Breastfeeding - would you ever breastfeed someone else's baby?

Question

On the same dodgy TV show as the man drinking his own urine, people were discussing breastfeeding. One woman said that she often looked after her nephew (her sister-in-law's baby), who was slightly younger than her own son (2/3 months old), and that although the sister-in-law left expressed milk, the woman often 'topped him up' when there wasn't enough there (the sister-in-law had actually asked her to do so).

Would you breastfeed your own baby (or have you?)?

Would you ever breastfeed somebody else's baby (with permission), or does the thought disgust you?

To be honest... I would probably consider it.

Answer 1

I've donated milk to a local milk bank, as well as directly to several babies who needed it.  I've also nursed a friend's baby, at her request, when she was hospitalized and unable to nurse.  

I've had a lot of opportunity to think about it, and it really boils down to feeding a baby.  It's very simple, yet a profound connection.  I am fortunate to be healthy and have milk to give, and she needs milk, and the comfort of nursing, even if she can't have the comfort of her mother.

Answer 2

I breastfeed my 3.5 month old,

and I would breastfeed another child IF the mother asked and the alternative would be formula and the baby had been exclusively breastfed so far..

Answer 3

There is nothing wrong with that, women that do this should be proud of it, the way I see it is If a woman can provide a baby with the best nutrition, something that she is not making an effort to make, or it doesn't take time to prepare, it doesn't cost a thing...and that baby is not even hers...That is a very good act.

Answer 4

yes my sister had a baby 3 months after I did, and we both bf. My son was already 3 months old so I had a great milk supply. My sisters milk had not come in yet (she was still in the hospital) and she asked if I would bf her daughter. The baby latched on and went to town. A few months later I had to be rushed to the ER and my sister returned the favor as she watched my son. It came in very handy for the both of us. My sisters are the ONLY people I would ever have bf my kids!! and I would only bf for them as well. keep it in the family LOL

Answer 5

Nothing wrong with it and actually more people are doing it....especially if mom has to work.

Answer 6

i would breastfeed my baby but he wouldnt take breast or bottle.

no i would not breastfeed someone elses baby, it is sick and in my opinion i think it is very peadophily.

Answer 7

I am answering your question straight from the 8 words you posted as the question:

If I was a woman, I would.  If a baby child needed food and the mother couldn't produce any more milk, then you of course would help out if you could!  If not, then why not?

Answer 8

To be honest... If I knew that baby had no diseases and it was a close friend sure I would.

I would look into it and make sure it can't confuse the baby terribly.

Back in the day people did this all the time! They called them milk maids.

I do breastfeed my daughter and its the best! I'm so close to her.

Answer 9

They are called Wet Nurses,

Maybe change the channel now though! Before someone drinks something really strange!

Answer 10

I have breastfed 5 of my own babies with another on the way.  I do not think I could physically breastfeed someone elses baby.  But my sister had a premmie bub and she couldnt produce enough milk and as I was pregnant and producing colestrum I pumped so she could get a good start.  But no I couldnt actually breastfeed someone else's child.

Answer 11

yes if they allowed it and it was necessary.

my sister and i had our babies 4 weeks apart and there was one evening when i was looking after her son and he had a bad cough at the time,he was only 12 weeks old so my sister asked me to breast feed him if he became upset,so i did in fact breast feed my nephew once.

i still breastfeed my daughter now and shes 2 1/2 (although i will stop very soon)

i believe that breastfeeding is completely natural and in the past when a mother died at birth it would have been common place to get another women to feed the child.

i wouldn't breastfeed a neighbour or a friends child though, i agree with 'sam fake b***s' that breastfeeding is a special thing however i love my nephew and i DO have a bond with him.

i have also looked into expressing my milk for premature babies as my mother did this when she was a nurse.

i cant see how it can be thought of as disturbing, 'sam fake b***s'  obviously feels that her b*****s are purely sexual therefor its obviously going to be weird for her, but in my opinion how can FEEDING a baby be weird???

Answer 12

Its an old habit, and they wer'nt called milk maids they were called wet-nurses, often if a high born lady had a baby a wet nurse would feed it for her, people are so squeamish these days, when I had my first back in 1980, I donated milk for the special baby unit, a midwife came to my house every day and expressed it from me to feed other womens babies, of course after the AIDS thing it was stopped, which was a pity as human milk is the best thing for human babies!

Answer 13

no that is completely wrong. if my sister breast fed my child i would knock her head off. that is a special thing that happens between mother and baby not mother and auntie or next door neighbour, or anyone else with a breast to spare

Answer 14

no i dont think i would seeing as i am a man it would be pretty pointless

Answer 15

I would only do so with the mother's permission, i see absolutely nothing wrong with it, and yes i BF my son til he weened himself at 5 months. but i do think it would be horribly wrong to BF someone else's baby with out their consent

Answer 16

This is where the term "wet nurse" came from.  Women have been feeding other peoples babies forever.  I did breastfeed my own children and would help another mother if she needed it.  I don't see why people see it as dirty, it is how we all survived before the evils of formula.

Answer 17

As a general rule. no I would not. But if it was a total emergency situation and the baby had no other means of getting food, then yes I would. I would never let someone else breastfeed my baby however.