Wet nurse or donate milk - would you?

[chelseamorning]

Just this really:

Would you formally agree to be someone's wet nurse?
Would you regularly donate breast milk for money?
Have you ever used a milk bank and why?

A curious/interesting topic!

[Lib76]

no, no, no! for me you produce breast for the sole purpose of feeding your OWN baby. It's full of your anti-bodies and nutrients that YOUR baby needs, not someone elses!

this has been debated on another thread about the c4 programme!

[expatinscotland]

i would happily wet nurse or donate.

don't have a single problem with it at all.

haven't used a milk bank because thankfully haven't had a need.

[imaginewittynamehere]

DD had donated breast milk when she was born as she was jaundiced & was the only alternative to formula. I really wanted to donate milk but can't as I have had a blood transfusion.

[lulumama]

i would have loved to donate my milk, had i known about it

i think breastfeeding support and information is sadly lacking , hard to access and sketchy.

i thikn concentrating on supporting new mothers to breastfeed their own babies is vital, and then lets look at donating/cross feeding and we t nursing

[wontbepreggersagain]

i will be nursing bf ds who is as yet unarrived, she is having an op and will be unable to feed him for about 5 days because of post op meds- but bubs will only be 4 weeks old so she doesn't want to start bottles.

Doesn't bother me in the slightest- in fact no-one we've told has batted an eyelid! i daresay she will, if need be feed my dt's if she is ever stuck without ebm or my boob! Can't see the problem really

[Songbird]

I would donate, but not wet nurse. I don't see the problem with babies having milk from another mother, but personally, the bond I felt feeding dd was so strong I wouldn't be comfortable at all with another baby. Not a society thing (I don't think), or an icky thing, just a bonding thing.

However, if I was with a close friend and at a precise moment in time I was lactating and she was unable to feed her hungry child for whatever reason, I probably would. chelseamorning, you're right, it is an interesting topic.

[Tommy]

I donated milk after DS2 was born - not for money obviously. I would have been very glad of it had my babies been in special care.

I was talking about this yesterday with some friends and we all agreed that we would feed each others' babies in an emegency but not as a matter of course.

I told them I might offer my services as a wet nurse as I seem to have plenty to go round but I'm not sure that anyone would want them!

[Songbird]

Oh I forgot, I wouldn't donate for money, unless they've got some spare cash they absolutely have to get rid of

[ruty]

i would donate milk happily but still feel a bit odd about wet nursing. However my ds was given DBM by a nasty midwife without my consent when first born [also taken away without my consent] and i was distraught. Because i could feed him myself and there was no medical necessity for him to have it, she just wanted to shut him up. So the right protocol for parental permission is vital.

[Lib76]

ruty, that's a dreadful thing to happen, i hope you gave her what for!!

[ruty]

i made an official complaint, but was very shaken for a long time, and it interfered with the breastfeeding process, as after that he slept for the first 24 hours.

the woman who co ordinated the DBM clinic was livid too, and she was very kind, and enabled us to meet the woman who had donated the milk ds had been given, they keep a record of each donor, which helped. I think that is better than pooling milk, as there may be infections [eg prions] that exist in human milk and as yet they are unable to test for.

[ruty]

i made an official complaint, but was very shaken for a long time, and it interfered with the breastfeeding process, as after that he slept for the first 24 hours.

the woman who co ordinated the DBM clinic was livid too, and she was very kind, and enabled us to meet the woman who had donated the milk ds had been given, they keep a record of each donor, which helped. I think that is better than pooling milk, as there may be infections [eg prions] that exist in human milk and as yet they are unable to test for.

[RhinestoneCowgirl]

I'd happily donate milk (for free) when my next baby arrives, but there is no milk bank near where I live unfortunately. I see it in the same league as giving blood, which I also do when not pg. My mum donated milk to a milk bank in the mid-80s when my youngest brother was born.

As to whether I would feed another woman's baby - I hope if necessary I could do this, and that a friend would do it for me. Wouldn't want it to be a professional thing tho...

[ChupitosGalore]

i have donated to a milk bank. for free obv.

id wetnurse a baby, no problem.

[stretchmarkqueen]

I would love to donate milk, but unfortunatly I can't express very much! I would bf another baby without any problems and also let my baby be bf by another woman if I really needed it. (hospital, temp strong drugs etc..)

Don't get why the fuss!

[scaredoflove]

My sister and I gave birth within 2 weeks of each other, when they were around 2 months old, my sister was taken into hospital for 2 days. I fed both as sister didn't want to stop feeding and move on to bottles. It felt normal and natural and it was good I could do something good. Would have happily done it again if the need had arisen

I wasn't good at expressing but if I was and I knew about it, I would have donated too

[lizzytee]

DD got DBM in hospital - at the time I had no idea how lucky we were to have the option. That was the first bit of bf support I got as in the absence of a milk bank she would have had formula until my milk came in.

Donated milk from the point she came home until I stopped bf a year later.

Feed someone elses' baby - most definitely but of course only with permission.

stretchmarkqueen You don't have to donate a lot - I used to express 20-30mls daily and freeze every other day. 20mls is as much as 20 feeds for a prem baby and small amounts are easier for the milk bank to use efficiently. Just so you know.

[cazboldy]

I would donate - I have enquired in the past, but there is nowhere nearby that does it

I would also wetnurse - would have absolutely no problem with it....

but

don't know if I would feel so comfortable about another person feeding my baby????

[louii]

Would have absolutely no problem with donating or being a wet nurse.

Reckon i could get milk flowing again pretty easy, if anyone woyuld like to pay me to be a wet nurse for their baby give me a shout as I am pretty skint at the minute.

[CarGirl]

I have donated beast milk in the past to my local hospital and yes I would be happy to wet nurse a baby. I don't think I could start wet nursing a 12 month old though! Or course I've no idea at what age I'd say no more if I started off with a young baby and carried on feeding them.

[MrsTittleMouse]

I would have donated milk, but by the time that DD was a little less greedy and I was actually able to express she was over 6 months old, so I wasn't suitable any more. I would have given DD bank milk if she was prem and I was having problems with my milk.

I wouldn't have been a wet nurse though, as I found breastfeeding completely exhausting and there were times when I only did it because I couldn't be faffed to sterilise and make up formula. I would have fed a friend's baby in an emergency, but only in an emergency.

at ruty's experience.

[Notyummy]

cargirl...what is in beast milk??

I imagine it must be pretty filling to keep beasts hail and hearty....

[nowwearefour]

i cant imagine why MY baby needs different antibodies to anyone else's baby at the same stage of development? seems v odd to me. i think breast milk is the most natural thing in the world and if i could help someone else to give it to their baby i would. and if i couldnt have prodcued it i would have been delighted to have received it for my baby from someone else.