milk banks/ wet nurses?

[soliloquise]

hi everyone

i am 29 weeks preggers and disabled with multi health probs. i am on morphine and currently looking into how to breastfeed on my meds. i have all that info but the problem i am coming across is this: IF i find that my baby is too sleepy etc due to morphine transfer in breast milk how do i go about getting a wet nurse/ milk share/ buying milk from another mother etc..

i would rather make use of another womans milk than use formula, the world health org places formula last on the list of four for best feeding for a baby ... first ( best ) option being your own milk of course, then another womans... etc, formula at bottom. i really do NOT want to formula feed

has anyone here milk shared or used a milk bank? or had a private arrangement for this ie buying milk in frozen?

i have found milk banks but they all focus on donations for preemie babies.

i would welcome any info and am willing to pay for milk from a donor mum etc.
just am having trouble finding the info because the whole concept of using another womans milk is still somewhat taboo in mainstream society unfortunately

thank youuuuu

 

[Mervs Mum]

I donate my milk to my local SCBU which has a milk bank attached. I know that they sell milk but I think it's to other SBCUs.

I'd donate milk to someone - I wouldnt have a problem with it. I dont really see it any different to formula feeding in some respects - thats another animals milk and thats no taboo is it!! I dont see why using another humans milk is an issue. I'd also consider being a wet nurse if I felt it was right for everyone concerned.

If I were wanting to source donated milk, I'd be looking to find a donor who was reasonably local and then it would be a case of getting some checks done in the same way they would check a doner to a milk bank. i had bloods to check for various diseases including HIV. In SCBUs they pasturise the milk before giving it to the babies but I gues this wouldnt be as easy for you and a private donor.

Not sure where to suggest to start - let me see if I can find anything out from my BFing contacts

 

[Freya]

Great idea!!! When I was having doubts about my milk supply in the early days, I thought about options for 'top ups'. Formula was obviously a consideration, but my friend who was BF too, was so uncomfortable she was pumping off lots of surplus milk. So I thought it made sense to utilise the situation.... BUT when I mentioned it to me health visitor, she seemed taken shocked and taken aback and said it wasn't the best idea as each mummy produces milk to suit their baby and their environment..... I then felt ashamed for thinking about it, and was too weak to do any more about it.

I'm a lot stronger 5 months on and wish I'd pursued it. Sadly after 4.5 months my daughter had a 'nursing strike' and feeds from me less and less. She is now mostly on ff, but I would much prefer her to have donated breast milk..... but like you say, it's taboo and not accessible. Shame!

xxx

 

[Mervs Mum]

BUT when I mentioned it to me health visitor, she seemed taken shocked and taken aback and said it wasn't the best idea as each mummy produces milk to suit their baby and their environment..... I then felt ashamed for thinking about it, and was too weak to do any more about it.

See this is what doesnt make any sense to me whatsoever......

So each mummy produces milk to suit their baby and environment so you feeding another womans BM to your child isnt a good idea YET when you buy formula (and I buy it too) it's one size fits all - first milk, hungry baby or follow on. I just dont see how one is ok and the other isnt.

 

[Freya]

BUT when I mentioned it to me health visitor, she seemed taken shocked and taken aback and said it wasn't the best idea as each mummy produces milk to suit their baby and their environment..... I then felt ashamed for thinking about it, and was too weak to do any more about it.

See this is what doesnt make any sense to me whatsoever......

So each mummy produces milk to suit their baby and environment so you feeding another womans BM to your child isnt a good idea YET when you buy formula (and I buy it too) it's one size fits all - first milk, hungry baby or follow on. I just dont see how one is ok and the other isnt.

EXACTLY what I began to think. I guess the 'taboo' nature of sharing breast milk is so strong that even professionals ..forget their 'professionalism'??? Surely health visitors/midwifes/docs should be more open minded to the idea of donated milk

 

[lesleyann]

i no Years and years and years ago they used to recomend Wet nurses i read it somewhere online i think its a great thing to do if you have to much milk or just want to help other people, if i get enoth milk come though for baby and some spare id donate to SCBU

 

[Mervs Mum]

All Royals going back had wet nurses.

 

[Neecee]

All Royals going back had wet nurses.

EXACTLY!!! Plus hundreds of african slave women were made to wet nurse their masters/mistresses babies.

 

[Mervs Mum]

Here's an interesting article on wet nursing in history.....

https://www.historytoday.com/MainArticle.aspx?m=33033&amid=30259576

 

[jess_smurf]

salma hayek breast fed and african baby. Thought it was fantastic !!!

 

[Rebaby]

I work on a neonatal unit and we use a milk bank at a nearby hospital, the milk is donated by Mum's who have a plentiful supply and who have been 'checked', then the milk is pasteurised and frozen and we buy it for those poorly babies who's mum's are unable to express or don't wish to but who have given permission for donor milk to be given. It is very expensive, and also because of the pasteurisation process some of the 'goodness' is unfortunately lost in order to make it safe. For these reasons we only use donor breast milk for those babies who really 'need' it, as in it is medically indicated and the introduction of formula feeding could be dangerous to their health.

I'm not sure how this would work in a private arrangement though, i don't think pasteurising would be necessary but certainly the mum would need to be tested for HIV etc.

It's true that your milk is produced to suit your baby at that time, and there are differences between the milk a mum produces for her baby if it is born pre term compared to term...but all breast milk does have the same basic constituents and if you would prefer your baby to receive donor milk than use formula that is your choice to make and not one you should to be made to feel bad about. The only real issue is how to come to an arrangement privately, which i am afraid i wouldn't know where to start with!

Sorry i can't be of more help.

 

[elley_baby248]

TBh i would quite gladly put my milk to good use for someone else. I mean i'm not planning on BF myself but i would quite happily express and sell whatever was left over if someone wanted it.

 

[Mervs Mum]

I think the main thing would be the commitment to pumping they would have to give. Pumping is a drag when ot's for your own baby and time consuming. Even with the cash insentive I'd have to think long and hard. When you are pumping exclusively to keep up with a newborns demands, you'll be pumping every 2 hours day and night - we have some exclusive pumpers here and they will tell you they'd much rather be able to feed direct!!