Anyone ever use a breast milk from a milk bank? I'm trying to figure out logistics/cost, but the info is not that easy to find. I'm not even sure if there is one local enough to western MA. I know 'breast is best' but I have to admit I'm a little creeped out about the idea of using a strangers breast milk.
This is probably not the way we'd go, but I like to explore all my options...
Do people still hire wet nurses? :)
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To be known, henceforth, as the makers of the cutest little baby in town.
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- CD and SP
- Western Massachusetts
- We're a couple of dorky girls who had the cutest baby and are finding quite a bit of humor in that.
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10 comments:
I don't know about milk banks, but a friend of mine gave away a huge amount of her own milk on a listserve. I'm not sure she was allowed to do that, but she got 32 responses in the first day she posted.
I have heard of people doing this. Maybe a doula group/local midwife will know where to find resources?
-Maria
Some suggestions:
1. http://milkshare.birthingforlife.com/ You can post an ad and hopefully someone local will answer with an offer.
2. You can try to post an ad on craigs list. I don't know if it will get pulled because it is "bodily fluids" or something but it is worth a try.
3. You can ask your doula/midwife/birthing instructor/local crunchy person/LLL leader (Lex) if they know of anyone who is looking to get rid of some milk or is willing to pump for you.
We used donor milk for a while to supplement to formula (I never got enough to give Punk 100% BM) and I got a lot of it by word-of-mouth (something like "Hey, my friends have a lot of pumped milk and they can't use it because their kid has food allergies and they are doing an elimination diet, do you want their milk?") or by asking friends. I didn't really get skeeved out because I knew that these people gave the milk to their own kids, and if they were okay with that, it was probably fine. We never had a problem.
In the end, I ran out of donor milk and that was okay, too. Let me know if you want me to scout around for you. xoxo
I don't have anything to contribute, but I think it's amazing that you are pursuing this option. It's a great thought.
If you decide you aren't too creeped out, I can probably give you some. (I know we don't know each other, but I bet we must know someone in common such that you can find out I'm not a total loon or anything...). I live in N. Email me!
khulton@gmail.com
We've used milk from a milk bank, and we've used a known donor for milk -all before we found out that A couldn't digest breast milk (pre surgery #2.) I'm a big fan. It didn't weird me out, though. The milk bank was pretty expensive, and the milk is pasteurized. Our birth center, though, hooked us up with a local woman who donated to the milk bank, so it was free (not pastuerized, just frozen.)
Interestingly enough, though, one of the neonatalogists we had in the NICU said she didn't want us using milk bank milk b/c it was pastuerized, which killed all of the good bacteria etc... in it. She was all for breast milk though. She was the only person that we ran into that thought milk bank milk wasn't worth it. Our midwives were very active in helping us get it.
That's what I know, for what it's worth.
Like another commenter mentioned, milk banks can be pricey and the milk is pasteurized.
We used MilkShare with some success. It's a forum for donors and hopeful recipient families to connect directly without a private entity profiting off of the donor's generous contribution. You can decide how many or few controls you want to put on the donations. I'd be glad to share more about our experience; feel free to contact me.
I came here from LFCA and just wanted to send you my support -- I had chronic low milk supply after trying EVERYTHING (and being highly motivated, supported, etc), and it's a bitch. Moving to partial BFing ended up being fine, though the pumping nearly killed me. I moved to all formula at 4 months. I'm pregnant again and hoping for better but will not beat myself up so much if it doesn't go well again.
I considered using Milkshare but was too much of a control freak to take someone else's milk. I mean, what if they were guzzling Jagermeister and eating swordfish all day? While working with radioactive materials? I might reconsider this hard-line stance this next go-around. :)
Hiya. Send me an email if you're still thinking of going this route. thwartedstar@gmail.com
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