I think I may have had a genius idea...

[IndulgeMePlease]

...or it might not work. Or it might be common practice already.

I was just pondering how great it is that babies receive all these antibodies from their mothers when they are breastfeeding and I suddenly thought to myself...if babies were to consume breastmilk from several different (healthy) mothers, would this boost their long-term immunity even more? I mean, would they gain different antibodies from each cource and therefore build up a bigger 'portfolio' of immunity?

What do you think? Should I start writing my Nobel Prize acceptance speech or am I sadly deluded?

[IndulgeMePlease]

I meant to type 'source' but I got excited.

[EscapeFrom]

Presumably ...

If you are close enough to someone for them to breastfeed your baby, you will have had most of the same diseases as them, yes? So wouldn't really make much difference.

But I see your p[oint.

[IndulgeMePlease]

I was thinking about EBM, from a bank-type system?

[totaleclipse]

I can just picture a huge circle of mothers and thier babies, breasfeeding them for a minute, and then everybody swaps and passes thier baby to the personon thier left

[SlightlyMadSweden]

AFAIK Antibodies are moderately short lived as far as a lifetime is concerned. The antibody component of bm is valuable at the time but has a limited impact into childhood.

[InMyHumbleOpinion]

"Swing your baby to and fro
Get the latch and dosey do!"

[mawbroon]

Come on baby do the lactomotion.

[InMyHumbleOpinion]

"My milkshake brings all the boys to the bar ..."

No.

[totaleclipse]

ha haa

[mawbroon]

Of course, they would also have to play something by Chrissie Hynd(milk)

[weeonion]

lol lol lol

[andiem]

pmsl

[Lorayn]

When I had DD she was born prem and I was poorly so she I couldnt bf, when I had ds I did and MIL spoke about a 'breastmilk' donor thing they used to do at the hospital, I contacted them but they no longer did it.
I have now moved cities and am 11weeks pg, when I was reading about the scbu the other day in my midwife info pack I was deleted to find out they have a breastmilk donor bank, mainly for babies whose parents are ill and am really considering doing it. I think more hospitals should do it, I think the JR in Oxford is one of about 5.
There were many important facts listed in the info too about how much more important it is for prem babies to have breast milk, and how less often they get it due to poorly parents.

[Lorayn]

delighted, not deleted...........

[IndulgeMePlease]

Mockers! Scoffers!

Funny though. I'm sensing there wouldn't be too many mommies up for my antibody-sharing scheme then? Oh well, I'll just have to go and think of another idea to save the planet...

[mawbroon]

I don't know enough about how they actually work IndulgeMePlease to comment seriously!!

But, I would have thought that seeing the baby's saliva on the nipple "orders up" the antibodies required from the mother's system, it might not really be neccessary. I think it's only a matter of a couple of hours before the relevant antibodies become present in the milk.

Amazing stuff, eh?

[Lorayn]

Just been reading through my notes and the place I was talking about that does the milk donating has a website www.milkbank.com just incase anyone wanted to have a look

[Lorayn]

oops maybe thats not quite right!!!

www.milkbank.org

[Lorayn]

argh I am so rubbish at this!!!
Anyway that is the link in the leaflet, but I also found this for anyone that is thinking of looking into where it is done.
www.babyworld.co.uk/information/newparents/donatingmilk.asp

[LiegeAndLief]

Lorayn, my ds was born prematurely at the JR in Oxford and had donor bm when I was struggling with expressing. Fortunately I got into the swing of it and was able to donate some myself when he came home. It is really, really, really worth it. Please do it! He is still bf at 13 months and the donor milk was a major part of that - if he'd had to have formula I might well have just given up.

[Lorayn]

Oh I am definitely going to try, I found expressing really easy after about week 4 with DS so am hoping I will this time round, I'll happily be milked like a cow!!

Just wish this was something around at more hospitals than the 14 that do it.

[mawbroon]

I called up to volunteer to donate bm when ds was younger. They didn't want it as I lived "too far away"

I felt a bit rejected

[tortoiseSHELL]

I thought that the mum would come into contact with the germs, create the antibodies and pass them onto her baby through the b/milk, so the baby would get the ones it needed.

[Lorayn]

Yes she would but what about those mothers that can't breastfeed for a time, yet would love their children to get that extra boost breast milk gives?

[tortoiseSHELL]

Lorayn, yes, ebm is the next best thing - I was replying to the OP about whether having BM from lots of different mothers would boost their immunity more.