Donor Milk? Yes please!

Phew, what a week we've been having!!! All I can say and teeth + cold + ear infection = a nasty combo! At any rate, back in the swing of things today & since I'm going to be on the news tonight regarding this topic I figured it's perfect to blog about! 

Donor breast milk is still rather controversial in many peoples minds. However, in any senario I personally believe that it is a wonderful and perfectly natural option for moms who want to breastfeed but are otherwise unable to do so. 

Forgive my lack of originality, but the person who wrote the Wikipedia article on donor milk said it best: "According to a joint statement by the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF): "The best food for a baby who cannot be breastfed is milk expressed from the mother's breast or from another healthy mother. The best food for any baby whose own mother's milk is not available is the breastmilk of another healthy mother" (UNICEF, p. 48). "Where it is not possible for the biological mother to breast feed, the first alternative, if available, should be the use of human milk from other sources. Human milk banks should be made available in appropriate situations" (Wight, 2001)."

There are very few medically run donor banks, and some are better than other. But one of the biggest problem with donor banks can be the cost of the milk. While donors are not paid for their milk, the costs of screenings, pasteurizing, storing & delivering the milk does cost money. Usually milk banks charge anywhere from $3-$5 per ounce of milk. Some insurance companies say they will cover milk banks; however, that is often misleading as most coverage is only for extreme circumstances. Recieving donor milk from a bank also requires a prescription. The milk banks offer peace of mind to mothers with screenings & pasteurization but there are few banks around & often the cost/hassle deters moms.

With that being said, it comes as no surprise that informal milk sharing has gained huge momentum. Organizations such as Eats On Feets and Milkshare use the web to gather donor/recipient info and the rest is up to the mamas. With informal milk sharing it is the receiving moms responsibiliy to ask for prenatal tests (specifying any transferrable diseases donor mom may carry), arrange for shipping or meeting for milk, as well as scalding the milk to kill bacteria that may be present.

With informal donations there are some risks. Obviously, the risk of transmitting HIV, hepititus and other virus's concern mothers. These can be lifelong battles if transmitted from donor to baby. Not to mention if a donor mom is ill but has no symptoms or if there is a drug resistant bacteria involved. There is also the possibility of a donor mom passing along drugs or alcohol. Most of these risks can be taken care of with open communication, some paperwork and a little work on the recieving mamas end. 

Yet, with all these risks some people may think, why go through all the trouble? Isn't formula just as good? In my opinion, no, especially not in premis or babies with health complications. I do recognize that every mother has the right to choose what is right for her child and I will not pass judgement on a mama who decides formula is what is best for her family. I also recognize that many organizations have said that informal milk sharing is not safe, this includes LLL, one of my most favorite groups around. With all that said I will admit I'm a boob juicing fanatic and I believe breast is definitely best in any way, shape or form possible. Even if its only for a short period, any breastmilk is better than non at all in my opinion!

Formula fed infants are more susceptible to bacteria, diseases & other illnesses including ear infections, eczema, gastrointestinal infections, asthma & SIDS. I also worry about the possible contamination of formula or allergic reactions to the cow/soy proteins & high amount of corn used in formula. (See article here http://www.phdinparenting.com/2010/11/28/risks-of-informal-breastmilk-sharing-versus-formula-feeding/ regarding the formula vs donor sharing debate).

As a mom you do what YOU feel is best for your child and your family. And as a mom you're also given way to much unsolicited advice, it's all a matter of what you research & personally hold as true that govern your decisions. 

Do I exclusively breastfeed? Yes. Do I think breast milk is awesome and want to share that with others? Yes! Do I believe milksharing, when precautions are taken it is a wonderful gift? Yes. I can say that though because for a short time I was able to donate milk to a wonderful mama and her beautiful little girl. It was an amazing gift to share & to see the little one grow, knowing my milk was helping her!

I've attached some other links regrding the safety & debate about milk sharing below.

LLL's stand: http://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/lv/lvaprmay00p19.html

Kellymom.com has some articles for thought http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/milk/donor-milk.html
Nancy Mohrbacher's opinion: http://www.nancymohrbacher.com/blog/2010/12/6/should-milk-sharing-among-mothers-be-encouraged.html