to ask if you would use donated breastmilk if it was available rather than formula?

[bubbleymummy]

Inspired by another thread.

I personally would rather use donated milk. If you wouldn't - why not?

i'm talking about economic wealth rather than economic survival. MrsSparkle you said about a millionaire's child

and if the GOVERNMENTS of the countries where people have to leave their young babies considered breastfeeding important they would help mothers to be with their babies

As I said an average bf/ff child.
These studies are done across populations which is how they can account for individual variations in genetics/luck etc.

Booby I take your point and of course it's emotive but do some mothers who have to resort to FF not feel the same way?

because babies should be breastfed if possible. that is their birthright. so if whole health systems were geared towards enabling as many mothers as possible to breastfeed, it would mean a total change in attitude, which would probably mean a better world in general.

So what about in 3 world countries where they can only bf? Why aren't those children full of health?

??? well the ones that are bf are def. more healthy than the ones that aren't!!! It is actually more of a life or death situation in a developing country - whether you are breastfed or not.

Which third world countries?

Ruby "The world might be a better place if we didn't think that economic wealth is worth more than being breastfed."

This is so true - and not just breastfeeding! There are so many things more important than economic wealth - and things which must be protected from being controlled by economic wealth alone.

and you want to be breastfeeding in a natural disaster... (not that all developing countries have natural disasters) but lots more than here in the UK...

omg do you want me to start listing... that might take a while!

well said HHLimbo

Yes because they are really healthy adults aren't they

Hah! No need to eliminate poverty/famine/abuse or neglect to have a happier world. We just need bm, litre upon litre of sparkling bm raining down on us all from the big nipple in the sky.
Then the world will be complete, perfect and disney like.
Ah, only on mumsnet. How I love you so.

They do, but I think some would feel worse about someone else providing bf that they can't, rather than going and buying something that will nourish their child IYSWIM. For some mothers there is a huge sense of failure about being unable to breastfeed, and I think having milk from someone else would be a bit 'you don't even have enough to feed one baby, have some of mine, I can make enough to feed ten' (overexaggeration obviously but you know what I mean).

It's worse for mothers who have had premmie baby's aswell. I've heard them saying things like 'my baby didn't like me, that's why they came out early' , then to have to use someone else's milk too...

Obviously there are women out there who would be more than happy to use donated milk if they had to, but for others (and I think I'd be one of them), it just wouldn't be the best thing.

but by governments working to actually ensure women have the support to breastfeed, they would be demonstrating a far more humanitarian attitude in general, which would spill over into other areas maybe

Lol I see what you are saying lol

although ideally it wouldn't be coming from the sky - it would be coming from the mothers themselves

(those two comments were at pommedeterre)

My point about 3rd world countries is it proves that not just bf alone leads to a healthy life. Lots of other factors come into it such as diet and environment. In alot of those poverty stricken counties, diet and environment is very poor which is part of the reason they are so unhealthy and dying. Bf alone isn't a cock sure guarantee to a healthy life.

MrsSparkle, the Gabrielle Palmer quote above was comparing rich and disadvantaged children in a rich country. Where both will have vaccinations and access to basic healthcare and sanitation etc. can't compare a poor child in the UK with a poor child in a developing nation.

And nobody thinks that BF is a guarantee.

Yes I would (and have used donated milk)

DD1 jaundiced 2 days after birth (at 38 weeks so not prem). Was offered the choice of donated BM or formula. For me donated BM seemed much more suitable than formula. IIRC I was given 80ml of donated BM for her to supplement my colostrum until my milk came in. (This was in Oxford btw not sure if all milk banks have the same criteria for making donated BM available)

I looked into donation once I had established breastfeeding but unfortunately I was ineligible (blood transfusion following birth of DD1 ironically!)

I wasn't comparing rich country kids to poor country kids. I was merely pointing out that if you take away all the other factors such as good diet and environment and just rely on the power of bf, that is what you get, people like in 3rd world countries.

However, start adding in factors that we have in a rich country and get healthy adults.

I' m surprised that so many people seem to believe that donated breast milk is scooped up at random from any old person and hence likely to contain all kinds of diseases. I've been a milk donor; they check the mother as well as pasteurising the milk. The senior milk bank nurse visited my home and effectively interviewed me, checking how my baby fed , how much donated milk i could safely freeze, what strerilising equipment and breast pump i had ( they supply sterile bottles) . She took blood so that I could be screened for diseases, and I allowed access to my medical records. I was checked far more rigourously as a milk donor than as a potential parent. The milk is screened and pasteurised. They test samples of milk before accepting you as a donor.

My dd has had donated bm, while in hospital, when she was feeding all night- the midwives could see how exhausted I was and offered bm ( the milk bank runs at a surplus here). If I had a premature baby I would hope they could recieve donated milk. For a baby with no health issues I would probably feel that there were babies in greater need of BM, as supplies are limited.

So trying to shove research that not bf can lead to health problems is nonsense. All factors of how you live your life leads to health problems.

Mrs Sparkle, in a rich country, bf children will, on average, be healthier. Even the poor ones.
I don't know why you're bringing up Third World countries.

Yes, all factors. But bf is one of those and has been shown to make a significant difference across the population.