Sharing milk

abern8 · March 2014

I've been BF my baby, and supplementing with one bottle of formula right before bed. However, on Monday I had my wisdom teeth removed and am on medication, so I can't BF for a week. I pumped extra and stored, but am about to run out. We have been giving her a lot more formula, but unfortunately she has been reacting badly to having this much; crying, puking, and being very moody and not sleeping. My dula has a friend who pumps excess milk (a gallon!) and is looking to do something with it and suggested using hers. Normally I would be hesitant, what with my overactive fears that, even though I've been assured she's healthy, my baby contract some disease, but the dula is very trustworthy, and I just want my daughter to be happy and healthy. Have any of you ever shared BM or got it from another source?

versed · March 2014

I gave milk to a local baby whose mother had passed.

I think I would be open to sharing milk if I trusted the source.

magentawarped · March 2014

I was considering using a friend's BM with my daughter. I don't know that I would want to use a stranger's milk without a screening process, though.

karich · March 2014

When I went back to work after DD2, I couldn't keep up with her and used some of my best friend's pumped milk.
She had been screened by a milk bank, and I've known her for 20+ years, so I felt comfortable using it.
I don't know if I would take milk from a stranger without knowing every detail of her lifestyle, including any meds she took.

At milk banks, there is a screening process, but no matching process that I'm aware of. They screen the moms through a questionnaire process and then usually pasteurize the milk. No babies are screened for a "matching" process. If the milk is accepted, it goes to any baby that needs it. Many milk banks donate to NICUs, so it is ok to give a baby another woman's milk.

I've never heard of an allergic reaction from using donated breastmilk. That would only occur if the mom was eating something you knew your LO was allergic to. I'm going to assume your LO has no known food allergies that would make that a concern.

slwprincess · March 2014

I wouldn't use a strangers milk unless it had been tested. Even through a trustworthy source... You just never know.

Soap1 · March 2014

slwprincess said:

I wouldn't use a strangers milk unless it had been tested. Even through a trustworthy source... You just never know.

I agree.

Have you tried another kind of formula?

sdlaura · March 2014

I

slwprincess said:
I wouldn't use a strangers milk unless it had been tested. Even through a trustworthy source... You just never know.

I agree. It's such a short time period - I would prefer to just use formula for less than a week.

versed · March 2014

The matching process is matching the age of the baby with "age" of the pumped milk. They try to give newborns newborn milk and 6m-old 6m milk. If no match can be made, they still provide milk, but age-specific milk is preferred.

karich · March 2014

NextVerseUnknown said:
The matching process is matching the age of the baby with "age" of the pumped milk. They try to give newborns newborn milk and 6m-old 6m milk. If no match can be made, they still provide milk, but age-specific milk is preferred.

That makes sense. I'd imagine it wouldn't be easy to find newborn (or any early month) milk, since moms are just getting a supply built.

RondackHiker · March 2014

Can you change your meds up so that you can nurse?

ShePersisted · March 2014

RondackHiker said:
Can you change your meds up so that you can nurse?

My thoughts exactly. There are many antibiotics and pain meds that are okay for BFing. If your dentist is unaware about their safety talk to your OB or check up a resource like lactamed and discuss options with your dentist. I just think there certainly are options for something like removing your wisdom tooth unless your fighting a very stubborn infection that requires certain kind of antibiotic.

mamacrunch · March 2014

To me trustworthy does not equal safe. There is always te possibility that se could have something se is unaware of.

I personally could not risk somethinglike AIDS.

That being said I have donated through HM4HB and women gladly took it.

How long do the mess stay in your system? Also, I have had my wisdom tooth removed while bf'ing.I first was given amox. for the infection the oxicodean <butchered that, for the pain and they were bf approved.

Ask your dent. for a safe option as there are ones out there.

Feel better.

abern8 · March 2014

I'm taking pennacilin, vicodin and a steroid. We tried feeding her my milk before I started the steroid (with the other two in my system) and she spat it all up. I think the problem is that I had an infection before my tooth was pulled, which is why the pain is so bad. The milk was going to be donated to the milk bank otherwise. I'm going to call our pediatrician tomorrow and see what they say.It feels very weird because this is something that I would otherwise never consider, but I trust our dula's opinion, and my DH and my mom do too.

slwprincess · March 2014

abern8 said:
I'm taking pennacilin, vicodin and a steroid. We tried feeding her my milk before I started the steroid (with the other two in my system) and she spat it all up. I think the problem is that I had an infection before my tooth was pulled, which is why the pain is so bad. The milk was going to be donated to the milk bank otherwise. I'm going to call our pediatrician tomorrow and see what they say.It feels very weird because this is something that I would otherwise never consider, but I trust our dula's opinion, and my DH and my mom do too.

I took all of this right after my c/s (antibiotic for strep throat, steroid was for hives) and DD was fine. I would try nursing again- the spit up may have been a fluke. And I know you trust your doulas opinion but it's the unknowns that would frighten me. What if the donor has unknowingly contracted hepatitis? The risk would keep me up at night.

RondackHiker · March 2014

Just so you know, it's doula, not dula.

And you're not trusting her. You're trusting that her evaluation of her patient is correct. Patients lie. All the time. The risk of aids wouldn't be worth it to avoid one week of formula, but I'm kind of getting the impression you're going to do it anyway.

[Deleted User] · March 2014

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