I would never let someone else bf my baby its too weird for me. bf is such a personal thing and creates a bond between mother and baby I wouldn't want ne1 else having that with my baby. I wasn't even particularly comfortable with other ppl givin my lo bottles when we first switched to formula as I felt they were taking away our bonding time
No way! I worked too damn hard to bf my baby and there is no way i would let someone else do it, especially a childminder. That being said i know that realistcally it is a very good option if available. After all that is what a wet nurse was in the past. Quite often babies would be bf by another woman, not their mother. This was a necessity in the days before formula.
i too wldn't let another woman breastfeed my lo, nor wld i want to bf someone else's lo ... thats not to say tho that i'm against milk donors, i'm all for it as long as the proper screening procedures are in place to ensure the health of baby and donor...i mean not being funny but that child minder cld have any number of sti's (u can't tell just by looking, and i'm pretty suire when u hired a childminder u wldn't ask her if she's got hiv, just incase she might one day happen to want to feed ur baby) and just it wld be putting ur lo at risk of some very nasty illness and infections. so in a nutshell, other peoples bm wld be fine if needed but only if it was done properly and safely.... but definately not some weird childminder woman who doesn't even think about the risks of putting her ubnscreened milk into another womans child...i can't actually comprehend how they wld think that was ok? x
ps, i wld probably be very jealous too, when oh first gave austin his bedtime feed instead of me bf him then, i did find it quite hard to come to turns with, stupid i know, becasue i wanted him to have that time with him, but was slightly jealius that it wasn't my time. xx
I wouldn't be happy for someone else to breast feed my LO. Donated milk is screen as others have said, but you wouldn't know if the person had any viruses. There are thousands of people living with HIV or have no idea. I couldn't take the risk of a childminder or someone else feeding him.
I think giving the baby the actual boob of another person is a bit weird!
My mum though expressed for my cousin when we were babies (only a month apart in between us) as my aunt got milk poisoning and coudnt breastfeed for a while.
I also think it is a wonderful thing that some women have enough milk to donate to hospitals for sick babies who really need the benefit of breastmilk.
If my baby was poorly and I could not provide the milk I wouldnt mind to give it another womans expressed breastmilk BUT not actually have baby suckle from another woman.
No I don't think I could let another woman bf my baby, it's such an personal, special thing between us and I love the thought that only I can do that for her. I do think donors are excellent, though as the others have said, with the proper screening procedures. Not sure about feeding other babies either, though I'm not sure why!
Going of the WHO guide - why is it better for a LO to get the breast milk from another woman's boob rather then their own mothers EBM in a bottle?
I had difficulty latching my DD on so have been expressing all her feeds. I definitely would rather she had my milk in a bottle then actually be on the breast of another woman!
I don't normally post replies but feel I have to comment on this thread as I feel some of your responses are a little misinformed.
I'm a mum to a 16 and a half month old who's still breastfed on demand and I'm a childminder. I personally would not want another woman breastfeeding my child; not because I'm worried about the risks of infection contamination, or whatever, but because my ds gets his comfort from his breastfeeds, it's upsetting to think he could possibly get that from someone else.
The childminder is obviously still breastfeeding her own child/children to have the milk available to breastfeed the 2 month old child. In which case, she will be watching what medication she uses, eating the right foods, etc. So there should be no risk of cross infection. However, from a nutritional point of view the 2 month old will only be having the feed for comfort as the childminders milk will be of a different 'make up' to the mothers milk; breast milk changes as the childs needs change.
I don't think I would breastfeed another persons child, but if they were in real distress and other methods of trying to settle that child failed, I would breastfeed them, BUT only if the mother had given me prior permission, NO WAY would I phone the mum to ask as I know if she said no, she would worry that I would go ahead and do it anyway.
Going of the WHO guide - why is it better for a LO to get the breast milk from another woman's boob rather then their own mothers EBM in a bottle?
MrsC - I wondered that as well. The only thing I came up with was that the WHO is a worldwide organisation dealing with developing countries as well the UK. In developing countries, feeding babies with un-sterile bottles is a huge problem causing gastric problems and diarrhea. Possibly in these countries to get actually bf from another woman is safer than ebm from mother in an un-sterile bottle? Just a thought.
Its too intimate a bonding occasion to let another woman do it. Its so personal to me, I feel that my baby is from my body and my body should be the only one that nurture him. Unfortunately I didn't produce milk so couldn't but I still wouldn't have had another woman do it. Formula is an excellent milk with enough to nurture a growing baby xxx
I have just stopped feeding my 1 year old son. I enjoyed (almost!) every minute of it. He was a prem baby and needed to be fed quickly and for the SCBU staff to see what he was having so he was aloud 5minutes only at the breast then a top-up of my ebm before I was aloud to put him on the breast again. I so wish I had donated some milk to my local SCBU before I stopped feeding (
Anyway back to the OP. I had 2 friends who had babies at the same time as me, we all bf and we all said we would feed each others baby IF the need arose. One of them asked me when her lo was about 6mths old as she had tickets to a concert. she had just started weaning but wasn't taking an awful lot and my friend would have had to leave home about 4pm and was worried about her baby's final bed feed at 6pm as she wouldn't take a bottle. She asked me if I would come to her house and feed her lo then her hubby could put baby to bed, I said yes. It was about making sure the baby had her feed before bed- nothing more, nothing less. In the end it didn't happen as her older child became ill the day before so she sold her ticket last minute.
I wouldn't want to do it or have anyone do it for my son on a long term basis but a one off I think is fine if you are happy with that person- i.e a friend or family member.
g/c fom due in june im pregnant with my first, but omg i could not ever let another woman breastfeed my baby, i just think there is something so wrong with it, the whole cross contamination thing scares me and just my baby taking milk from another womans breast is a big no no for me. i would rather try not to put myself into a situation where my baby would need milk from another woman, i just really could'nt allow it, i think its weird xxx 31+2
No chance - I didnt bf but I believe bf is an experience for mother and child - sorry I dont want to offend but that would be my choice. I think if a childminder even asked me that I would remove my lo from her care straight away. In an extreme circumstance is different
Donor milk is an entirely different issue as it's screened and as its either bottle or tube fed the whole actual 'breast feeding' element is removed. If my lo had been prem I would've been happy for him to receive donor milk.
It may be better than formula but it totally goes beyond my comfort zone
My head says what's the problem but my heart says a big fat no. Not because of cross-contamination issues or anything like that - because I hate the thought of LO getting something that for me is such an important part of bonding with your child from someone else.
So I suppose I'm thinking of myself rather than putting LO first, which is a bit upsetting, but can't deny that's how I feel.
Hate to say it but reminds me of the film "Hand that Rocks the Cradle" and it creeps me out! lol.
I know it shouldn't, as there is a space for donating milk/someone offering breastfeeding support - but my own inner demons and maybe there is already a touch of possessiveness despite baby not being here yet that means I just can't cope with the idea at all, no no no!
Replies
I worked too damn hard to bf my baby and there is no way i would let someone else do it, especially a childminder.
That being said i know that realistcally it is a very good option if available. After all that is what a wet nurse was in the past. Quite often babies would be bf by another woman, not their mother. This was a necessity in the days before formula.
MJx
ps, i wld probably be very jealous too, when oh first gave austin his bedtime feed instead of me bf him then, i did find it quite hard to come to turns with, stupid i know, becasue i wanted him to have that time with him, but was slightly jealius that it wasn't my time. xx
My mum though expressed for my cousin when we were babies (only a month apart in between us) as my aunt got milk poisoning and coudnt breastfeed for a while.
I also think it is a wonderful thing that some women have enough milk to donate to hospitals for sick babies who really need the benefit of breastmilk.
If my baby was poorly and I could not provide the milk I wouldnt mind to give it another womans expressed breastmilk BUT not actually have baby suckle from another woman.
I do think donors are excellent, though as the others have said, with the proper screening procedures.
Not sure about feeding other babies either, though I'm not sure why!
I had difficulty latching my DD on so have been expressing all her feeds. I definitely would rather she had my milk in a bottle then actually be on the breast of another woman!
I'm a mum to a 16 and a half month old who's still breastfed on demand and I'm a childminder. I personally would not want another woman breastfeeding my child; not because I'm worried about the risks of infection contamination, or whatever, but because my ds gets his comfort from his breastfeeds, it's upsetting to think he could possibly get that from someone else.
The childminder is obviously still breastfeeding her own child/children to have the milk available to breastfeed the 2 month old child. In which case, she will be watching what medication she uses, eating the right foods, etc. So there should be no risk of cross infection. However, from a nutritional point of view the 2 month old will only be having the feed for comfort as the childminders milk will be of a different 'make up' to the mothers milk; breast milk changes as the childs needs change.
I don't think I would breastfeed another persons child, but if they were in real distress and other methods of trying to settle that child failed, I would breastfeed them, BUT only if the mother had given me prior permission, NO WAY would I phone the mum to ask as I know if she said no, she would worry that I would go ahead and do it anyway.
Going of the WHO guide - why is it better for a LO to get the breast milk from another woman's boob rather then their own mothers EBM in a bottle?
MrsC - I wondered that as well. The only thing I came up with was that the WHO is a worldwide organisation dealing with developing countries as well the UK. In developing countries, feeding babies with un-sterile bottles is a huge problem causing gastric problems and diarrhea. Possibly in these countries to get actually bf from another woman is safer than ebm from mother in an un-sterile bottle? Just a thought.
Its too intimate a bonding occasion to let another woman do it. Its so personal to me, I feel that my baby is from my body and my body should be the only one that nurture him. Unfortunately I didn't produce milk so couldn't but I still wouldn't have had another woman do it. Formula is an excellent milk with enough to nurture a growing baby xxx
Anyway back to the OP. I had 2 friends who had babies at the same time as me, we all bf and we all said we would feed each others baby IF the need arose. One of them asked me when her lo was about 6mths old as she had tickets to a concert. she had just started weaning but wasn't taking an awful lot and my friend would have had to leave home about 4pm and was worried about her baby's final bed feed at 6pm as she wouldn't take a bottle. She asked me if I would come to her house and feed her lo then her hubby could put baby to bed, I said yes. It was about making sure the baby had her feed before bed- nothing more, nothing less. In the end it didn't happen as her older child became ill the day before so she sold her ticket last minute.
I wouldn't want to do it or have anyone do it for my son on a long term basis but a one off I think is fine if you are happy with that person- i.e a friend or family member.
im pregnant with my first, but omg i could not ever let another woman breastfeed my baby, i just think there is something so wrong with it, the whole cross contamination thing scares me and just my baby taking milk from another womans breast is a big no no for me.
i would rather try not to put myself into a situation where my baby would need milk from another woman,
i just really could'nt allow it, i think its weird
xxx
31+2
Donor milk is an entirely different issue as it's screened and as its either bottle or tube fed the whole actual 'breast feeding' element is removed. If my lo had been prem I would've been happy for him to receive donor milk.
It may be better than formula but it totally goes beyond my comfort zone
xx
So I suppose I'm thinking of myself rather than putting LO first, which is a bit upsetting, but can't deny that's how I feel.
I know it shouldn't, as there is a space for donating milk/someone offering breastfeeding support - but my own inner demons and maybe there is already a touch of possessiveness despite baby not being here yet that means I just can't cope with the idea at all, no no no!
x
33 weeks today