Senin, 29 Februari 2016

weight loss during pregnancy overweight


Zari admiring some donor milk Id just pumped

I was listening to an NPR report a few days ago on how the booming demand for donated breastmilk has raised safety issues. Im always happy to hear topics such as milk banks and informal milk sharing on a national stage. However, the reporting made me all jumpy. I almost talked back to the radio.

Quick synopsis: more women want to breastfeed, and those who cant are turning to milk banks and informal milk sharing. Milk banks are swamped by high demand and can only give it to babies who need it the most. So many mothers have turned to milk donors/sellers. But milk sharing is dangerous! Dont forget, formula isnt that bad.

Ive donated milk to many families after Zari and Ivy were born. Its not that hard to ensure that donor milk is safe. If the mom has tested negative for certain communicable diseases (HIV, syphilus, hepatitis, etc.) and follows commonsense precautions like freezing the milk right away, then its not "playing Russian roulette with your childs life," as Kim Updegrove, president of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America, suggested.

To give Updegrove some credit, she was specifically referring to breast milk sold online through anonymous sellers. Id be wary of buying milk online, too. I value the person-to-person contact involved in milk sharing.

I also take issue with the assertion that every ounce of milk donated informally or sold online is one less ounce to a milk bank. I dont have time or
desire to drive my milk to the nearest bank, which is a 2 hour drive roundtrip. And while I think that milk banks are fantastic, the cost of milk is over $4/oz, sometimes much more. Thats over $100/day for an average baby! I love that I can help other mothers out for free.

What bothered me the most, though, was how the report pushed formula at the very end:

In the meantime, even nursing proponents like Updegrove and Tucker maintain that when nursing fails emphasize that formula remains a good and safe choice for full-term, healthy babies. They say donor breast milk should be preserved for the babies who need it most: babies who are premature, allergic, or have digestive problems.

"Formula sometimes doesnt have to be the four-letter word," Tucker says. "Sometimes its necessary and thats OK. And sometimes we need to let moms know thats OK, youre still doing the best you can do."


Informal milk sharing isnt a zero sum game. Milk is a free-flowing resource, and milk sharing can be very safe. Women who seek donor milk feel strongly that formula is not as "good and safe" as its made out to be--thats why theyre looking for alternatives to formula in the first place!

If youre looking to donate or receive donor breast milk, you can try:
  • Human Milk 4 Human Babies (also on Facebook) 
  • Eats on Feets
  • MilkShare




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