A Few of My Thoughts and Experience on Milk Sharing

"Welcome to the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (September). For this month, we will tackle milk sharing and how it can nurture the community, and how this spirit of giving can be sustained. Participants will share their thoughts, experiences, hopes and suggestions on the topic. Please scroll down to the end of the post to see the list of carnival entries."
The only person I've received and given breast milk was my elder sister. When I gave birth to R last June, I didn't have milk until my 4th day. I was grateful that my sister who gave birth last March had some breast milk to spare. I called the NICU and told them not to give anything to R, glucose water or formula milk, but the expressed breast milk I will be providing. When the NICU found out that the breast milk was not from me, they made me write a waiver that I'm giving my baby "donated" milk. I don't know how other hospitals handle "donated" breast milk, but for Manila Doctor's Hospital, that's what they required me. And I gave my excess breast milk in return to my niece when my sister was having milk supply problem.


One of my hopes is to have more milk banks and hospitals to also have a milk bank. Not only in Manila, but also in other parts of our country. That would be great, right? More babies who are in need of breast milk would have access.

When I was having a really low milk supply with Y, I really thought of asking for milk from other moms. My husband was not really comfortable with it so I didn't. Same experience with my younger sister. Our husbands would only accept breast milk if it comes from family. Well, as for me, my only thought was breast milk is still better than giving formula milk. So at the end, I just had to power pump to increase my milk supply. I guess different people really have different views on milk sharing.

As for me, I really admire moms who are selfless and share their milk to families and babies who are in need. I'm also very inspired by the mom who's been donating her breast milk even if her baby have passed on. Currently, I have more than enough frozen breast milk and I'm hoping I can to share them or maybe donate them to a milk bank!


Check out the other participants take on this topic!
Brenda has notes on breast milk givers and takers
Mafeth wrote about being a milk donee
Cris donated her liquid gold
Pat had a happy problem donating solved
Jenny wrote about wet nursing from a relative's experience
Rachel discussed how she felt about receiving donated milk and nursing an adoptee's baby
Mec insists it takes two to Milk Share Tango
Cai received milk from her sister
Nats has a Milk Sharing Story too

14 comments :

  1. Hubby is okay with both receiving and giving away milk... so long as there will be no wet nursing involved :D

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  2. Hubby is okay with giving away but not receiving. I'm ok with both! :) It's not a common thing siguro for him kaya he's not comfortable with it.

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  3. i agree with more milk banks. kase dito lang sa manila meron. in the other parts of the philippines wala. informal milk sharing lang. mas norm actually wet nursing sa probinsya :D

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  4. I also got to share BM to my sister who just gave birth! Buti na lang may extra milk pa ko so hindi sya masyado na-pressure to produce milk on her first days postpartum. On milk banks, sana at least man lang all government hospitals magkaroon nito!

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  5. Patricia Grace Palma-SolimanOctober 2, 2012 at 6:00 PM

    I'm comfortable with both. I actually told my husband na if ever something happens to me, he knows who to contact! Haha. Sabi ko, breastmilk lang, no formula at least until my baby is one. So for now, it's me who's on the giving end. :)

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  6. Your sister is lucky. And the baby received breast milk instead of glucose water or formula! It was great that my sister shared me her milk too! :)

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  7. That's great! :) Ako din, breast milk over fomula. I wished my husband was comfortable with donated breast milk too. I had to mix feed Y with formula because of that :(

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  8. On receiving breastmilk, I guess to each her own din. I had an officemate who I asked if she wants my extra breastmilk because she was thinking of supplementing formula to her baby but she declined my offer. There are others naman who were more willing to accept the breastmilk. :)

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  9. Yes people have different views on milk sharing. I'm also on the recipient side, and some of my family members really find it weird. But to hell on their opinions, I still went for it.

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  10. i hope for more milk banks in the country too. airports, malls and other private institutions have already stepped up with lactation rooms. sana nga milk banks naman lalo pa madalas ang pagbaha at kalamidad sa buong bansa.

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  11. Yes true. Kanya kanya lang talaga yan.

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  12. Kudos to you mommy! :)

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  13. True! Better to give breast milk than formula during calamities. Sana talaga more milk banks!

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  14. yes to more milk banks! I also agree that generally speaking donated milk is better than formula, especially if both parties are responsible

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