Foster mom/ mom question

mrscole081206

I am a foster mom and I have a 3 week old child. We have had him with us since he was 3 days old. When he came to live with us we gave him formula.... his mother has decided to breast feed him. The breast milk has been tested and is free of drugs, but she sends it to me in small ziploc baggies. Is this safe or do I need to talk to my social worker about this?

I don't think that it should be fed to him if it's not in a sterile container or baggie.....

If we do switch him back to breast milk, is there anything that I should be aware of or something that I need to look up more info on?

THANK YOU for your help!

Sally J

I breastfeed my son who I gave birth to in April and work to produce extra for my daughter who came home in August.

Getting it in ziplock baggies is okay, if the bags are new.  Many mothers freeze their milk in ziplock/glad freezer bags.  If you are uncomfortable getting it this way, I suggest buying some Lanisoh bags for her to put it in.  They are the least expensive on the market, but great quality.

Be aware of the timing of when she pumped the milk.  Breastmilk is only good for about 7-8 days in the fridge.  You can freeze it (even on the 8th day) and in a standard freezer attached to the fridge, it will keep for 1-3 months.  In a deep freezer it can be stored up to 6 months.  Milk that has gone bad, smells awful, just like sour milk so your nose is the best way to know.

Milk in the fridge may have a 'layer of fat' on it...not to worry just swirl/gently shake to mix it up.  Human milk isn't homegenized (sp?).

If she intends to truly breastfeed, use wide neck bottles and slow nipples...playtex drop-ins are good for this.  Of course the baby may never prefer the breast if she didn't do it from the beginning.

As long as the milk has been tested, breast milk is best for the baby.  It helps build the immune system and is perfectly balanced for their bodies.

You may notice a change in the poop...breastfed babies have very loose stools that are yellow and seedy.  Not sure if formula fed babies are the same (my daughter was already on solids when she came home...so that's changes the poop a ton).

Feel free to ask any other questions, I would be happy to help.  

kirstenw05

I would definitely talk to the social worker to see how often it should be tested. Just because it tested clean this week, doesn't mean it will next week. If the mother is consistent with her tests (if this is part of her reunification program) and tests clean 3X/week or what have you, she should have to test for breast milk as well.

I guess I am getting ahead of myself...is this a mother who has a drug history? My DD is a drug baby/foster baby so I always jump to conclusions...you mention the breast milk had been tested, which leads me to assume that perhaps the BM has a drug history.  If not, then ignore my post altogether - but if she was separated from her baby because of testing positive at birth, I would make sure that her drug tests for court cover breast milk.

ok, sensitive issue...rant over.