Breastmilk on eBay?

[Ruthla]

Playing around on eBay (what else to do when MDC is "too busy" for me?) I found 5 separate auctions, from 5 different sellers, all offering frozen breastmilk for sale.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1

I couldn't find any frozen breastmilk in "completed listings" (though I found plenty of formula "just like breast milk" and "breast milk storage bags" and "got breast milk" advocacy items.) I'm wondering if this is even legal, and whether this is a good thing or a bad thing for BF advocacy in general.

My general thought is that any way we can get breastmilk to babies is wonderful, and why shouldn't lactating moms get paid for their "liquid gold" instead of donating it? But then I wonder if somebody's going to get thrush or hepatitis from milk they bought on eBay and put a negative spin on breastfeeding in general, donated milk in particular. I also wonder if the milk sold on eBay will even make it to babies vs fetishists.

What are your thoughts about this?

[tinuviel_k]

I don't really know how I feel about people selling breastmilk on Ebay, but I do know that I sure as heck wouldn't buy it! There are just too many unknowns: are thereany illnesses that the mom has that can be passed on? What about hepitis or HIV? You can't know what the seller might have. I'd be worried that someone might dilute the breastmilk in order to have more to sell.

Not to mention the price and shipping! One of those auctions is selling "per ounce" of breastmilk, and she started the auction at $25! If she sold eight ounces she'd be getting $200. IMO that is just ridiculous. And once you add a $15-20 shipping fee...yowza!
One of the other auctions started her price at $5 for 8 ozs. That seems more reasonable starting place, and it could go up from there so the mama could make a fair profit. The others seem to be holding at about $12 an ounce when you throw in shipping costs. Still a LOT of money to pay for milk.

I'd love for mamas to be able to sell their extra breastmilk, but I personally wouldn't feel comfortable about buying it unless I saw a record of clean health and knew I wasn't going to get ripped off.

[MidwifeErika]

I have to say, I am all for it! Women should get paid for their breastmilk, pumping time, etc. There should be other options available other than just formula and breastmilk is really hard to get from milk banks (very high demand). I wonder if there would be a way for someone to get tests run such as HIV, hep, etc and include test results with the milk without revealing too much personal information???? I would hope that anyone selling their milk would know that they are disease free and would sell it in an ethical way (not watering it down or taking drugs while pumping, etc). I personally would not buy off the internet, but I would buy from someone I knew personally if I needed too. We should bring back wetnurses as a career choice

[KatWrangler]

I wouldn't buy it. There are too many weirdos out there. No way would I feed this to my child.

[KatWrangler]

Okay, another thing, the shipping. Won't the milk be exposed in transit to extreme temperature changes? Or is it shipped in dry ice?

[wendy1221]

Um, why would anyone pay over $80 for 8oz of bm when you can buy from a milk bank for less than half that price? I'll tell who! Weirdo fetishists!

Yet, it makes me say hmmm... I have always had oversupply. What an easy way to make a quick buck. I don't care what anyone does w/ my bm after it's gone away from me. lol

[MidwifeErika]

Wendy- I am with you there. The thought entered my mind big time when I saw 10oz going for $100. I have never had oversupply.... but I could make an extra 10oz. It certainly does spark my interest a bit. Don't know that I will ever do it, but certainly does make me say hmmmmm

[KBinSATX]

Wow. 80 bucks and 100 bucks!!!
I better keep going to my LaLeche Meetings! Going SAHM might be easier than expected.

[BookGoddess]

I wouldn't buy it. Breast milk is great. No arguments from me there. But I think it's risky to get breast milk from a stranger whose medical history, current lifestyle habits, and use of prescription/illegal drugs are unknown to me. I don't want to tamper with my baby's health that way. I'd rather get milk from a friend that I know and trust or from a milk bank that screens their donors than from someone anonymous person on Ebay.

[Ruthla]

OK, looks like the listings were pulled.

I'm not sure if this falls under "unpasturized dairy products" or "humans or human parts" (such as eggs, semen, blood,) but apparently it violated one of those rules!

I'm curious if they still managed to sell the milk to the high bidders but did it outside of eBay. I'm guessing eBay doesn't want to be held responsible if somebody gets sick from tainted milk.

[Shelsi]

My concern is that someone would buy it for themselves not a baby...and that creeps me out. A long time ago in my office we had a pumping mom who would always leave her breast milk in the fridge (obviously). Anyways one of my co-workers loved breast milk and he would always steal some to put on his cereal and in his cereal. Totally weird. I didn't realize how creepy it was until I was prego myself.

[MaryJaneLouise]

Originally Posted by Shelsi

My concern is that someone would buy it for themselves not a baby...and that creeps me out. A long time ago in my office we had a pumping mom who would always leave her breast milk in the fridge (obviously). Anyways one of my co-workers loved breast milk and he would always steal some to put on his cereal and in his cereal. Totally weird. I didn't realize how creepy it was until I was prego myself.

She didn't notice some was gone???? I count every 1/2 ounce, myself

[Shelsi]

Oh and I meant to say he put it in his cereal and coffee. And nope she never seemed to notice but it was the office joke so I'm sure she found out eventually.

[KBinSATX]

I don't know that probably sounds terrible but for $100 I wouldn't mind if somebody has it with their cheerios!

[Tofu the Geek]

The first auction is still there and it starts at $25/ounce, the rest seem to have been pulled. Ridiculous pricing and one that I would NOT be willing to pay to a stranger that I knew nothing about her breastmilk. She says it's guaranteed to be safe but unless she's providing test results I don't know why I would believe a stranger.

[SleeplessMommy]

It is pretty clearly against the eBAY terms of service... it may take them a day or two, but the auction will never make it seven days to the end! There are probably a few ebay employees whose full-time job is to shut down auctions of kidneys, puppies, virginity in teenage boys, taxidermied tattoos, and the like.

There are some breastmilk for sale web sites out there, if anyone has some to spare! Some buyers may use a home pasturizer, to reduce the risk of pathogens.

-sleeplessmommy

[Emily12581]

I have mixed thoughts. I would be more than willing to sell my milk and provide extensive test results (i.e. HIV, Hep, etc...but also milk composition tests to provide a true glance at what quality it is). On the other hand, I don't know if I'd ever buy any milk from anybody. I am just picky about what goes in my daughter's body, YKWIM? I would much rather sell privately to one source, one person that I know, and I'd only want to be paid what they'd be paying for formula...you know, to help them feed breastmilk.

Needless to say it is against Ebay's policy and all BM auctions get pulled.

[wendy1221]

I actually it's much more gross to put the milk of another animal in your coffee, on your cereal, don't even want to think about drinking it straight! yuck! My sister sometimes cooks w/ her bm and I don't think I ate any, but I don't think the thought would bother me much

But I'm allergic to cow's (and goat's!) milk, so that might be my bias.