Another wrote to tell me her story, and to explain why she supports informal breast milk sharing or donation. Her daughter was born premature at 30 weeks gestation. Fortunately the baby is doing well now and she should be released from the NICU in another two weeks. Here is what the mother had to say about what she hopes to do with her stash of expressed breast milk:

Since our baby has been in the NICU for the last 7 weeks, I have about 2,000 oz of breast milk frozen. We have filled our space allotment in the hospital’s milk bank, filled our freezer at home, and have almost filled my mom’s freezer. There’s no possible way [my daughter] will ever catch up with what I have stored, and anyway, I prefer to breastfeed [when she is ready to transition to the breast]. (We didn’t use bottles much at all with our first.)

I first looked at donating to a milk bank, but can’t because one of the requirements is that you haven’t received a blood transfusion within the past 12 months, so that ruled out that option. (I had practically all of the blood in my body replaced during/after an emergency C-section . . .) Another mother in the NICU was literally pouring her milk down the drain, because she had also filled her space in the hospital’s freezer and her home freezer. I just couldn’t bring myself to do that, because I knew there were people that would really appreciate it. I just didn’t know where to find them.

When I was craving ice cream a few nights ago (which I couldn’t buy because we don’t have room in the freezer for it), I decided I had to take some actions to find a home for it. In my search, I saw that there are quite a few people passionately against milk sharing. Not sure why when obviously there are many healthy people with abundant supplies and many people who can’t afford to purchase milk from a milk bank. Most people do home pasteurization in some form anyway. Obviously people should be aware of the risks of taking a stranger’s milk . . .

Anyway, I think I’ve found someone who wants me to ship all my milk to her, but that milkshare Yahoo group is really active, and I’m pretty sure if this lady I’ve been in communication with changes her mind, that I wouldn’t have any trouble finding a home for it. I do think that milk sharing deserves more attention though, because a lot of women who give birth are also given a blood transfusion, and current milk banking practices eliminate all of those women from donating. (My sister researched the reason for this, and it’s because there was one case of West Nile virus being transmitted through donated milk. If a woman waits through the incubation period to donate her milk, then she can rule out that threat.) And the state of medical insurance what it is, most families can’t afford to buy milk from a bank.

Well, I’ve been long winded here. I just know I’m not the only NICU parent with an excess of milk, so there are others who don’t know what to do with their milk.

I am pleased and grateful that this woman wrote to share her opinion on informal breast milk donation. What’s your opinion? Would you donate your milk informally? Would you take advantage of casual milk sharing if you and your baby had the need? How do you feel about any potential risk of disease transmission or other problems with milk not screened by a milk bank? Are independent testing and pasteurization methods adequate? Leave a comment!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

(How much do you all love the logo for the Mother’s Milk Bank of New England?? Very cool. Don’t forget to vote!)

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Check out the contact information below for volunteer opportunities in your area! Some of the hospital-based (yet still non-profit) milk banks may not require the same type of volunteer services or may require you to volunteer through the hospital itself. In those cases the phone number for the milk bank is listed.

United States:

California: Volunteer opportunities range from passing out information to becoming a driver to working in the office as a volunteer or intern
Colorado: “Join the Mothers’ Milk Bank trained volunteer team, helping store, process and distribute this life-saving liquid from one heart to another.”
Delaware: To see if this hospital-based milk bank seeks volunteers, call (302) 733-2340.
Indiana: Not only is this milk bank facing a donor shortage, it also can use help transporting donor milk, assisting with the pasteurization process, or providing clerical support.
Iowa: To see if this hospital-based milk bank seeks volunteers, call (319) 356-2652 or (877) 891-5347.
Michigan: To see if this hospital-based milk bank seeks volunteers, call (269) 341-8849.
New England (no website yet): Help get this milk bank in the Boston area started! Email mmbne@yahoo.com. You can also read more about volunteer efforts by Tanya at the Motherwear blog.
North Carolina: To see if this hospital-based milk bank seeks volunteers, call (919) 350-8599.
Ohio: To see if this hospital-based milk bank seeks volunteers, call (614) 544-0810.
Texas (Austin): “We need volunteers to help out with everything from pouring milk to calling donor moms to planning events. Please come join our league of heroes!”
Texas (North Texas): Become an office assistant, pasteurizing assistant, donor milk transporter, bottle washer, or fundraiser!

Canada:

British Columbia: To see if this hospital-based milk bank seeks volunteers, call (604) 875-2282.

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Women may choose to supplement with another woman’s breast milk for many reasons–perhaps they have adopted a baby or they are taking a medication that is contraindicated for breastfeeding. Women seeking to supplement with another woman’s breast milk have several options:

1. One of the non-profit milk banks that are accredited members of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America. This option is ideal because the donors are screened and the breast milk is pasteurized and tested for bacterial contaminants then frozen for shipment to hospitals and individuals.

2. For-profit milk banks like Prolacta, which generally charge significantly more for the milk than a non-profit would.

3. Working with a private donor and a physician who can arrange for testing of the milk.

4. Milk-sharing sales over the internet. Henry’s article notes the inherent dangers in this method.

First, there is worry about the safety of unscreened milk, which can pass diseases such as HIV and syphilis to babies. Others debate ethical concerns, such as whether people should make money selling human milk and how such businesses should be regulated.

Some worry that mothers may choose to sell their breast milk for profit while feeding their own babies formula. In addition to the ethical concerns and health risks, there are risks of scams such as the fraudulent sale of “milk” made from “chalk mixed with water.” Henry finds that “a simple Google search reveals how easy it is to find women offering their milk for sale with only their own assurances of its quality.”

5. Arranging for cross-nursing by a close friend or family member or hiring a wet-nurse. Both cross-nursing and wet-nursing are becoming more popular in spite of their controversial nature.

Have you ever shared milk with a friend or donated to a milk bank? Have you ever supplemented with donor milk? What was your experience like?

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3