Thread: FDA releases statment opposing informal human milk sharing

http://www.emaxhealth.com/1024/fda-v...ted-human-milk

Here is an article on the movement they are addressing:

http://www.time.com/time/health/arti...032363,00.html

Thoughts, anyone?

I do understand where they are coming from. But in the end I also think it's the person decision on what they feel is best for their baby. I don't think it's completely fair to stop a person from using a friends expressed breast milk, as long as you trust this friend. I don't know if I would trust shipped milk or stuff that would have to come through the mail because, even if you as the packager took care of it, the mail people might not of taken good care of it and handled it properly.

For sure take great care in the friend you choose to help you though. Because even if you know your friend well you may not know everything she does, or takes.

the FDA can and should discourage informal milk sharing, just they (and I) discourage informal unprotected sex. DUH, you can't just take bodily fluids from anybody and think they are safe. BUT informal milk sharing is fine in many situations, especially if you are sharing milk from someone you know and trust (just like having sex with someone you trust) is perfectly fine IMO.

So, I should probably NOT ask the prostitute and meth dealer down the street for some breast milk for my baby? Darn common sense.


If I know a person and they are friends and they offer to help give my baby EBM, I am taking it. IF I know them.

I'm not sure I entirely agree with that statement. I could see strangers, sure, but my bff? Sorry, but she's nursing her baby and if she was watching mine and it wouldnt take a bottle or was some kind of emergency, i would not have any problem with her feeding my baby.

The statement is in response to the formation and growth of the milk-sharing network, Eats on Feets. This network has various local chapters and uses facebook to help match up women with extra milk with women who are in need of it, instead of using milk banks which are expensive (and with the matches being local, shipping is not necessary). This is what the FDA is concerned about--milk sharing between people who meet online. I would hope that anyone who would donate in this way would be responsible about it, and I believe that if you talk to the person and feel that you can trust them, this is preferable to giving your baby artificial formula. Also, research says that simply heating the milk on the stove will actually kill many bacteria and the HIV virus (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0521130143.htm)

Originally Posted by TyrantOfTheWeek

So, I should probably NOT ask the prostitute and meth dealer down the street for some breast milk for my baby? Darn common sense.

Ok first of all... this almost made me pee my pants I was laughing so darn hard!!!!

On topic though, there is a woman here in Canada that has pretty much said she owes her daughters comfort to the kindness of women through the eats on feets. http://calgary.ctv.ca/servlet/an/loc...ub=CalgaryHome

I think like others said if you require milk, and there is a network available simple due diligence is enough (most of the time) to see things work out for the best!! I would rather a milk-sharing system that saw to the needs of children than padding the already stuffed pockets of the formula companies who... well they suck...

We all know breast milk is the best, and for those that have had trouble like myself, I'm sure they'd agree that we wish groups like this had been around sooner! I still kick myself for not being able to feed my children properly. (no really... I know I have issues lol, fourth time's a charm right?) And seeing what good it can do, I can't see this as a bad thing.

Riley shares his mommy milk with another girl who was born premature addicted to crack without a pancreas. She was blind and deaf and her body was in shut down mode preparing for death. She could not tolerate formula. Her foster mother decide to find donor milk and within weeks her eye sight and hearing returned and is now THRIVING! Her foster mother tried to get milk from a bank but with it being 2.00 per OUNCE, that wasn't possible. She has been drinking donor breast milk since and has over 75 moms who donate to her. She is still unable to drink or eat anything other than breast milk.

IMO, the FDA is just P.O'ed because they can't get money from it.

*Disclaimer- I haven't read the posts yet. I'm venting my POV.

Originally Posted by ~Kristina~

Riley shares his mommy milk with another girl who was born premature addicted to crack without a pancreas. She was blind and deaf and her body was in shut down mode preparing for death. She could not tolerate formula. Her foster mother decide to find donor milk and within weeks her eye sight and hearing returned and is now THRIVING! Her foster mother tried to get milk from a bank but with it being 2.00 per OUNCE, that wasn't possible. She has been drinking donor breast milk since and has over 75 moms who donate to her. She is still unable to drink or eat anything other than breast milk.

What a wonderful story! The milk bank here is $3.50 per ounce. And because I didn't get prescreened by them before pumping, they wouldn't take the extra 150 ounces I ended up with in my freezer. A mom posted to my local homebirth listserve asking for EBM donations, so I gave it to her -- and another 350 ounces before I was done pumping, too! She'd had breast surgery & had to supplement with formula for her first baby, but her second had a life-threatening reaction to formula. Her choice was $100+ per day from the milk bank, or peer donors, and I was happy to be able to help her.

They can oppose it all they want but I think people will still happily give and get milk by the means they want. Its been done long before milk banks and pumping. I think they are just hurt they can't control it or make a profit out of it. I also think anyone wanting to get milk has enough interest to get some info about the milk they are getting and feel its safe or from a safe doner. IMO things that get too heavily regulated a lot of times end up more dangerous than they were when left alone.

We got milk for DS1 from my cousin when he had feeding problems early on. She had been tested and was already donating to a milk bank so I felt comfortable feeding him her milk. While I had to pay for the overnight shipping on dry ice it was way cheaper than either formula or bank milk would have been. I'm forever in awe of her kindness to us and would do it again in a minute.