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Community Breast Milk Sharing

Posted on August 11, 2016 at 1:02 PM

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Birthing From Within and Bradley Method® natural childbirth classes offered in Arizona: convenient to Chandler, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Gilbert, Mesa, Scottsdale, Payson

Q: What is a bottle doing in a breastfeeding picture??

A: It is helping to expand the conversation around breastmilk.

Long before formula was invented, mothers who could not or would not breastfeed their Sweet Peas sought out other nursing mothers to feed their children. Before bottles were invented, they got it straight from the source: hence the name "wet nurse".

One such biblical example is the Princess of Egypt searching out a wet nurse for the baby she rescued from the reeds. Women of nobility were known to seek out wet nurses. There is also a sad history of wet nursing amongst slave owners, where they forced their slaves to nurse the master's children and deny that milk to their own children. The future master subjugating in infancy - a sad commentary indeed.

Anyway, now that we are in the age of the internet, mothers with excess milk supply and mothers with low milk supply can find each other. As a grassroots movement to feed human milk to human babies without an exchange of money, it is called community milk sharing.

As it relates to today's quote, community milk sharing cuts the demand for cow's milk, thereby reducing the effect of dairy farming on the environment. Even though community milk sharing is not making a huge dent in the demand for dairy products, my philosophy is that making a change in your corner of the world always counts!!

Aside from community breastmilk sharing groups and connections that are made mother-to-mother, there are also non-profit and for-profit companies who run what are known as "milk banks". Milk banks screen the donor mothers, run blood tests, and test the milk before a donor is accepted. A non-profit accepts donor milk only - no money is given to compensate the donor for her gift. Some for-profits pay the mother for the milk, a controversial proposal since the mother is then incentivized to sell her milk instead of feeding it to her own infant.

Once the milk is received, the milk bank processes the milk: it is pasteurized and packaged. Then it is sold on the open market. It can be purchased by hospitals or private citizens - again, that all depends on the milk bank. This is where a non-profit can recover the cost of operation (read more HERE); and where a for-profit makes their profit.

If you are interested in community breast milk sharing, I am going to direct you to the comprehensive website, Eats on Feets. Eats on Feets was actually started by a Phoenix midwife, and she has taken the responsibility to heart and fleshed out a full range of resources for the donor and the recipient from due diligence through the screening process to suggestions on how to have a respectful milk sharing arrangement (click HERE for their resource page).

So if you or someone you know is receiving pressure or if your care provider is recommending that you supplement, know that there are options aside from buying the formula first. Reach out to your local community, or find a milk bank if you are more comfortable with that, and see if you can feed your baby human milk before you go the formula route.

If you have a stash of breastmilk in your freezer PLEASE DO NOT THROW IT OUT!!! Reach out to your local Eats on Feets or HM4HB Facebook group, or to one of the milk banks. There is someone out there who would treasure your milk!!

Do you know anyone who has participated in community breast milk sharing? How did it go?

Ideas To Increase Your Milk Supply

Posted on October 26, 2012 at 3:17 AM

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Image (maximum stomach capacity) is by kellymom.com

Here is a collection of information for a mom who wants to increase her milk supply. This post is dedicated to M.F., a new mama who is as sweet as can be and who wants to do the very best for her baby, including pumping for him while she is at work. Do you have any tips to share with her to help her keep her supply up, or how to successfully balance working out of the home and breastfeeding, or anything else that is on your heart or mind?

She is already off to a great start by making the most of their time together wearing him in her wrap… please write her a note in the comments.

The first thing I recommend is talking with a reputable Lactation Consultant, IBCLC, or Peer Counselor, such as a La Leche League Leader. These people are trained to help moms and babies have successful breastfeeding relationships and have lots of experience to draw from.

In addition to doing that, here are my top five picks from previous posts and from websites that I have posted on our Pinterest Boards.

1.) Talisha’s favorite products to increase milk supply.
See her review of Motherlove and GoLacta products – which one might be the right blend for you?

2.) Answer to the age-old question, “How much milk do babies need?”
Kelly Bonyata, BS, IBCLC, the knowledgable blogger and administrator at kellymom.com offers comfort to ease a pumping mom’s mind and practical steps to help her achieve her pumping goals:

“Many mothers wonder how much expressed breastmilk they need to have available if they are away from baby.

In exclusively breastfed babies, milk intake increases quickly during the first few weeks of life, then stays about the same between one and six months (though it likely increases short term during growth spurts). Current breastfeeding research does not indicate that breastmilk intake changes with baby’s age or weight between one and six months. After six months, breastmilk intake will continue at this same level until — sometime after six months, depending in baby’s intake from other foods — baby’s milk intake begins to decrease gradually…”

Read the rest of the article HERE

3.) Make the Most of Pumping Sessions

Here is a practical tip from the NICU…cover your collection containers while you pump!
Read more HERE

The other common ways to be more relaxed during let-down and pumping is to look at a picture of your baby and/or listen to their favorite lullabies. Nowadays with smart phones, you could even video your baby and watch that to have sights and their sounds to help you relax and remember why pumping is worth the effort every time.

4.) Herb Handbook for Breastfeeding
“Earth Mama Angel Baby gets so many questions about herbs, we gathered the best herbal information and put it all in one place, and that place is an easily downloadable eBook! You’ve heard there are herbs that can help stingy milk, and you know there are herbs you shouldn’t use while breastfeeding. But what if you don’t know your Pimpinella anisum from your Borago officinalis? Now there’s a book to make it all easy for you. Filled with herbs, breastfeeding tips and advice from Mama, A Comprehensive Guide to Herbs and Breastfeeding is an essential reference for careful mamas who want to safely harness the goodness of herbs.”

Get your e-book HERE (did I mention it is a free download?)

5.) Lactation Cookie Recipe
“While there are many variations out there, they are all essentially the same and boast three main ingredients commonly believed (in North America) to impact milk supply: oatmeal, brewer's yeast, and flax.

Some home bakers will throw in fenugreek as well, and because this is known to increase milk supply (in both humans and cows!), but hard on the stomach, it isn't a bad idea to add it to foods you'll already be eating (you can open a couple capsules of fenugreek and toss them to the cookie batter). Fenugreek is one of the oldest medicinal herbs used for increasing milk supply, but to do so you will need to consume 1500mg of fenugreek, three times each day. (1) This is more than the recommended amount on the bottle, but the dosing printed on fenugreek labels is not intended to be for boosting milk supply. One study found that when enough fenugreek was consumed, milk supply doubled. (2) Note that while mother's milk teas (with fenugreek) may be a great supplement, and mood-enhancing to sip, you'd have to drink a lot of it to really see an impact. Capsules are a better way to go if you are planning to add fenugreek to your regimen.”

Learn more and find the recipe HERE

I hope that M.F. finds this helpful, and that she and other pumping moms out there stay committed to providing human milk for the human babies. It is such a struggle sometimes, and yet, we hear from the moms that persevered that IT IS WORTH IT. There is nothing like looking at your thriving baby and knowing that your milk gave them the best possible start in life.

Disclaimer:

Bradley Method® natural childbirth classes offered in Arizona: Chandler, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Gilbert, Mesa, Scottsdale, Payson

The material included on this site is for informational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation. Krystyna and Bruss Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. This blog contains information about our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained on this blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®.

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Ideas To Increase Your Milk Supply

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Sweet Pea ​Births

...celebrating every swee​t pea their birth

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Community Breast Milk Sharing

Ideas To Increase Your Milk Supply

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Sweet Pea Births

...celebrating every sweet pea their birth