sharing is a new concept; the practices of wet nursing and cross-nursing (i.e. nursing a friend's baby) have been around for ages, though at least in those cases the mother knew the milk source personally.
To be sure, the women providing milk for use by families in need are probably not the same bunch shooting heroin while their kids play in the other room, and home-pasteurization by flash heating has proven successful in killing disease-causing agents. As another Internet poster put it, "Isn't it a little weird that culturally we don't think twice about milk from an unknown cow, but get grossed out at the thought of actual human milk." Hmmm ...
If nothing else, the popularity of breast milk sharing on the Internet likely spurred the recent meeting of the FDA's pediatric advisory committee
Breast milk is, without a doubt, a natural miracle, but with formula substitutes proven to nourish growing babies, women should renounce the guilt associated with using it -- and self-appointed mommy experts should stick to raising their own little angels. In the meantime, perhaps lactivists should devise a plan to accommodate the glaring need for more cost effective, regulated human milk banks. It would be a much more productive use of their time.
Blair Henley is a freelance writer based in Florida and a regular contributor to WorldTennisMagazine.com. Her non-tennis related work has been published in the Sacramento Bee, the Springfield News-Leader and on AOL News.
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ReaderComments (Page 4 of 7)
1-26-2011 @ 11:50AM
KG said...I makes me sad that so many formula feeding mothers feel the need to put down the breast-fed babies. Saying they are more sick than their children or even look scrawny.
To each their own. Putting down someone else's baby in order to make yourself feel better about your decision to formula feed is pathetic. I feel sad for you.
I choose to breast-feed and many of my friends formula fed. However, I do not by any means feel that any of our children are more superior than the others. It's a personal choice and this article isn't about the pros and cons of each....it's addressing the fact that women are sharing un-screened breast milk.
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1-25-2011 @ 4:33PM
tamra said...Some of the women on here are just plain mean... Seriously, you cant judge someone's competency as a mother on whether or not they breastfeed. It's definately not as easy and people make it out to be. My daughter was in the nicu for a whole month after birth with spinal meningitis, and I pumped, and I pumped and I pumped, all the time... I felt like that was the only thing I could do for her as a mom,because she was so sick... I could even hold her!! My husband left me while she was in the hospital, so here I was a single mom of a newborn and a 3 year old. I tried so hard... pumping and bottle feeding until she was about 5 months old. Finally I went to formula feeding because I couldnt get her to latch and pumping/bottlefeeding was taking too much time away from my 3 year old. Now, She's a beautiful HEALTHY 9 month old now and she drinks FORMULA. My point is... dont judge others... for the most part we do the best that we can. Sometimes, we are dealt circumstances where we HAVE to go to plan B... and some times C, lol. But in the end... its the love, time and commitment we give our children that means the most, right. Geez, people can be so judgemental.
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1-25-2011 @ 4:35PM
Cait Y, said...This article is so grossly wrong it's bordering on negligent.
"Formula substitutes proven to nourish growing babies" Really? I guess the findings that Nestle's formula contained bug parts last year is just added protein for my infant?
People need to get a clue. You drink cow's milk, from a factory farmed cow, pumped full of antibiotics for breakfast. Yet somehow women trying to do the best babies are seen as idiots.
No wonder American society has gone into the toilet.
Perhaps Blair Henley should stick to writing about topics she is familiar with, like tennis.
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1-25-2011 @ 4:43PM
Carol said...I didn't breastfeed my two kids now 28 & 31. The nurses tried to push it but I told them I found just the thought of it revolting and disgusting. I still do. When I think of it, this picture comes to my mind...a dog with a litter of puppies. And you who breastfeed in public? Yuck!!!
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1-25-2011 @ 5:01PM
TC L&D RN said...You know what comes to my mind when I read this... ignorant, trashy and burden on society!!!
1-26-2011 @ 12:51PM
TC L&D RN said...And it sounds like the dog was smarter then you, at least it knew how to feed its baby.
1-25-2011 @ 6:10PM
Rebecca said...But a woman with her A$$ hanging out at the mall etc or her breast showing to look"hot" is OK. What a one way brainwashed way of thinking.
1-25-2011 @ 6:33PM
MJ said...I breastfed in public because...well...because when you breastfeed, you can't bottle-prop. ;)
Carol - you get the image of a dog feeding her puppies when you see a woman breastfeed her baby. By your way of thinking, a formula fed baby would elicit images of a baby hooked up to a cow?
1-25-2011 @ 4:54PM
Bridget said...I did both, breast and bottle fed. I alternated between both. If I wasn't home, they got formula. I only pumped if I had to dump it (if I had a few cocktails!) My kids are healthy and happy, they both having allergies, which runs in the family. So either way is fine! I would take breast milk from my twin if I had too! In the old days they used to have Wet nurses( I believe thats what they called them). If a mom was sick another would feed the baby. They didn't have formula back in the day!
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1-25-2011 @ 4:55PM
suzie said...wow..I was adopted. at the time formula was condensed milk, karo syrup and some vitamins. I did have ear infections..but turned out strong and athletic and healthy.My adoptive mother had no choice but to give me the "formula" given her by my pediatrician Dr. Jake. He lived to be 95 and my adoptive mother is approaching 95. some people are luckier than others ..or have better genes than others or make better life long choices than others. I breast fed 6 mos. for each boy I naturally birthed at 38 and 40....then I had to WORK!....so freezing and pumping etc.
well need I splain!!
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1-25-2011 @ 4:57PM
Jane said...You're all spammers. Alexa, Marsha, dmnjhy, and anyone else pushing sites on these messages. I hope you are eventually blocked for good so we don't have to see your crap anymore.
You morons just waste good space.
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1-25-2011 @ 5:11PM
Joanna said...I would never feed my babys some other persons milk. it sounds disgusting.
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1-27-2011 @ 7:55AM
ks said...I really hate when uneducated people throw their comments around. First of all, let me say that I am pro-breastfeeding.
There are MANY health benefits to it, which do not include protection from allergies. In fact, recent studies show that breast fed babies do not have any more or less allergies than bottle fed babies. They do have increased protection from SIDS, diabetes and obesity later in life. There is a correlation between immunity(not including allergies), less skin infection/rashes, healthier digestive system (obviously you are not feeding them a manufactured, processed powder), and a reduction in the development of asthma. There is a link between breastfed babies and higher IQ (does not mean that formula fed children are not smart).. It is cheap, it is readily accessible, no worries about sterilizing bottles and water, and if you CAN physically provide this need for your baby you should. If you can't for physical reasons, medications, or your child just will not latch, then yes, I understand, and formula is an acceptable replacement. I think that every mother should at least try. It is only to your babies benefits. However, I personally would rather give my child formula than use someone else's milk. (think of health risks in doing this, medications that the donor may take, drugs, disease, infection, what do they eat? do they drink alcohol? all of this effects the quality of breast milk.)
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1-25-2011 @ 5:11PM
millie said...I think it's entirely a personal choice for a mother to decide. She should not be praised OR ridiculed for choosing one method over the other. It's nobody else's goddam business!!!
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1-25-2011 @ 5:12PM
Janise said...I had latchment issues with my first son and he was mostly formula fed. I had my daughter 4 months ago and I was successful at breastfeeding her for 3 of those months. Sure enough the pediatrician recommended supplimentation. I was hesitant because I didn't want her to get nipple confused. He reassured me she wouldn't get confused cause he had 7 children of his own and they went from breast to bottle perfectly. Sure enough, I followerd Dr's orders. She began to PREFER the bottle and my milk began to drop. I borrowed a pump from a friend and it didn't help to rebuild my supply. I regret supplementing cause now I can't give her human milk. Cows milk is for cows. But I'm not going to beat myself up for it. There's more to being a great mother than having a pair of breasts that make milk.
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1-25-2011 @ 5:13PM
Richard said...Isn't it called a wet nurse? Hasn't this been around since christ was a corporal?
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1-25-2011 @ 5:31PM
jotwinowski said...Everything old is new again department. When my mother was born - 1909, Russia - my grandmother, as a matter of course, hired a "wet nurse" whose sole function was to eat healthy food (provided) bathe frequently, and generally maintain a healthy lifestyle and, of course, open up the milk store whenever baby required feeding. In that day and class, this was SOP and my grandmother was considered a bit toouched because she demanded clean and healthy habits. Understand, this was a full-time, live-in position until the baby was weaned. The same process was followed when my mother's sister was born. After all, how else would you feed your baby? Are truly wealthy women with careers about to follow this process? And you didn't have to worry about infection because the milk provider was under your eye.
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1-25-2011 @ 5:34PM
rroro527 said...This is so friggin discusting ....let alone scary , what if the baby anti bodies don't react well...I dunno somthing un holy about this ...Also , Pasturized ? it is only 100% beneficial when directly from the mother...Pasturizing and Sterilizing defeats the Purpose ....
rroro527
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1-26-2011 @ 2:45PM
Nicole said...Breastmilk is every baby's birthright- whether it comes from their mother or a donor. To be mothered at the breast transcends milk. Yet it takes milk of some sort to make this happen. That is why I am a donor. If the need ever arises for my subsequent children, I will graciously accept milk from donors. By the way, do those of you who find donor breast milk gross eat fast food? Or read labels for that matter? Nutrition must not be all that important- just a nice idea.
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1-25-2011 @ 5:38PM
jotwinowski said...Yes and Yes. I just posted on this but it has certainly been around since the 10th century.
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