Breastfeeding someone else's baby?

[i.love]

I have a friend with a baby of the same age as George, and we are both breastfeeding. So I was just thinking today, what if one of us was babysitting both babies one day, would it be really weird to breastfeed the other baby as well as your own?

It sort of feels wrong when I think about it, but i don't know why. It probably would only be good for the baby - he would get the immunity from us both. But still... Is it something that people do, or am I mad for even thinking about it?

What do you think? Would you feed another baby? Would you let your friend to feed your baby?

 

[BabysMomma]

That's a really good and thought provoking question

I personally don't think that I'd feel comfortable with anyone else feeding my baby from their breast tbh. I know breastfeeding is the most natural thing in the world but it's the thought of my child attached to another woman's breast iykwim? Maybe that's a society induced way of my thinking but I would find it extremely weird and would be uncomfortable with it.

Now if it was expressed breast milk from another woman...hmmm...if there wasn't a formula that agreed with my baby/child or if my baby was very ill and required breast milk as it's first start at feeding, you know like with premature babies? Then I would accept bottle/syringe feeding of it. I just don't think I could accept my LO feeding off another woman's breast.

I'm not trying to be horrible or anything as I strongly believe each to their own and all that but it just wouldn't be for me.

Very interesting topic. x

 

[frankie707]

That is an interesting question -in the 'old' days when people lived as extended families/tribes they used to share the feeding of babies within the family so in that way there isn't anything 'wrong' with it. But I think for me personally I wouldnt be comfortable with anyone else bfing my LO or vice versa (it's such a special, personal bond for me and LO), unless there was some exceptional reason for it.

 

[Esoames]

I saw an article the oth day about a celeb who was weaning her baby of the breast, visited a third world country and offered her milk to starving babies. I'll see if I can find it x

 

[Esoames]

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rc...QTJfntxRaGhgwFGNA&sig2=N37xCtG2nibe4U4UqFPnJw

 

[Dragonfly Fi]

I would far rather my child had other human milk than had powdered cows milk... Human milk being good for human and the other... Well I'm sure it's very good for powedered baby cows...

Anyway, I think it's a real name we don't breatfeed each others babies anymore, it would be great for sorting out latch issues... Checking for tongue tie...

 

[Sassysugar]

Very interesting topic. I don't think I could do it, as I like the bond it brings and I think I would feel slightly jealous.

But I don't see how it would do any harm?

 

[Dragonfly Fi]

There was a celeb in the eighties who lost her little girl, got on a plane right away and breastfed starving infants in Etheopia, she left three months later and had fed about 5 children in this village, she bought them a cow before she left amazing, amazing woman

 

[traci]

I don't know if I'd be comfortable with it but hundreds of years ago the wealthy had wet nurses who fed babies rather than the mothers. I suppose if you really had to then it would be better than giving a bottle. Each to their own. Good question tho!

 

[Cantstop]

If anyone is a member of the Leaky Boob community on facebook there was a discussion/thread about this the other day and most people seemed to be ok with it yet here it seems most people would find it a bit weird.

It is an interesting question though! I don't think I would feel comfortable with someone else feeding my baby, but I wouldn't mind feeding someone elses - doesn't make sense to me as to why I feel that way, but I do.

 

[Dragonfly Fi]

It's because it's quite intimate... Breastfeeding and we are taught to be guarded with our intimacies, I am the same though,I would happily feed another baby, but would feel weird seeing someone feed jasper!

If I found a wee baby that someone had abandoned, I would feed it I think, just because my immediate reaction would be to nurture and protect...

I also donated milk for a cancer patient for a few months, and evn used to save a bit for a lactose intollerant friend to have a coffee with every now and again!

I'm quite free wit my milk me! Lol

 

[don-don]

I would far rather my child had other human milk than had powdered cows milk... Human milk being good for human and the other... Well I'm sure it's very good for powedered baby cows...

Anyway, I think it's a real name we don't breatfeed each others babies anymore, it would be great for sorting out latch issues... Checking for tongue tie...

Totally disagree with your idea of powered milk only being good for baby cows. Infact i find that very rude!!! My lo was 7 weeks early, i couldn't breast feed as he was tube fed, nor did i want to breast feed. As everything was very stressful, as you can imagine!! So Lo was feed on "powered cows milk"!!! He wasn't on any centile at first as he was so tiny, and now hes on the 91st. He his doing better then many breast feed babies!!!!

Back to the question, i def don't see a problem with breast feeding other babies xxxx

 

[tinytoes]

As I wasnt able to experience breastfeeding ( and I really truly wish I could have fed my children myself ) , I'm not speaking from personal experience . However I think I would find it diffiult watching someone else breast feed my children , I think i'd be jealous of the bond and feel like they were intruding .I had to watch someone syringe feed Aoibheann and it killed me as I wanted to do it myself but if I was in a situation where I could help another baby by breast feeding or donating milk I'd happily do it .

 

[i.love]

Yep I actually feel the same - I am not comfortable with a thought of someone else feeding my baby, it makes me feel quite jealous! But I wouldn't mind to feed my friends girl actually - she is so cute! I might even quite like that.. in a weird way

 

[tinytoes]

To be honest I even get a twinge of jealousy when someone feeds Lily now

 

[Rachaellius]

I also have to disagree with the comment about powdered milk only being good for powdered baby cows!? For some it is the only way to feed their own child. I wasn't fortunate enough to produce anything which absolutely devastated me! Plus Phoebe has tongue tie.

In response to i.love's question personally I don't think I would like the thought of someone else feeding Phoebe, but if both mother and feeder don't have a problem with it then I don't see why anyone else should I think it's amazing that people donate their milk. And, I think it's a bit of an american thing but some people even have wet nurses, that come and specifically feed their babies for them xx

 

[Squeakz]

I personally find the comment about powdered vows milk highly highly offensive. It's comments like that that make women who can't or won't bfeed feel like failures and terrible mothers. Also it makes them feel highly pressured in to doing something they don't want to or can't do and that leads to serious feelings of failure. That's speaking from personal experiemce. It feels a very hostile and judgemental comment.

Anyway. I wouldnt want my Lo to have anyone else's breast milk. Can't explain why but I dunno I would feel someone else had that bond....I dunno it just wouldn't be for me x

 

[Belfast girl]

Goodness me! I guess you are calling me, my husband and my LO all cows, having all been 'reared' on SMA, and are all doing quite nicely thank you very much!

But back to the question - when my LO swtiched to formula she got a little constipated and I did seriously think about asking one of my friends for some expressed breast milk but I don't think I could cope with seeing her feed from someone else, especially when she would not feed from me, in fact I think it would break my heart.

 

[Dragonfly Fi]

If breastfeeding were more the norm, all children, including those from mothers who, for ehatever reason felt that they cannot feed, would be able to eat nutritionally optimum human milk. As it is we use less than optimum milk because we are too prudish to milk each other. I stand by my comment, it was clearly meant in jest and I do believe that cows milk is only optimum for cows! Humans should hav human milk!

 

[tinytoes]

Yes breastmilk is best everyone knows that and if there had been a way to feed my girls breast milk I would have done if even if it involved using donated breastmilk .
I wouldnt have been happy for someone to atually beast feed my children though as i would have felt they were bonding with them not me . Having said that there is nothing at all wrong with using formula and Im just glad that formula is an option and that there is a great alternative to keep my babies fed as I couldnt . My poor youngest is on a formula for premmies as she is so underweight and Im glad that there is something to help her get built up.