Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Infant feeding

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

Original poster

C4 - Other People's Breastmilk

141 replies

RedHead81 · 08/09/2008 00:43

Just saw an advert for this on telly - worth a look!

I'm quite interested actually... what do you think?

OP posts:
ark08 · 10/09/2008 10:33

Well done C4, that was a really brilliant programme and if any of us felt a bit grossed out by some of the content that's because we all have a problem with breastfeeding - we're conditioned in our society to think it's weird and freakish. I still have feelings like that even though I bfed my first babe until 13 months and intend to do the same for my 10 month old. The babysitter who said that breastfeeding her charge was sexual was, I agree, not expressing herself very well. At first it sounded like she was saying it was erotic but I don't thinks she meant that at all - when KG challenged her I think she was trying to explain it was about the physical process. But since English was second language I think it was a bit mean of the programme makers to stitch her up like that.

MadameCastafiore · 10/09/2008 10:37

I fed both of mine but always thuoght extended breatfeeding and sharing milk was a bit odd until watching this last night and I came to the conclusion, like Kate, that I would be happy to feed someone elses child but would feel jealous and sad if someone fed either of mine.

Thought it was quite a good programme and I actually - for a fleeting moment - wished that I could have still been breastfeeding as I loved it.

ark08 · 10/09/2008 10:38

I mean, how weird and screwed up are we as a society if breastfeeding - on any level - is still seen as a taboo? Divorce, non-married families, gay relationships, abortion - that's all broadly accepted - quite rightly! - but breastfeeding is still somehow just a bit beyond the pale...

ark08 · 10/09/2008 10:42

the big issue with wetnursing/shared breastfeeding/donated milk that the programme only briefly touched on was the risk of infection. personally, that would be my no 1 fear now that we know all about the risks of contaminated blood. But if I was in a situation where I couldn't breastfeed and it was critical that my baby breastfed I would probably seek out a wetnurse. However, if it was critical, I would probably turn to formula, due to a mixture of laziness and fear of being branded a weirdo

Hulababy · 10/09/2008 10:44

This topic is being discussed on This Morning right now.

Lib76 · 10/09/2008 10:45

tiktok!

forgot about the sisters, they were very galm. however the majority were not glam!! just pointing out what my hubby said! ;-)

ark08 · 10/09/2008 10:47

I've always thought that in pre-industrial society, working women shared breastfeeding...but how would we know?! It's so exhausting breastfeeding an infant, how did these women do it?? in fact, it's probably how we survived as a race 1000s of years ago. Ever since having babies I have wondered how tiny vulnerable newborns managed to survive harsh prehistoric conditions, even the ice age! If you think about it, when women all live together their periods synchronise which would make things easier to get pregnant at the same time and then help with the feeding...just a thought...

TaurielTest · 10/09/2008 11:11

fascinating subject, and not a bad programme, though i thought it strayed off topic. neither the woman tandem-feeding her 4 and 5 year old nor the mum who stimulated lactation for her non-biological baby had aything to do with 'other people's breastmilk', did they? and, like most documentaries these days, it seemed to be more a film about KG's feelings and response to the subject than a more dispassionate film about the subject itself, which personally i would find more interesting.
i couldn't believe KG had never tasted her own milk - why wouldn't you?!
I'm bfing my 12 week old and my milk supply is not that abundant - I have PCOS and the iffy hormone levels can cause problems with supply - but if that wasn't an issue I'd be quite happy to donate milk, either via bank or straight from the breast, directly to a baby who needed it.

tiktok · 10/09/2008 11:14

Lib - you should be getting him into line, now, shouldn't you? As well as training him not to be judgemental about people's appearence

naturelover · 10/09/2008 12:06

My sister and I agreed ages ago that we would feed each other's babies if either of had an accident or illness and couldn't breastfeed for a while. Highly theoretical because she lives overseas. But I really don't think it would feel odd within my family.

I was in awe of the milk donor who pumped a pint a day to donate - that is admirable.

AnnVan · 10/09/2008 12:18

I have to say that I think donating is not weird, and I would probably be ok cross feeding if the other mum was someone close to me, but I'm not sure if I would want to feed the baby of a total stranger or vice versa.

Lib - don't ask me how anyone can think tha bf is unnatural, I have no idea. A lady on my ante-natal thread (who is bf) had her FIL lecturing her about how she would have a sickly thin baby because formula is nutritionally designed for babies!
I'm pregnant with my first and planning to bf, seriously hope we manage to get it properly established, I know a lot of women have trouble with it, so I'm quite nervous.

mawbroon · 10/09/2008 13:03

I would feed somebody elses baby if they asked me to. In fact, I sometimes seriously think that being a wet nurse would be a job I could do! Not quite sure how one goes about it though!

TheNaughtiestGirlIsaMonitor · 10/09/2008 13:13

That woman who used the word sexual obviously doesn't really understand the word!!

Maybe to her, breasts are nothing other than 'sexual' and so therefore she can't feel comfortable doing somthing with her breasts that is not sexual....

I didn't see the programme, but stupid comment and some people will cling to that comment as though it were proof of something...

carmenelectra · 10/09/2008 13:20

Think the woman who bf the babies in Sudan was fab and i would absolutely do that. And i would probably do it to a child who desperately needed it her in the UK(though it would be difficult to say a child could desperately need breastmilk in the UK i suppose AS we do have the option of formula). I would never let another woman do it to my child, its just too much of an intimate thing to want to share.

Think the passing of the babies around between those friends was plain strange though. Poor kids must be well confused. And why the hell would you need to do that? They were obviously both perfectly capable of bf.

Lib76 · 10/09/2008 14:30

AnnVan, good luck with bf. it is great i loved it but had to give up at 7wks due being admitted to hospital with bilateral mastitis, was very ill and ds underweight. much happier baby on formula. taken me ages to get my head round it though. my advice, make sure latch is right and you will be on a winner!

Tiktok, dh was just being his usual funny self! he doesn't really mean anything by it ;-) but he does like that he wife makes an effort with appearance! and it makes me feel good sticking the slap on!!!! ;-)

RGPargy · 10/09/2008 14:35

I really enjoyed the programme last night, but it did make me wish i hadn't given up bf at 5/6 months! I even had a dream that i was suddenly lactating abundently and i remember in my dream being so happy and that i would get DD to bf again!

TinkerBellesMum · 10/09/2008 15:42

Could be, I've spoken to so many people lately about cultural attitudes to breastfeeding I'm never sure what was IRL and what was on here!

ark08, I'm glad someone agrees with me, I wasn't sure how to explain it (and English is my first language) I didn't get at all that she was saying she was being turned on by it or anything like that.

Does anyone else wonder how women manage to have healthy babies born to them? I mean, if our bodies aren't capable of sustaining a baby on breastmilk, how is it capable of sustaining an unborn baby? Surely it's just an extension of a process?

Lib I can't find the words to say how I feel about your last post.

Pinkglow · 10/09/2008 15:44

Interesting programme but like the other posters I have no idea why that women who was breastfeeding her 4 year old was on it - what did that have to do with anything?

Makes you realise how little ppl know about breastfeeding though, someone on a different forum (not a mums one) said 'how long are ppl meant to breastfeed anyway, a couple of months?'

My mum told me last last my first few feeds in the hospital were from the hospital bank as she was too ill to feed me, makes me think that if i could then I would also donate

Lib76 · 10/09/2008 16:00

TinkerBellesMum... i have offended people by saying i put make-up on??!!

masalachameleon · 10/09/2008 16:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

smallwhitecat · 10/09/2008 16:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Lib76 · 10/09/2008 16:09

masalachameleon.. the sudan babies were amazing actually she did save their lives!! but that's totally differnet to all the other mums you saw. i guess that any nursing mum faced with a dying starving baby would do it.

Lib76 · 10/09/2008 16:10

samllwhitecat!! just what i said to DH last night!! he is sooo greasy looking and she is lovely!! each to their own eh? he must be loaded or something else!! ;-)

cafebistro · 10/09/2008 16:10

I didnt see the programme as I cant get channel 4 where I live but I saw clips and a discussion about it on This Morning.
I bf my nearly 7 month old. However I dont think I could let someone else bf her and I wouldnt want to bf someone elses baby ( though if i had to choose the latter would be preferable). Why would I not want it ? The truth is i dont know. I have nothing against women who choose to do this but its not for me.

TinkerBellesMum · 10/09/2008 16:24

I never said that I was offended and I can't speak for others.

Swipe left for the next trending thread