Wet nursing... really that weird? - Page 3

[lovebug]

i think its odd, that they think it odd... :

[calpurnia]

i actually don't tell people that my neighbour & i cross nursed on a regular basis, because they find it so odd. i agree that it's an extension of the breastfeeding as sexual act fear.

in zambia i remember seeing a grandmother dry nursing a baby while the mother was in the fields.

Originally Posted by caro113

In the adoption forum, I was reading a thread where a woman was saying she wasn't allowed to breastfeed a baby she was fostering (with the intention of adopting) because the baby might have HIV. That doesn't make any sense to me. If she doesn't have it, how exactly would the baby give it to her? And of course it would be better for the baby - if the baby is indeed positive - to have breastmilk! (I believe she is planning to bottle feed breast milk, but still)

well, hiv is passed through the transmission of bodily fluids. so say the woman had a cut or a sore on the nipple, & the baby had a cut or a sore in the mouth, the infection could possibly be passed between them. it's a bit of a stretch. similarly, the passing of hiv through breastmilk is more concerned with wounds to the skin that would allow the virus to enter the system rather than the consumption of hiv+ breastmilk, if you see what i mean.

[Bluegoat]

Originally Posted by calpurnia

i actually don't tell people that my neighbour & i cross nursed on a regular basis, because they find it so odd. i agree that it's an extension of the breastfeeding as sexual act fear.

in zambia i remember seeing a grandmother dry nursing a baby while the mother was in the fields.

Grandma might actually have been nursing the baby. Many people do not realize it, but it is common in many places for grandmothers to co-nurse a baby. Simply putting the baby to the breast regularly induces lactation.

We make it very complicated here in the West.

[calpurnia]

Originally Posted by Bluegoat

Grandma might actually have been nursing the baby. Many people do not realize it, but it is common in many places for grandmothers to co-nurse a baby. Simply putting the baby to the breast regularly induces lactation.

hmm, possibly. i lived with her though & only saw her nurse the baby once or twice. maybe she was lactating though!

i firmly believe that there should be about 3 lactating women raising each child for everyone to be happy

[craft_media_hero]

Originally Posted by Bea

I think (but maybe I'm weird) that

43.2% Corn syrup solids1
4.6% soy protein isolate
11.5% high oleic safflower oil
10.3% sugar (sucrose), 8.4% soy oil
7.8% coconut oil
Less than 2% of: C. cohnii oil
M. alpina oil
calcium phosphate
potassium citrate
potassium chloride
magnesium chloride
sodium chloride
ascorbic acid
choline chloride
L-methionine, taurine
ascorbyl palmitate
ferrous sulfate
m-inositol, mixed tocopherols
zinc sulfate
d-alpha-tocopheryl acetate
L-carnitine, niacinamide
calcium pantothenate
cupric sulfate
thiamine chloride hydrochloride
vitamin A palmitate
riboflavin
pyridoxine hydrochloride
folic acid
potassium iodide
phylloquinone
biotin
sodium selenate
beta-carotene
vitamin D3
cyanocobalamin

mixed with water... is a weirder thing for an infant, who's mother is unable or unavailable to breastfeed, to eat than a nice soft, warm, comforting 'boo'

In a perfect world all women would have breastmilk available to them (pumped or direct from the tap) when they can't supply it themsleves.

Wow, I never actually looked at the ingredients before. So it's mostly corn and sugar, huh? How weird. It's reads very similar to a Dorito bag.

Back on topic--
I don't think cross-nursing is weird, and I would definitely prefer donated milk/wetnursing to giving my daughter formula any day. My sis and I nursed each other's babes a few times as she and I had infants at the same time. My sis was a bit...possessive? about it which is understandable, as PP said. She did in general provide formula for the girl when she was away, and I gave it to her because that was what the mom preferred. But I would've been okay with nursing her when she was in my care. Another baby I nannied was given formula from day one and would literally poop blood sometimes. I hated giving him formula, and really wished he could have breastmilk instead but would never have presumed to latch him on as the adults would've probably flipped.