Breast Milk As A Commodity

[KatieB]

I wouldn't... but not because of where it came from.

I desperately wanted to feed Fin myself. I didn't make it past 3 weeks (for reasons I won't go into) and I still feel hurt and distressed about that to this day. I didn't just want to give it a go. I spent my whole 9 months dreaming about it and planning it. It was a big important thing for me. The thought of another woman providing my son with the one thing that I desperately wanted to provide myself but ultimately failed at... well it hurts me beyond explaination.

So, while it probably makes me sound awful. I would never have been able to give Fin breastmilk unless I could supply it myself. I know that breast is best, even if it is not mine, but I just couldn't do it. The thought hurts me to the point that I feel certain that giving him bottles of another woman's breastmilk would have seriously affected me emotionally at a time when I was already extremely vunerable.

So basically, while I know that nutritionally and scientifically, buying breastmilk would have been the best second option for Fin. Formula was the only second option I could consider, for my own sake an sanity. If that makes me selfish to those of you that are very pro BF then so be it, but I really hope you see my post for what it is, especially as it hurt just to type it up.

This is just my view though. I doubt other women would feel as I did. I think the idea is fab so long as it was correctly screened and endored by the NHS or similar to give UK parents confidence in it. It would also need to really be a competitive price with formula however on the market else I see mothers opting for formula out of necessity because of financial restraints

xx

It's not selfish at all xx

 

[KittyVentura]

Thanks Katie. I don't feel it was selfish... but had to put that in there to implore others not to think it was lol xx

 

[Janidog]

Nope I wouldn't buy it, i would rather feed my baby formula then someone elses BM

 

[littlestar85]

I agree with freckleonear, I'd feel comfortable using donated milk if I knew the donor; but wouldn't if I had bought the milk at an inflated cost from someone whom I will probably never meet, it would just feel a bit 'black market' to me. Also in my religion you can have donated milk where you know the donor but not where you don't, its complex but its to do with the fact breastfeeding creates family ties. A baby who you breastfeed or who has your milk for a certain number of feedings, is like your own baby xx

^^WSS.

If for some reason I couldn't BF I would desperately want the option to buy donated milk. But for religious reasons, as Summer Rain said, I'd have to know who the donor is. (Summer Rain I'd love to talk to you about something to do with this as I don't know any other Muslimas who know the ins and outs of the BFing guidelines in Islam so I don't get to talk about it often. Can I pm you?).

Of course, not being able to BF my child would break my heart and it would be a huge test of my emotions to let someone else BF them or to use someone else's milk, but I'd do it for my child's benefit.

The World Health Organisation says the following -

- That a child should be breastfed exclusively for at least 6 months, then alongside food for up to two years and beyond.

- And that the ideal order of options for infant feeding are
1) Breast milk directly from the mother...
... if that's not possible then...
2) The mother's own expressed breast mlk...
... if that's not possible then...
3) Another woman's breast milk...
...and if that's not possible...
4) Infant formula

...So, in theory, it's an idea that should be looked into based on this advice. It is a fantastic idea for the economics of developing countries, but the politics of it would be SO complicated.