Breastmilk Donation 101
All You Need to Know About Breastmilk Donation
Milk sharing, also known as donor milk, is when a baby receives breastmilk other than their parents breastmilk, either in a bottle or by breast directly.
With the recent formula shortage, milk sharing is increasing in popularity. Let’s talk about it!
History of Breastmilk Sharing:
Milk sharing has been present throughout most of human history. And while milk sharing has saved the lives of countless babies, it has also been closely tied into racism and classism in some parts of the world.
In Ancient Egypt, there is documentation that milk sharing was very common, mostly in the form of cross-nursing, or nursing a baby directly at the breast when it was not their biological baby. Milk sharing was also heavily document in Ancient Greece and Rome.
In some cases, milk sharing or cross nursing was done informally between neighbors and family members out of necessity for the survival of the baby.
In other cases, hiring a wet nurse to nurse your baby was a symbol of status in society. In countries like the United States, wet nurses were not hired but were forced to do the job, for example in the case of slavery, where a slave was forced to nurse their enslavers babies at the breast while their own babies starved and suffered.
Starting in the 21st Century, the practice of using a wet nurse declined dramatically, mostly due to the creation of the formula industry, safer practices in the dairy industry, and lower infant mortality rate.
In modern day, most forms of milk sharing take place in the form of informal and formal milk donation.
Milk Sharing Today
While cross nursing and hiring wet nurses is no longer popular in the U.S, peer to peer milk sharing has increased in popularity, especially with the recent formula shortages and recalls.
Most parents in the U.S participate in either formal or informal milk donation.
Formal Breastmilk Donation:
In the US, most forms of formal breastmilk donation involve parents donating their milk to a local milk bank. When donating to a breastmilk bank, the milk a parent donates is screened and tested, then mixed with other donor’s milks and pasteurized to kill off harmful pathogens or bacteria.
Parents who donate to a milk bank often have to be screened and fit certain criteria when it comes to health and medications.
Most of the milk from a milk bank is given to hospitals, primarily for sick and premature infants in the NICU. Some facilities allow full term infants on the postpartum floor to receive donor milk as well, while others have very strict guidelines on which babies can receive the milk.
Milk can often be purchased by parents, but is prohibitively expensive – latest statistics put the average cost at $3.50 to $5 an ounce! With most one month olds and older needing at LEAST 24 ounces a day to grow and thrive, that’s a daily cost of $84 – $120!
Because of the limited accessibility and costs of getting milk from a milk bank, informal milk donation has increased in popularity.
Informal Breastmilk Donation:
Informal breastmilk donation has increased in the US, partly because of the inaccessibility of milk from milk banks and also due to the formula shortage.
Informal breastmilk donation refers to the process of donating breastmilk directly to another person or family without going through a milk bank. Informal breastmilk donation may occur between friends, family members, or strangers who have connected through social media or online breastmilk sharing groups.
While informal breastmilk donation can be a helpful way for parents to share excess breastmilk with other parents who are unable to produce enough milk for their babies, it does come with some risks. Informal breastmilk donation is not regulated, so there is no way to ensure that the breast milk has been properly screened for diseases or contaminants.
Additionally, informal breastmilk donation may not always be safe, as there is no way to verify the donor’s health or the storage and handling of the milk. For these reasons, it is important for parents who are considering informal breastmilk donation to carefully consider the potential risks and to take steps to minimize them. For this reason, informal milk donation is generally not recommended by most health organizations in the US. Despite this, it continues to increase in popularity today.
There are several ways that parents can engage in informal breastmilk donation. Some common methods include:
- Connecting with other parents through social media or online breastmilk sharing groups: Many parents who are unable to produce enough breastmilk for their babies or who have a surplus of breastmilk may turn to social media or online groups to connect with other parents who are willing to donate their breastmilk.
- Arranging a direct exchange: Parents may also arrange to directly exchange breastmilk with one another, either by meeting in person or by shipping the breastmilk to one another.
- Donating breastmilk to a specific individual: Some parents may choose to donate their breastmilk to a specific individual, such as a family member or friend, who is unable to produce enough milk for their baby.
There are a number of online organizations and groups that facilitate informal breastmilk donation. Some popular ones include:
- Eats on Feets: This is a global network of lactation professionals and volunteers who help connect mothers who have an excess of breastmilk with mothers who are unable to produce enough milk for their babies.
- Human Milk 4 Human Babies: This is a global network of local groups that connect mothers who are willing to donate breastmilk with mothers who are in need of breastmilk.
It is important to note that while these online organizations and groups can be a helpful way for mothers to connect with one another and share breastmilk, they do not regulate the breastmilk donation process and do not ensure the safety and quality of the donated breastmilk. Therefore, it is important for mothers who are considering using these resources to carefully consider the potential risks and to take steps to minimize them.
What about selling or buying breastmilk through informal means?
Some families will ask about selling their excessive breastmilk, or buying informal donor milk if they can’t find a compatible donor.
There are a number of ethical concerns associated with the sale and purchase of breastmilk. Some of the main concerns include:
Access to affordable breastmilk: The sale of breastmilk can make it more difficult for low-income mothers to access affordable breastmilk for their babies. This is because the cost of breastmilk can vary significantly, and some mothers may not be able to afford to purchase it.
Health and safety risks: The sale and purchase of breastmilk can also pose health and safety risks, as there is no way to ensure that the breastmilk has been properly screened for diseases or contaminants.
Exploitation of donors: Some critics argue that the sale of breastmilk may exploit donors, particularly if the price paid for the breastmilk is not sufficient to compensate them for the time and effort involved in pumping and storing the milk.
Inequality: The sale of breastmilk can also perpetuate inequality, as it may be more accessible to those with the financial means to purchase it.
Given these ethical concerns, it is important for parents to carefully consider the potential risks and implications of buying or selling breastmilk.
In the end, each family has to make an educated decision on whether or not to use donor milk and which way they want to get the donated milk, either through formal or informal means.
Did you donate your breastmilk? Or did you receive donated milk for your baby? Share your story ⬇️
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