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?

Of course Jeremy - the ideal is being able to feed your own baby and I think there should be more support for that to happen. I thought bm should just be more readily available for people who were struggling as an interim measure rather than having to resort to formula.

yes definatley, as long as its screened

You can't plan for every possible scenario in life, but I think the chances of formula being contaminated are less than the chances of screening not being 100% effective. It's calculated risk, I suppose.

I don't actually see what's wrong with companies making a profit from formula. They are providing something that people want/need. They are going to take great care that it doesn't become contaminated, because they need people to have faith in their product. I don't know, but maybe they'd take less care if there was nothing in it (profit) for them. So, I think I'm putting my trust in their desire to keep making money.

Very much so morloth. I think a lot of things would need to be considered to actually implement it. I was just curious about whether people would actually choose it IF it was available :)

Bubbleymummy I agree that formula is dangerous when not made up properly but after I stopped bfeeding DD I always made the bottles up properly.
Likewise breastfeeding is dangerous if they baby is not getting enough, or the mother is ingesting certain medicines or drugs that are harmful to the baby.
I am comfortable that formula is well regulated. Its not as good as that babies mothers milk but in my opinion, an acceptable substitute.

What about a donation from someone you knew? Say you found out you could not and your good friend had loads in the freezer...

yes.

I was rather unsuccessful with breastfeeding. I tried but, well, long story but I ended up switching to formula. If I had had mumsnet at that time, I suspect it would have been different, but never mind. I do feel guilty though. I feel like I let them down. I know, it's stupid but that's how I feel. You read how breastfeeding is best and formula is one step down from putting neat bleach in their bottle.

If I had had the choice, I would certainly have opted for donated milk rather than formula. Actual real milk from another human has to be more suited for the young of that species than formula which is artificially created, hasn't it? I mean, what's in formula? cows milk, vegetable oils?

In fact, I just googled it because I wasn't sure, and I now certainly prefer the idea of using donated milk!

OTOH, I felt such a failure when I switched to formula. I wonder if I would have been able to handle another woman (or women) providing the milk that I couldn't (or thought I couldn't).

Yes.

I'd rather use my milk, then friend/family's milk, then other human milk, then other animal milk.

It also depends on the age of the baby and how much milk was needed though. I'm quite happy for my 4 month old to have one bottle of formula a day or my 9 month old to have all formula. I'd want my newborn to have human milk though.

really karma? Do you think there are a lot of mums unknowingly suffering from HIV (despite having been tested for it during pregnancy) that are feeding their own babies and donating their breastmilk which then would somehow get through further screening?

Here is just one link about formula contamination. It has happened lots. :(

Total no brainer for me with a friend's BM.

Prefer that to formula anyday.

morloth bubbleymummy Are you both strict vegans? If not then your attitudes are quite unreasonable.
If you eat/drink no animal products then you have made a choice but if you eat chicken/steak/yoghurts etc then thats not a reasonable response..

FFS Bubbleymummy Why start a thread just to turn it into another 'formula bad and evil' thread.
Dont you ever got bored or feel the need to talk about something else??

but carolinarua i don't see why they're being unreasonable. there's surely a big difference between what an adult will happily eat themselves and the milk they give their baby?

God no. Absolutely vile.

Yes I would both donate and receive, I don't see the problem for centuries we had woman that where wet nurses and I don't see any differnce.

As for accepting food products from other bodies I eat eggs, I drink milk from cows and goats.

I have no idea if they give blood in none life or death situations, I would have thought you needed to be pretty ill to need blood.

Not just HIV. There may be diseases that we don't know to screen for, like CJD. Is it a new thing that all mums are routinely tested. I had a baby 3 years ago and was tested, but am not sure if people can opt out.

I think for me it is just calculated risk. I do accept that there is potential danger in everything. I did pick organic formula, in the hope that I was choosing the next best thing to bf. Wrt friends donating, I know where they've been, so I probably wouldn't be too keen. Such a thing as tmi

I agree Carolina totally weird response, as I said I will happily eat a steak but a glass of milk creeps me out.

No weirder than being more afraid if another human's milk than that of a cow. I once downed half a bottle of my friend's milk (was babysitting, baby done with bottle, when that happens with mine I just drink it), for a moment I thought 'oops' but didn't feel revolted like I do now by cow's milk.

It just creeps me out.

No. I FF two babies just fine

I don't see that what they're saying is unreasonable CakeandRoses.
I see infant feeding as quite separate to other food iyswim.

Like amniotic fluid and a moses basket. Same purpose, different issues/importance.

OP, yes I would.

There seem to be lots of women who have a real emotional reaction to not being able to BF, you see it on here all the time, lots of talk of guilt etc. I imagine for those women donated milk would be a fantastic idea, it may help alleviate some of those feelings.

I BF for about a month (i think, cant quite remember how long felt like a fucking eternity ) and switched to FF cos I really had enough, was struggling with every aspect of having a newborn and the feeding was something I could change really easily. I had no emotional link to BF so felt nothing but relief.

I think thats wohat it would come down to for lots of women - if you feel strongly about BF then no doubt donated milk would have a more positive effect than formula.

I am having horrible visions of drug addicts desperately trying to keep their supply of BM up in order to afford another fix.
FF and BF arguements aside, if it were a proposal it should be given altruistically in the same way that blood is donated.
I doubt it will ever become a serious proposal though.

I like to be optimistic kreecher.

I have to think that the world can become better, even in small ways. Or what's the point?

timewasting i think you're saying the same as me?