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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

in expressing breastmilk for my mother who has cancer

93 replies

weeamoomoo · 17/09/2008 22:10

after watching C4 programme last week i thought i'd never forgive myself if i DIDNT do it. but all i know is from that programme. anyone else know anything about it?
she had her first lot today.

OP posts:
LynetteScavo · 17/09/2008 22:12

Great idea. It certainly can't hurt her.

How did she feel about drinking it?

Sorry; I'm of no help, but the subject does fascinate me.

ChacunaSonGout · 17/09/2008 22:13

how lovely of you - all the best with it

glasgowgal · 17/09/2008 22:13

Don't know anything about it but why not? If my mum had cancer I know I would do ANYTHING it took to help her get better. Wishing you both the best of luck.

lilymolly · 17/09/2008 22:13

really? where are the proven benefits?
Not sure your being unreasonable, just not sure this is helpful to your mum.
Dont mean to be harsh, but perhaps your efforts could be better utilised in an alternative manner.

Reallytired · 17/09/2008 22:13

I am sure that breastmilk won't hurt her, but please don't pin your hopes too high.

I remember reading somewhere that breastmilk is a living substance with live white blood cells. Hopefully the white blood cells will help your mother fight any infection.

I am sorry to hear that your mother has cancer.

frankbestfriend · 17/09/2008 22:14

YA absolutely NBU.

I would do anything that had even a remote possibility of being helpful.

I know nothing about it aside from the Kate Garroway thing,but I hope you see positive results, good luck

WilfSell · 17/09/2008 22:15

I think you are very reasonable but daft to post such an emotive thing in AIBU. You do what you need to do and it may help her immune system perhaps. Good luck to you both.

Flossish · 17/09/2008 22:16

if you and your mother are happy and want to give it a go then who cares what anyone else thinks?

I hope it helps - not sure about the research but I do wonder if we all drank BM whether we'd have much lower cancer rates. After all its what we are born to drink.

cheesesarnie · 17/09/2008 22:16

i think if you and your mum want to then nbu at all.infact very nice thing to do-worth a try!

cupsoftea · 17/09/2008 22:16

will help her fight off germs in the environment & be easy to digest. What a wonderful thing to do. I hope your mum will be ok xxx

Original poster
weeamoomoo · 17/09/2008 22:16

well i mixed it up with strawberry milkshake powder and plenty of ice and she said it was quite nice. unfortunatly she is at the stage she would do anything if she thought it would help.
thanks for the support.

OP posts:
frankbestfriend · 17/09/2008 22:16

OP how did she drink it?

Did you make a breast milk smoothie?

Reallytired · 17/09/2008 22:16

See this article

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4187697.stm

charchargabor · 17/09/2008 22:17

Here's one link, but I can't find the actual study report online. It's a study by Catharina Svanborg from Lund Uni in Sweden.

Flossish · 17/09/2008 22:18

I don't think she is daft. She is only being unreasonable if she is forcing her mother to drink her BM - even the more anti BF mn'ers aren't going to oppose a mutual arrangement where there is a small hope of improvement in condition and no risk of harm.

frankbestfriend · 17/09/2008 22:19

x posts, weeamoomoo

Sounds quite tasty

So sorry for your situation, lots of luck to you and your mum

Flossish · 17/09/2008 22:19

what type of cancer does she have weeamoomoo? I'm sorry it sounds as though it is so advanced by your last post.

Original poster
weeamoomoo · 17/09/2008 22:22

thanks for link and info, reallytired and charchargabor. this is kind of stuff i'm v. interested in.

OP posts:
susiecutiebananas · 17/09/2008 22:22

Lilymolly, tat was unnecessarily harsh actually imo.

I can understand someone wanting to do anything they can to help a loved one.

How is it not helpful to her mum, if they are both sensible about it, and realise there is no "" proven benefits" but there is anecdotal evidence, so surely, worth a go?

where is the proof that it doesn't , anyway ?

I'd also guess that her " efforts are being utilized" in more than just this way...

Your post sounded quite patronizing and utterly putting the kibosh on something that can't do any harm either way.

Ulike the OP, who is trying to be proactive in a situation where I suspect they all feel so out of control.

If it were you mother, are you honestly saying you would not even try if you could? I mean, how many people in her position have a close relative who can give them free, fresh expressed bm?

GOOD LUCK weeamoomoo. ,so sorry your mum is going though this. best of luck, and I would also do the same for my mum, who wouldnt , if they could, hey? GOOD LUCK

charchargabor · 17/09/2008 22:23

According to what I have read, it is a protein called alpha-lactalbumin, which when mixed with acid has killed 40 different kinds of tumour cells in a lab. I agree not to pin your hopes too high, but it is definitely good to try. Breastmilk is a wonderful thing, and you are a wonderful person for doing this for your mum.

Original poster
weeamoomoo · 17/09/2008 22:24

non hodgkins lymphoma. not at palliative stage yet. they are hoping to do stem cell harvest and subsequent transplant after more intensive treatment.

OP posts:
susiecutiebananas · 17/09/2008 22:25

just to highlight, my last post, the quotes were taken from the post by lillymolly. I was not making any comment about proven benefits myself.

I think its great what you are doing.

cupsoftea · 17/09/2008 22:25

thoughts for you all xxx

charchargabor · 17/09/2008 22:26

Here's is the abstract for the study. Will look for more. Sorry about your mum.

IAteDavinaForDinner · 17/09/2008 22:26

So sorry you're both going through this, but well done you for doing this for her.