Milk Donor!

So it's official, I am a milk donor! After placing ads on Human Milk For Human Babies and Eats On Feets (both are Facebook pages), I have been contacted by two ladies who need breast milk for their babies! Both women are unable to provide the milk their children need and went to those Facebook pages to find help.

Milk sharing is not a new idea. What do you think women did before formula was invented (only a little over a hundred years ago)? Once upon a time, wet-nursing was a common profession for women with a large supply of milk. To wet-nurse for royalty would set a woman up for life.

And yet, for some reason, now the practices of milk sharing and wet-nursing are frowned upon, viewed as gross or weird. Why is that? Not so very long ago (especially once you consider the vast history of the human race) these women would be honored for helping other mothers out. After telling a few people that I planned to donate my milk to needy babies, I saw some very funny expressions on the faces of people who know me well. And while I will admit to being weird, I am most certainly NOT gross!

Milk banks that supply hospital NICUs can charge up to $5/oz for "donated" breast milk. What they are really paying for is all the screening and paperwork involved. On OnlyTheBreast.com a woman can buy breast milk for as low as $0.75-3.00/oz and pay shipping. And while this is honorable in it's own way (wet-nurses were traditionally paid for their services), I have found a sense of pride in giving my milk freely that selling it would not have given me. In a way, you might consider it charity.

Donating breast milk is not for everyone. For one thing, you need to have plenty of milk for your own baby first. But for those women who have a large supply, I encourage you to consider milk donation. Even if you only do it one time, or only donate a few ounces per week.