Human milk for sale on store shelves?

[JamesMama]

Okay, I can't find an exact link to this, but it was on a news radio show today. Jan Mickelson if you're in Iowa.

Apparently there is an Iowa senator? (state senate, not US senate) that has drafted and is proposing a bill called the Bovine Mammary Relief Act...and from what I gathered (I only listed to it off and on, DH was listening mostly) but basically he wants to give cows a break and set up stations all over Iowa and offer tax breaks to businesses to set up lactation rooms so that women can pump and then sell their breastmilk...and it will be available for sale on store shelves. Human milk cheese, human milk for people...

Now I'm not entirely sure WHAT he is trying to accomplish and once the Iowa house gets into session I'm going to try to get my hands on a copy of the bill...

But for the love of goodness...don't we have more important things to worry about in Iowa? Seriously? And secondly, my breastmilk is for my BABY not to be sold and put in milk. The whole thing is disgusting IMO.

I'm not saying that drinking cows milk is any better, but it seems like hooking women up to milking machines (direct quote from the senator) would be taking precious breastmilk away from our babies...right?

It's weird. I've googled to death and can't find a link...

Here is a link to the show...there is a podcast there...

http://mickelson.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=400407

[kriket]

http://cdn2.libsyn.com/mickelson/mic...58a3c541421180

Its almost halfway through the pod cast

This keeps popping up, there was a thread on her earlier about how some place was doing it for the "shock factor" The dude on the pod cast was saying it was sweden.

I think PETA is trying to make a point. I don't "utilize" dairy, so whatever, human, cow.

We don't have enough human milk for human babies. :

[alegna]

Well.... philosophically it makes perfect sense to me.

I would LOVE if we could have human milk for purchase for babies that wouldn't get it otherwise...

-Angela

[UberMama]

I guess if the woman wanted to do it, then..

I don't know. I donated my milk after my surrogate son was born. I didn't even ask for reimbursement for the milk bags (though many do and I understand why, of course). It is time consuming, yes and I understand why some women charge a small fee for their milk even. I really dislike that milk banks charge $3-$4+ an ounce for milk. I also don't agree with them messing with the milk in anyway. This is why I didn't donate through a bank but directly, because most people cannot afford what banks charge.

Sorry, got off on a rant. I really just cannot picture myself charging for my milk ever. Even if I donated it to someone that sold it for $4 a GALLON (not ounce) and they paid me, I couldn't do that.

Being that most moms have babies in need of their milk at home.. Then I don't see the point of this? Because most moms that pump at work MUST take that milk back to their babies, of course. Many moms may have excess milk to freeze for awhile, but in my reading on these forums and other places, many moms *just* keep up with their babies needs and/or begin dipping into their stash after awhile.

[aurora_skys]

well i think its actually a good idea... if women want to sell their milk, make it into cheese, w/e then more power to them. i think itd be really nice if moms who are not capable or unwilling to nurse their babies could bypass the formula aisle and head to the dairy section for some of the real deal

[kriket]

Originally Posted by aurora_skys

well i think its actually a good idea... if women want to sell their milk, make it into cheese, w/e then more power to them. i think itd be really nice if moms who are not capable or unwilling to nurse their babies could bypass the formula aisle and head to the dairy section for some of the real deal

Totally,
But we need to have it available for babies first, cheese later.

Plus if you were selling milk, then it is a business. People are going to be in the same place as cows. (which I think is PETAs misguided point) Given hormones to make more milk, encouraged to take their kids away from the breast early (this encouragement could be direct or indirect) American and Canadian moms know their rights, but do moms from underdeveloped areas know their rights?

IMO this is almost a feminist issue, mamas make milk for their babies, If we want to share, we need to share for a humanitarian effort, not a capitalist profit.

[Caittune]

Originally Posted by kriket

Totally,
But we need to have it available for babies first, cheese later.

Plus if you were selling milk, then it is a business. People are going to be in the same place as cows. (which I think is PETAs misguided point) Given hormones to make more milk, encouraged to take their kids away from the breast early (this encouragement could be direct or indirect) American and Canadian moms know their rights, but do moms from underdeveloped areas know their rights?

IMO this is almost a feminist issue, mamas make milk for their babies, If we want to share, we need to share for a humanitarian effort, not a capitalist profit.

This is exactly what I'd be worried about.

[puddle]

If the price was high enough, some women would feel compelled to sell their milk even if they didn't produce enough to sell and feed their children. I don't want to see poor women forced into putting their own children on formula so that adults can buy human milk cheese.

[tanyam926]

I see this affecting poor women who would get formula from WIC for their babies and then sell their own milk to make money. Bad idea IMO.

Plus, I don't think you can put BM into either the food or the bodily fluid category. It is both. No way around it.