Mothers Who Engage in Long-Term Informal Milk Sharing

MCN Am J Matern Child Nurs. 2020 Nov/Dec;45(6):338-343. doi: 10.1097/NMC.0000000000000660.

Abstract

Human milk has repeatedly been shown to be the best form of infant nutrition. Many reasons may prevent a family from providing human milk to their child, leaving them to seek other options. One alternative is informal milk sharing, where individuals and families find donor milk through online communities. We present perspectives from three mothers who used informal milk sharing for at least 6 months. Common themes identified are sadness, guilt, and stigmatization of informal milk sharing. Implications for practice include providing families and practitioners with resources for learning about informal milk sharing and navigating the community safely.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Female
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Milk Banks / standards
  • Milk Banks / trends*
  • Milk, Human*
  • Mothers / psychology*
  • Mothers / statistics & numerical data
  • Patient Care / methods*
  • Patient Care / trends
  • Surveys and Questionnaires