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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

would you breastfeed a child that wasn't your own?

77 replies

artisanroast · 27/03/2016 20:06

Hi,

Bit being adverse to controversy...

I thought I would put the question out there...

I would gladly feed a friend's child. I feel it offers ultimate comfort to a baby.

I will stop breastfeeding at 9 months to hopefully conceive baby no 2 but I could happily breastfeed for longer. (I was very much in the feed to 6 months then stop camp until I realised how much me and my daughter love it).

So... Would you? Do you?

If you did feed a friend's child how did the subject come up? Tell your story...

OP posts:
Original poster
artisanroast · 27/03/2016 20:36

captain morgan - sent you my email so you can access my FB and see yourself I'm not a journalist

OP posts:
NaturalBlondeYeahRight · 27/03/2016 20:37

If it was a real life emergency, yes - who wouldn't? But bloody hell, I'd prefer permission.

Original poster
artisanroast · 27/03/2016 20:39

Ughnotagain - sent you the same message...

OP posts:
Original poster
artisanroast · 27/03/2016 20:42

I would, it came from reading about the police officer, and a FB post about a woman who freely fed her best friend's baby.

I would gladly feed a friend's baby. I feel its nourishment. If it was between my baby screaming and crying through hunger or feeding from a friend I would prefer the friend feed my baby.

OP posts:
Mrsantithetic · 27/03/2016 20:43

Yes I would. I have twin nieces who are 6 months old and breastfed if their mother needed me to I would no questions.

Likewise if my son needed milk I wouldn't mind if she did him.

My only issue would be DS is 21 months and only feeds over night so I may not have sufficient to satisfy two small babies and if I did it would stimulate my supply again which is now nice and settled.

Original poster
artisanroast · 27/03/2016 20:43

Ohfuck

Sorry 'Not' instead of 'Bit' typo...

OP posts:
Nicknamegrief · 27/03/2016 20:44

It gets trickier to answer IMO of you think of it the other way round, so in what instances would you allow your child to be breastfed by someone else?

But I do struggle to let others help with my babies.

UmbongoUnchained · 27/03/2016 20:48

Only if an absolute emergency. And then I would prefer to express if I could. I couldn't even stomach feeding my own.

I don't know why it's such a funny a subject though. My friend suggested using donor milk for my daughter before formula and I was like yuck! But I really don't know why I felt that way.

Original poster
artisanroast · 27/03/2016 20:49

This is interesting. Especially when I am not being accused of being a journalist or criticised on my typing errors. Sorry for

Anyone else who wants to find out exactly who I am can PM me.

I was just wondering thats all.

OP posts:
gBean · 27/03/2016 20:51

I would. It wouldn't bother me.

pettyprudence · 27/03/2016 20:51

I would have if needed and would have allowed my dc to be breastfed by another woman if needed. Pre-kids and early on in BF-ing I did find the whole concept very weird but a few months in and it seemed like a totally normal and practical solution if needed.

Mozartinmyfanjo · 27/03/2016 20:52

Yes. When l was born l was bfed by another women who gave birth on the same day and was sharing hospital room with my DM. She fed me so DM could get some sleep and rest. Was a no issue then...

Mrsantithetic · 27/03/2016 20:54

We get squeamish about a baby having another woman's milk yet think nothing of feeding them milk from a cows boob.

It's quite odd when you look at it like that. I guess years ago it was quite common to have wet nurses and such. Probably common in some cultures still.

It's not something I've come across but have no issue either way as I've already said provided I knew the person obviously.

hesterton · 27/03/2016 20:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WhatTheActualFugg · 27/03/2016 21:02

I wouldn't feed my friend's baby when it was hungry and friend was otherwise engaged.

But if I found a starving baby on a doorstep, and I had milk, I absolutely wouldn't have thought twice about it.

WhatTheActualFugg · 27/03/2016 21:03

hesterton that's so cute! Like a milky sleep-over party. Smile

Mrscog · 27/03/2016 21:03

Yes I would if the need arose and it was with permission. Although I would do it without permission if it was a life or death situation like an abandoned baby or something!

hesterton · 27/03/2016 21:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
artisanroast · 27/03/2016 21:07

Hesterton I love that! Its so sweet and also perfect and practical :)

OP posts:
MrsLettuce · 27/03/2016 21:10

I think instinct would take over in the 'starving on the doorstep' scenario, wouldn't it? Regardless of hypothetical strong personal preferences to not BF a child that wasn't ones own, surely.

WhatTheActualFugg · 27/03/2016 21:16

I'm not sure it would with everyone Lettuce.

I'm guessing that in reality most of us in this thread are within 30mins of some baby milk or hospital.

DangerMouth · 27/03/2016 21:18

Dd2 wasn't able to bf after having her tt snipped at 2 weeks old. I expressed for 12 weeks but was disappointed l couldn't bf her as long as l did dd1. A friend offered to try bf dd2 which left me a little confused as l had milk it was just dd2 inability to bf that stopped us Confused

Her offer felt a little condescending tbh but l know she didn't mean it that way though.

HorraceTheOtter · 27/03/2016 21:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LogicalThinking · 27/03/2016 21:23

Yes I would, had the need arisen, it never did.
I don't understand why anyone wouldn't if needed or why anyone would object to it.

WhatTheFrikkinFrack · 27/03/2016 21:33

Yes I would feed another persons baby either at the breast or with expressed milk. It's natural and was common practice before the commercialisation of formula milk.