Just wondered - would you breast feed a friend's baby??

[clairemow]

Just been having a conversation with a friend - would you be happy breast feeding someone else's baby, and how would you feel if someone else offered to feed yours?

I was thinking of the sort of scenario where you've had to leave your baby with someone else, and they need a feed, like if you're really sick or something.

I don't think I'd have a problem with it either way tbh.

No I wouldn't and I wouldn't like someone to breastfeed mine either.

No, ditto to Gobbledigook's post

Yes, I would, but it would depend on the baby... And I'd not mind someone bfeeding DS2 either - although it would depend on the woman doing it.

I've sometimes wondered that - as there's a group of us with a variety of small children and babies and sometimes I think it would be useful to be able to share the feeding .

But as DD has recently stopped breastfeeding, I wouldn't be much use any more.

I would not have a problem with it from a physical point of view - by which I mean I don't think it is yucky or anything. But I wonder if I would feel a bit jealous of the intimacy. I don't know really. However, if it was a real emergency and the choice was a bottle of formula or someone else breastfeeding my baby, the choice would be someone else breastfeeding.

And frankly, since DS2 woke three times for feeding last night and has had eight feeds since midnight, anyone who wants a go is welcome to him atm [knackered]

I know I shouldn't have a problem with it but...

Probably would have had a problem with feeding a baby/child older than the one I was currently feeding though - not quite sure why.

Also would have a problem with someone else breastfeeding my baby while I was there, but that would be unlikely to happen.

bring em on
I can relactate after 1 year, you know [smug emoticon]

I'd be horrified tbh. I think its too personal.

(Hijack - Tinker - any news?)

This question always makes me a feel a bit odd because I would have been happy to feed someone elses' baby in an emergency (if they had wanted me to) but I'm not sure if I would have been happy for someone else to feed DS.

I don;t know why.

Oh, I have friends who've done this, or tried to. Two couples were v close friends, and did babysitting, with wet nurse, for each other. One baby accepted, the other refused. Nice to have the option, anyway.

i would bf a friend or anyones baby who was in a situation where it was necessary tbh, i would be more than happy too

on the other hand, i wouldnt like anyone else to breastfeed my baby, but i would be happy, if, for example, i was very ill and my best friend breastfed my baby instead of giving her a bottle

double standards i know

why is this thread making me so emotional?

broody? me?

I think I'd be ok with it, if it came to it. Actually, I think I told DH, when DS2 was small, that if anything went wrong, I'd rather he was bf by someone else than put on formula. Not that an option for that was likely to come up.

Oh, and I know of other people who've done it, in my neighbourhood - a lesbian couple who had babies three months apart, and people's sisters bfing their babies. Again, though, it's always people who know each other very well, not just any old stranger.

JT - yes, good news

No, I couldn't do it...what news Tinker? (nosey emoticon)

I was thinking of the emergency situation really, not a kind of let's all swap babies thing [now, that would be weird) - e.g. Something happens to me so I can't feed for a few days, I think I'd definitely rather someone else I knew fed my baby rather than he/she have formula. I know I would definitely offer to feed someone else's in that scenario. Guess that's similar to donating milk to the hospital for prem babies to have.

Was just curious really because my friend was quite adament she wouldn't.

Would it be too incendiary to suggest that this is less of an imaginative leap for those who breastfed their own babies?

In an ideal world yes, but I'm cringing at the thought of it. However, I struggled with bf, so probably not an ideal candidate for a positive reply here.

Wouldn't mind either way. But only if it was a baby I liked

There was a Posy Simmonds cartoon in the 70s in which a career woman leaves her baby with a SAHM friend for a day and is devastated when the friend feeds her baby (because she can't bf and feels bad about it). Thought it was rather interesting because no-one in the cartoon suggests it's weird, just that it's rather tactless (the theme of the cartoon is that both mothers think the other one is trying to make them feel inferior). Whereas now I simply can't imagine it happening - after all, no-one on this thread has yet said 'oh yes, my SIL feeds mine all the time'.... (What's the story about you relactating, Suzywong? Would love to hear!)

In an emergency situation I'd definitely have no problems with it, either way.

I think its precisely because I breastfed mine that I know I wouldn't want to do it....

Surely if ill, you could still express?

like the babysitting thing NQC! Might suggest it at my next babysitting circle meeting...!!!

Please not incendiary - it wasn't meant to be.