Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Does anyone here bf their friends' babies?

43 replies

chloesbaby · 26/05/2011 12:50

My friend and I babysit each others' 5 mo babies regularly for a couple of hours and swap bottles of expressed milk on the doorstep before running out to supermarket / hairdressers / have an hour baby-free / whatever.

My mum asked me the other day why I don't just bf her son when he's at mine. Really not sure how I feel about this, although it does seem more logical than fannying about with heating a bottle, etc.

Does anyone do this? How did you raise it in the first place? Am quite worried that if I raise it with my friend she will be horrified.

OP posts:

alphamummy · 26/05/2011 21:58

IMO milk is milk. No matter how it gets into a baby bottle or breast.

Why are people so icky about breasts and breast milk?!

lurcherlover · 26/05/2011 22:19

I would do it for a friend and be happy about a friend doing it for me. The only thing I would worry about would be theoretical infection risk (which is why I'd only do it with a friend). No ickiness about the milk either. I don't think it affects bonding - other people cuddle our babies after all...DH can't bf DS but is very close to him. I actually think we should do more to promote wet-nursing as a help to successful bf (along the lines of bacon's approach).

emsyj · 26/05/2011 23:02

Wouldn't bother me - sounds quite an efficient idea actually.

It's just milk, innit?

Meglet · 26/05/2011 23:08

As long as the mothers health was good I don't think it's a big deal.

I only saw bf as a way of feeding my children, it certainly didn't help us to bond.

organiccarrotcake · 26/05/2011 23:13

I did have a thing before starting to wean my DSs that I was very jealous of being the only thing who had grown them to where they were at that point and it was quite emotional for me to let them have anything other than my milk at the weaning point. But other than that I'd much prefer them to have a close friend's milk than modified cow's milk at that age.

Grumpla · 26/05/2011 23:15

I wouldn't have had a problem with anyone else feeding my baby. I did offer a friend expressed milk when she was having ishoos but she declined.

I can see why some people might feel a bit squirmy about it though.

CJMommy · 26/05/2011 23:16

Not everyone is screened for HIV in pregnancy, it's optional. Also, the screening is done quite early on in pregnancy so it could be transmitted to the pregnant mom after the test ( or even prior to the test if within the window period )

sleepdodger · 27/05/2011 04:16

My response was WHAT when I read the title, mainly down to jealousy etc my dh only has limited bond time with bottle feeds ( I ebf) so there is no way I'd feel comfy about a friend enjoying the closeness

marzipananimal · 27/05/2011 15:48

I never have although I really wanted to once when my friend's DH came round briefly with their newborn who was crying and rooting around. I didn't offer though - partly cos DS was only a few weeks old and feeding was still painful and partly I was too afraid of what the reaction would be! I feel that I would be happy to feed a baby younger than mine (and one with no teeth) but not sure about letting someone else feed my baby.

BarbieLovesKen · 27/05/2011 16:00

PML.. I would be absolutely horrified. I dont think it'd be the best idea to offer.

Emandwilliam · 27/05/2011 16:04

No sure why but the idea of this totally disgusts me, sorry. If someone offered to bf my baby I'd cut them out!

brihoney · 27/05/2011 16:08

A friend told me that when her first child was newborn, her sister who'd had a baby recently too fed her child because she and her mum didn't want to wake my friend and her baby was hungry. My friend said she was surprised how much it bothered her and she felt very weird, even though she undestood why they had.

1Catherine1 · 27/05/2011 16:11

I think I would be ok with BF another baby in an emergency but I think that in today's society we are so obsessed with potential infections I would hate for anyone else to feed my LO.

doodledee · 27/05/2011 16:15

I'm bf my 7 week old, would hate anyone else to feed her and would never consider bf someone else's baby. I'm very pro bf in general - think its great but for some reason this makes me very uncomfortable

DaisySteiner · 27/05/2011 16:21

I breastfed my friend's baby when she was too engorged to latch him on, and a hormonal, blubbering mess. She asked me to as the alternative was bottles of formula which she was desperate to avoid. I gave him a couple of feeds, she got some help from a breastfeeding counsellor and she managed from then on. Didn't bother me one tiny bit.

The same friend used to babysit my 18 month old a few times a week when I was at work. He hadn't been left much before this and she let him breastfeed when he was sad or tired a couple of times. I have to admit to feeling a bit weird about the boot being on the other foot (or the baby being on the other nipple ) but the important thing was that it helped ds to settle and feel happy being apart from me.

Obviously we were very close and it isn't something that I would do with every friend!

RockinSockBunnies · 27/05/2011 16:25

I'd be happy to do it. Can't believe there are posters here who would cut someone out of their lives if they offered to feed your child?!

I guess so long as both mothers are healthy etc, then why make an issue of it?

Erac · 27/05/2011 23:39

I'm not sure how I'd feel about it, but I though the topic was explored quite well as part of this show: Other People's Breastmilk

Popbiscuit · 27/05/2011 23:52

I wonder if it was common for infections etc. to be passed on when wet nurses were in vogue? Besides HIV and thrush what else can be passed on via breastfeeding?

Flip

1 2