Breast Milk for Sale - No debates please

My2Beauties wrote: I saw something on the news the other night, a special news report, about mother's selling their breastmilk to those who could not produce milk or did not want to breastfeed. I thought it was really neat that people would share that gift, but I wondered to myself if I was in a predicament like that and wanted to BF my child and couldn't, would I buy another woman's breastmilk?

Thoughts everyone? I don't want any debates just thought this would be an interesting topic and if anyone would go for it or if they would say no and formula feed instead?

I think that if put in that situation I would probably buy the breast milk if it were that important to me, but I would want to know mother's background first. I don't know for sure though because it's something new.

C&K*s Mommie replied: I would not, because you really do not know the other woman's history or even her diet! So I say no way!

MomToMany replied: Sometimes a baby CANNOT tolerate formula. Formula is the 4th option recommended for infants. #1 is breastmilk from nursing; #2 is expressed breastmilk, #3 is donated breastmilk, & #4 is formula.

And the mom's are screened before they can donate, so the milk is safe.

ediep replied: nope, I'd use formula

jcc64 replied: I like the idea in theory, but idk if I could bring myself to trust it's safety. Here in my town, I know several adoptive parents who used breast milk from nursing friends, and if I knew the mom, I'd be ok with that. But from a stranger, I'd be too paranoid.

My2Beauties replied:
See that is me, it's a stranger, so my child getting some other woman's antibodies was the thing that threw me off. I guess I don't know what I would do if put into that situation.

kimberley replied: if i couldn't breastfeed, sure i would. i was a "colick" preemie who couldn't tolerate formula and screamed the first six mos of my life. if my mom had support or alternatives, i probably wouldn't have spent a month of every winter as sick as i was until teen years. human milk is made for human babies and definitely would be my first choice

as for safety, yes i would want current medical records.

KingMom replied: I actually had someone offer to buy my breastmilk if I would continue to pump! I gave it a little thought but took my husbands side and thought it would be kinda weird, the infant had no medical problems and took forumla fine so I just politely said no.

If my child needed it I would certainly buy it.

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: I'm actually reading a book about this at the moment and I've read that the milk is pasturized, plus there is tons of screening done for women who may be HIV positive or have Hep C, although Hep C can't be passed through BM, but HIV can.

I would definitely consider it although it's like $2.50 per ounce!!! And if I were to adopt a child, I would try inducing lactation so that I could breastfeed the baby myself.

~KARA~ replied: [QUOTE]nope, I'd use formula [QUOTE]

ME TOO!!!!!

amymom replied: I considered donated breast milk for my daughter, since she could not tolerate any milk products. It seemed to be fairly well screened. What I could not get clarification on was what foods the woman would eat before expressing, and my dd had problems when I ate any milk products. So we used Alimentum to supplement my nursing.My dd tolerted that, but it really seemed like awful stuff, foul tasting imo.

So to answer your question, yes I would consider donated breast milk. Hey we give them donated cows milk don't we?

jem0622 replied: Gabe was my most sensitive boy ever. All he could have had was Alimentum and he hated it! If I hadn't been able to nurse him then I'd strongly consider it! I think that it is a wonderful thing to give someone the freedom to make that choice that they desire this type of support.

mummy2girls replied: im not sure if i would.... i tried donating my breast milk i had pumped and froze when jordan was in the hospital. so after he passed a had a freezer full. But because of health reasons the hospital would not take it.

~Roo'sMama~ replied:
I was going to say the same thing. If it weren't more expensive than formula I'd definitely go that way if I couldn't BF.

holley79 replied: I was reading somewhere the other day abotu breast milk banks. They do very heavy screening of the mother. I guess if I was unable to breastfeed and the only kind of milk my baby could tolerate was breastmilk, guess I would be left with now choice.

gr33n3y3z replied: Alimentum came in handy when I had to sub a bottle here and there

now the question of what I would do I think if Alimentum wasnt there as a choice I guess I would have no other choice but to buy pre owned Breast milk and just have to like it. But all other sources would have to be elimiated first.

punkeemunkee'smom replied: I am a Huge Breastfeeding supporter(we did for 2+ years) but I would be very concerned about illnesses passed on through donated breastmilk(things like viruses and things that don't show up in blood tests sometimes for years) and I wonder if it is as good as regular breastmilk with all of the pasturization that it goes through. I don't think it would be for us in forseeable circumstances

mckayleesmom replied: I would only use it from someone I knew....this way I knew their medical history, eating habits, etc.

ions_momma replied: I dont think I would buy it, I think I would just go with formula

CantWait replied: I certainly think that if my baby was sick and needed the antibodies that I would consider it. Of course I would want to make sure that medically the donated milk was a nutritious as it should be, and only if it was expressed.

USMCwife replied: If it was the only thing that my baby could eat, then I would.

mammag replied: I don't know if I personally would do it or not.....it would have to be a controlled thing. Makes me think of the old days when they hired someone to nurse the babies....

Interesting....

amynicole21 replied: I think I could only do it with someone I knew and if my child couldn't tolerate formula.

coasterqueen replied: My Dh and I have had this discussion many times as I've told him if something happened to me I would want him to get donated milk before ever going to formula. He wasn't really happy about that, but I'd hope he'd respect my wishes. They are tested before they can even donate milk so it's safe. Albeit I'd rather it come from someone I know, but if not I'd go with a donation bank before formula.

Maddie&EthansMom replied: I wouldn't do it, but I would donate my milk.

PhiMuMommy replied: personally i would find it way too risky.. there are soo many diseases that you can't detect that can travel thru breast milk.. if anyone is going to screw up my kid it's me.. i would just deal with formula.. my nephews 2 were BF babies and 2 formula.. the 2 BF babies both have really bad asthma and allergies.. the other 2 are mostly healthy... my kid was a half and half baby and he has minor allergies..lol. sooooooo i'm not sure bout the whole BF thing anyways.. though personally i will probably do it again.

A&A'smommy replied:
It's a wonderful thing but I'm not sure that I could do that for my baby unless she REALLY needed it!

Rae i'm planning on adopting after I'm done having children and if I adopt a baby I REALLY want to do that!!!!

jacobsmama replied: I don't think I would be able to use it either I would just go with formula!