![]() ![]() Why even bother?īecause we, as humans, are designed to consume human milk. And in the United States, where I live, it is generally understood that if a mother’s own milk isn’t an option, formula is the obvious default. ![]() Wet nurse? Really? In this day and age? With HIV, hepatitis, and any number of undesirable diseases that can be passed through bodily fluids? What would wet-nursing even look like in today’s society? The first reaction of many is to simply pass off the idea as old fashioned, ancient, and outdated, not to mention dangerous. (do you see the virtual brakes going on?) Next Most Ideal Option – Breast milk from a healthy wet-nurse… SCCRREEEEECH!!!! Most Ideal Option – Expressed breastmilk from the infant’s own mother. Since this is coming from a global authority on health, I feel pretty darn confident using this hierarchy while supporting my clients in their supplementation decisions. “for those few health situations where infants cannot, or should not, be breastfed, the choice of the best alternative – expressed breast milk from an infant’s own mother, breast milk from a healthy wet-nurse or a human-milk bank, or a breastmilk substitute…depends on individual circumstance.” The World Health Organization, in its Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding, says, lots of options, lots of questions, lots of opportunities for parents to be confused. Today, they have many options: pump and feed their own milk, supplement with some sort of donor milk, milk-based formulas, soy-based formulas, pre-digested formulas. Every day, for a variety of reasons, I encounter and encourage families who need to supplement their baby’s nutrition with something other than milk directly from the mother’s breast. She explains what people like her can do to help their clients make informed choices in milksharing, an area that many shy away from.Īs an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, I have, first and foremost, an ethical obligation to provide evidence-based information to my clients to support their breastfeeding relationship. I am thrilled to present this piece by Amber McCann, blogger and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, about why she, as a health care provider, supports milksharing. This year's World Milksharing Week Blog Carnival includes posts by a wide variety of individuals, including donors, recipients, activists, academics, authors, and health professionals. ![]()
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