Breast milk sharing draws interest from mothers

Amy Gehl never thought she would breast-feed. She had always heard how hard it was, and it seemed easier just to buy the baby formula that is sold in most stores.

Three years ago, her mind was changed with the birth of her son.

"I knew I wanted to give my child a better chance at a healthy life from the beginning of his life," Gehl said. "The longer I nursed, the more benefits I saw in his health and in mine."

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, breast-feeding decreases the possibility that a baby will get a variety of infectious diseases, ear infections and diarrhea.

Breast-feeding mothers can return to their pre-pregnancy weight faster and have a reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancer. They also experience less postpartum bleeding, as the hormones that help with breast-feeding make the uterus contract.

"So I guess you could say breast-feeding is not a completely selfless act," Gehl said.

Gehl was recently asked by Eats on Feets to monitor and update the Missouri chapter's Facebook page.

Eats on Feets facilitates a worldwide network of parents and professionals who have made the informed choice to share or support the sharing of breast milk. It was the first network on Facebook for milk sharing and is dedicated to increasing awareness of milk sharing.

Eats on Feets does not allow the selling of breast milk on its pages. It supports a safe, free and altruistic form of milk sharing. As a fairly new organization, it's trying to educate others that community-based milk sharing is an affordable, viable and important option.

The organization's website lists four pillars to support the safe sharing of breast milk.

• First, with an informed choice, mothers are responsible for understanding the options, including the risks and benefits, of all infant and child feeding methods.
• Second, by donor screening, mothers can communicate with donors by asking questions about their health and lifestyle and by requesting blood screening test results.
• Third, mothers and donors should handle milk with clean hands and equipment and use proper storage methods.
• Fourth, use home pasteurization. If in doubt, mothers can pasteurize milk at home on the stove top, in order to inactivate HIV, or by using a single bottle pasteurizer that performs a specific method of pasteurization.

"My son still nurses from time to time, so I am still continuing to produce milk," Gehl said. "I figured if what the Lord gave me was still working, then I should try to help others that maybe weren't as fortunate."

While on Facebook, Gehl saw the page for Eats on Feets. She instantly posted that she had milk to share and has since become an increasingly involved supporter of the pages for Missouri and Kentucky.

"I know that not every mother can breast-feed or produce breast milk. I can produce milk, and it doesn't bother me to help another woman or child out. We have [breasts] for a reason," Gehl said.

Gehl is currently helping a mother who is undergoing treatments for cervical cancer and whose baby has an intolerance to formula. She is pumping her milk, storing it and shipping it to the mother.

More information

The Eats on Feets website and Facebook pages provide additional information on how to properly store breast milk, how to properly package and ship it, and flash-heating.

Flash-heating is a low-tech method of pasteurizing breast milk that was developed for HIV-positive mothers in developing countries who had no safe or affordable alternatives for feeding their infants. The website provides a link to a YouTube video on how to properly flash-heat.

Eats on Feets encourages a detailed health history and blood work-up be disclosed from the donor to recipients in order to come to a mutual agreement for both long- and short-term sharing. The organization also says that individual rights should be respected in all decision making and milk sharing interactions. They want those who participate in the sharing of breast milk to be aware of their options so they can make the informed choices that are best suited to their unique situation.

Cheryl Wormington, a registered nurse who works as a lactation consultant at SoutheastHEALTH, provides assistance and support to those wishing to breast-feed.

"Breast milk provides huge benefits to both mom and baby," Wormington said. "It is important that mothers understand the benefits. I encourage mothers to seek second opinions just as they would with other health-related issues if they have problems or issues with breast feeding. All mothers should have the choice to give breast milk as long as they want to."

Melissa Landreth, a registered nurse and lactation consultant at Saint Francis Medical Center, said she's been contacted in recent years by mothers about purchasing unpasteurized human milk for their babies.

Though she said there are health benefits to breast feeding babies, Landreth is leery of the idea of purchasing unpasteurized human milk.

"The times that I have been contacted I have discouraged the practice of purchasing untested, unpasteurized human milk, and I have referred them to a HMBANA-certified milk bank," said Landreth, referring to the Human Milk Banking Association of North America.

Landreth added that mothers who donate to certified milk banks are tested for HIV, hepatitis, human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 or 2, cytomegalovirus and syphilis and cannot take any medications except Tylenol. She said that milk at the certified facilities is tested for bacteria and pasteurized.

Landreth did say that milk from certified milk banks can be costly, typically running $13.50 per 3-ounce bottle.

With the recent baby formula recalls and economic recession, Gehl said the Eats on Feet website and Facebook pages have seen an increase in visits and inquiries.

"Milk sharing is free and can be extremely safe," Gehl said. "As more research and studies are conducted on baby formula, what is actually in the formula, and the laxed regulations, then I think we will see an increase in milk sharing interest," Gehl said.

"We want donors and recipients to form a bond, because this is a very intimate type of relationship as it pertains to providing nourishment to a child. Both parties should do their homework to build trust and understanding of their respective decisions."

For more information on Eats on Feets, go to www.eatsonfeets.org.

Southeast Missourian editorial-page editor Lucas Presson contributed to this story.