Breastfeeding a stranger’s child

[grou]

I was recently told of a friend’s friend who under very specific circumstances was compelled to breastfeed a complete stranger’s baby. I find the concept quite disturbing. Think remote, small airport. One rug shop for duty free. But then again a starving baby is a starving baby.

As far as I am aware there were really no alternative options available.

Was completely normal once upon a time, if there was no alternative and the mum didn't have any blood related diseases which if I remember rightly you are tested for in pregnancy, then it's only our internal 'ick' factor that is the issue.

In some countries new mother bf live stock too

I think it's pretty beautiful actually

I just find the idea of it really unpleasant, curious if it’s just me. I assume I would do the same if a child was hungry and there really was nothing else to be done. But the idea of doing that is disturbing like I said

I donated over 50L to the milk bank (super boobs!) and would have gladly have fed another mother’s baby if needed - and let’s face it, she wouldn’t have asked were she not desperate. Not the same situation but I remember being unexpectedly stuck somewhere once with no option of getting any food and feeling helpless with a crying, hungry toddler. I profoundly grateful to another mother who happily gave me some snacks she had with her.

You probably shouldn’t read The Grapes of Wrath

I breastfed for 9 years in total (3DC x 3 years each) - the let down reflex was quick with all newborn cries not just my guzzling lot, so I can well imagine being a "wet nurse" if it was required. I think Salma Hayek did it once for a stranger's baby. It wouldn't bother me at all, as long as the birth mum was okay with it.

Why is it disturbing?
More disturbing we drink cows milk tbh..
At least human milk is meant for human babies..
I don't find it disturbing abd would happily do it if needed. And I would be very grateful to anyone who did that for my baby in a situation where it was necessary

I also donated litres and litres of breastmilk through two children. I was really disappointed when nobody wanted my milk post third child (different area). It's so important for premature babies whose Mums maybe too sick to produce enough breastmilk.

I also don't see a problem with feeding a child directly in urgent circumstances. Maybe in less urgent circumstances, expressed milk could be used instead.

I did this for a friend. An emergency and for one feed only. I was glad to be of help and it made my friends life a bit easier that day. Nothing wrong at all IMO.

I’d be incredibly grateful if someone helped if I had a hungry baby and no access to milk.

I said to a babysitting friend years ago that she could bf my small baby. He was too little at the time to really object to a stranger. I'd rather that than have left him inconsolable where a quick bf would have settled him fast.

I would have happily done so for a small baby in need. Not sure how I would have felt about my daughter having a feed from someone else, but if she needed it I am sure I would have been grateful.

Its not disturbing if the baby was hungry and there was no other choice. The parents must have been desperate.

I don’t care if people find me mean or what not, but absolutely not.

I understand some women donate milk but to have another baby on your breast? No, it just feels wrong. I can’t word why, I suppose because it’s an intimate unique thing for mother and baby?

As a breastfeeding mother, it’d tear me apart to see my baby on another woman’s breast.

It's not something most people would consider, and would probably only be done if there were no other options. I don't see anything wrong with feeding someone else's baby if you have the means to help.

@MadamNoo Re Grapes of Wrath, that scene has always bothered me - she'd literally just given birth, how did she have enough milk to nourish a starving stranger?!

I too was a donor for milk -however- that donated milk is fed via bottles, not having a stranger's baby latched on.

But- I don't see the issue as long as the mother was ok with it.

Although an odd circumstance (friend of a friend background, and you have not have to experience this for yourself). I would have no trouble with this personally if it was called on in "an absolute emergency" and a baby needed it. I had enough bother with my own latching on, but I would not mind if the circumstance required it, and I thought I could help. It is a pretty odd scenario though.

Sounds insane, but after DS was born, I was so zonked with painkiller, the nurses told me he'd had a feed of milk already - breast milk.

They didn't tell me if was from the milk bank, {which I later donated to} -I'd imagined his first ever feed being from another woman's breast directly- and yes, it still stings!

{I know it makes no sense}

No, that makes perfect sense to me. I had an ample supply so until this post I never considered my child having a feed from someone else and was surprised at my instinctive reaction, when I would have happily fed another baby if needed. There are so many emotions tied up in breastfeeding (and feeding a baby generally).

So the dilemma is feeding a baby or not feeding a baby 😳.

I think it's fair to say that the majority of sane people would advocate for feeding the baby via whatever available means.

I used to have let downs hearing random babies cry when BF my DC...I think my boobs WANTED to feed babies and weren't particularly fussed about parentage 😂

But seriously, you wouldn't feed a starving baby if your boob was all that was available? Are you a sociopath, because that's fucked up.

If the mum
of the baby in question (assuming there was one) is ok with it, I don’t see what the problem is.

I have always said that if I couldn’t breastfeed, I would provide HUMAN milk over formula. 💯

I'd be happy for someone else to feed my baby if needed and would gladly feed someone else's. I think it's weird that we've come to accept babies drinking cows' breasmilk but would find this so strange. What is it that you find disturbing? The milk itself or the baby at the breast?

More than it'd tear you up to hear your baby crying with hunger and not be able to provide it with any food?

YABU - have you never heard of wet nurses? People donate their breast milk to milk banks. It's fine.