Would you hire a wet nurse?

[MissBroody]

Just read a piece in my magazine about a family who pay a girl thousands to breastfeed their child as the mother doesn't want to but still wants her baby to get boobie goodness. I couldn't. If I can't breastfeed my baby, no one else is going to! I'd hate the idea of him feeding off another woman, to me its a way of bonding and I'd be so scared H would become super attached to her or think she's his mum and not me or something. We all know breastmilk is best, but I don't think this is something I'd be able to do (plus I'd never be able to afford the going rate they seem to charge )
xx

 

[Missy86]

i would find it a bit odd, I would hate watching him feed from another mum

 

[PrayinForBaby]

Oh hell no! No way on earth would I let my baby nurse on another womans boobie! Plenty of people are formula fed and turn out just fine, so no...that's a line crossed for me.

 

[Mrs Muffin]

I can't imagine my baby breastfeeding from another woman. Even if it didn't cost a penny I would feel super jealous. Mind you we gave some donor milk from the local milk bank to LO in the first few weeks.

 

[Seity]

I've swapped babies with my sister. If I needed a wet nurse, and there was one available, I don't see the problem. I wouldn't do it just because I didn't feel like nursing though.

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

No I wouldn't hire a wet nurse but I wouldn't be opposed to another woman BFing my baby in an emergency. I would definitely bottlefeed donated milk though.

 

[MissBroody]

I have a question I hope someone can answer (hope this isn't stupid) but I know a mother's breastmilk can provide antibodies and immunity from certain things - is that still the case for the baby even if it's not its mother's milk? I mean, is all breastmilk exactly the same?

Seity - sorry if I'm being dumb, what do you mean you swapped babies with your sister? To breastfeed eachother's babies?
xx

 

[Natasha2605]

No I wouldn't xx

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

I think it is best for them to have their own mother's milk obv, but it is better to have another womans breastmilk than formula.

 

[Seity]

I have a question I hope someone can answer (hope this isn't stupid) but I know a mother's breastmilk can provide antibodies and immunity from certain things - is that still the case for the baby even if it's not its mother's milk? I mean, is all breastmilk exactly the same?

Seity - sorry if I'm being dumb, what do you mean you swapped babies with your sister? To breastfeed eachother's babies?
xx

Yes, we breast fed each other's babies. Her baby is 1.5 months younger. She was visiting recently and her whole family had recently been sick and so we decided to swap for a feed. He got her cold antibodies and her baby got whatever antibodies I had.

 

[Faerie]

I would, if the option was available and I couldn't breastfeed I would be happy to. I would also be happy to bf someone else's baby.

If I wasn't able to bf I should imagine I'd be pretty upset at first watching another woman do my job though.

 

[WW1]

This is a good example of how things change. Centuries ago, a wet nurse was the norm for well-to-do families!

I don't think I'd mind LO having someone else's breast milk but I think I'd prefer it was given expressed rather than directly from the boob (the idea of her bonding with another woman that closely sits uncomfortably with me I suppose). Obviously my first choice would be to BF myself!

 

[smokey]

Im torn between wanting my baby to at least get the antibodies and just the feeling of jelousy.
I never even knew of the existance of milk banks untill a few months ago

I know it makes me an awfull mum but i dont think I would have a regular wet nurse and think id even pick formula over anyone else feeding him even once, it would break my heart knowing he wouldnt feed from me but would someone else

 

[trumpetbum]

I wouldn't. I couldn't handle not being able to breastfeed while someone else did for my child because for me there is more to breastfeeding than just food.
If I had a sister I might consider having her breastfeed my child if I had to be in hospital for a time or something similar or in the way a previous poster described. If it was more easily available I'd rather have expressed breastmilk (if I had to give up breastfeeding for whatever reason) than formula, but It would need to be from a safe, monitered and reliable source like a milk bank.

 

[nada87]

i would give another womans expressed milk but not have LO nurse from another woman. nursing LO is my thing and it would feel wrong for LO to be bonding like that with someone else. if i was dead and dh hired a wet nurse that might be different, but odds are he'd just switch to formula. although i'd definatly want some kind of screening on the woman who was bfing my baby, you never know what other people are doing.

 

[ellie]

Aw wow seity I think that is lovely, so good of you! Good on you both.
I guess this is somethign that was very very common before formula was invented. Like, next door neighbours feeding your baby if you couldnt, or richer households hiring a nanny who would do this. In theory ... I think its a great idea. I have donated milk myself and I would have wanted my baby to have someone else's donated milk when he was first born.
IN practice though ... I cant imagine another woman bf'ing my baby, it's OUR bond and OUR time together! Too jealous
Interesting quesiton about hte antibodies etc ... as I understand it, your milk is designed for your baby, so I guess there would be differences? How does your milk know its your baby and not someone else's?

 

[rainbows_x]

I personally wouldn't like it, I feel it is too much of a bonding session personally and would feel extremely jealous :/ x

 

[smokey]

This is a good example of how things change. Centuries ago, a wet nurse was the norm for well-to-do families!

I don't think I'd mind LO having someone else's breast milk but I think I'd prefer it was given expressed rather than directly from the boob (the idea of her bonding with another woman that closely sits uncomfortably with me I suppose). Obviously my first choice would be to BF myself!

That I wouldnt mind, if I knew the woman and knew there wasnt anything harmfull in her system I could handle that and still feed him from the bottle myself as im then not losing any bonding and would technicaly be the same as feeding him the way I do just that the milk isnt powdered.

 

[better2gether]

I just don't think I could do it!

 

[MissBroody]

i would give another womans expressed milk but not have LO nurse from another woman. nursing LO is my thing and it would feel wrong for LO to be bonding like that with someone else. if i was dead and dh hired a wet nurse that might be different, but odds are he'd just switch to formula. although i'd definatly want some kind of screening on the woman who was bfing my baby, you never know what other people are doing.

It said in the magazine she has to drink tons of full fat milk, a very health diet, no drink, thousands of calories etc as she breastfeeds for a few babies now and expresses whenever shes not nursing so these women have supply for the night.

I think i'd rather give formula than have another woman nurse my baby, but would give another woman's expressed milk over formula. Breastfeeding is more than just food to me, too. I loved every second of the short time I was able to breastfeed H (ok it was painful) but such an incredible bond that I would be so envious of another woman having with him.
xx