How willing are you to donate EBM?

**shed** · 11-07-2008 14:23

nothing

**jayisa02** · 11-07-2008 14:59

I would definitely be willing to donate to a baby that needed EBM - wouldnt matter if i knew them or not. I also wouldnt want more than one blood test.

for about 6mths i was tipping breast milk down the sink cause i had filled every bottle in the house and my DD wouldnt drink from a bottle anyway. It all went to waste. I could have easily fed another baby or two!!

**Seekrit** · 11-07-2008 15:07

I've been thinking about this, I wrote up a reply and thought "Oh Nikki, that may not be well received." and closed it. And now I'm here again because I figure I may as well say it.

If I were approached by a friend for their bub, or a bub they knew, I'd gladly do so. I'd expect no reimbursment, maybe the occasional tube of Lanisinoh

However, I wouldn't do it to donate to a milk bank, quite honestly it's too much hassle.. heh.. I expressed for 6 months for Cobey when I went back to work and it was so time consuming, boring, sometimes painful... I don't think I'd do it unless I knew where it was going and that it was being used... and see the benefits, you know?

**Jinglebells** · 11-07-2008 15:15

If I was still breastfeeding, I would donate, there is a milk bank down here, so it wouldn't be too hard to get the milk to them, I wouldn't go out of my way to produce a certain amout though, I would just give what I could to help a baby

**Phyllis Stein** · 11-07-2008 15:51

The diseases I ask donors to be screened for are HTLV, hepatitis B, C, HIV 1 and 2, and syphilis.

If I continue to receive from that donor, I'd appreciate re-screening every 4 months. I'd pay all medical and travel costs, and offer to look after their kids while they get the test done.

**forbetoel** · 11-07-2008 15:56

I would only donate to my family and close friends I think.

In the other thread I said I would rather a wet nurse, purely because I think that breast milk is at it's best straight from the body, and even then it would be from someone I knew really well.

So yes I would donate to family. I have fed my neice before.

**shed** · 11-07-2008 16:07

Originally Posted by Seekrit

However, I wouldn't do it to donate to a milk bank, quite honestly it's too much hassle.. heh.. I expressed for 6 months for Cobey when I went back to work and it was so time consuming, boring, sometimes painful... I don't think I'd do it unless I knew where it was going and that it was being used... and see the benefits, you know?

Yep, I do know!!

I haaaaaaaaate expressing and totally understand. I would need to see the benefits too I think.

A milk bank might get a few donations from me, but that's probably it.

Originally Posted by mahna mahna

The diseases I ask donors to be screened for are HTLV, hepatitis B, C, HIV 1 and 2, and syphilis.

If I continue to receive from that donor, I'd appreciate re-screening every 4 months. I'd pay all medical and travel costs, and offer to look after their kids while they get the test done.

Syphillis testing every 4 months? Is there any particular reason for that?

**RedPanda** · 11-07-2008 16:07

I'd donate to premmies, and to friends. I probably wouldn't bother donating to a healthy newborn infant because like Nikki said, it's boring and tedious to express.

I'd also be hesitant to undergo screening. Prior to pregnancy and breastfeeding, I was a regular blood donor, so I have already been screened for everything.

**zenifa** · 11-07-2008 16:08

Well I would be willing to donate EBM and until recently I did have a freezer full, unfortunately, the only milkbank around here is so underresourced they couldn't take my milk

I didn't expect nor want any payment, just for them to collect it and I was happy for them to screen me or the milk as required.

So I wouldn't mind if it was someone I knew or a stranger.

I am no fan of expressing either, but due to an oversupply I did have lots of frozen EBM - luckily I could use it when my DD2 started solids, so it didn't go to waste. I consider it liquid gold!!

**Sheer Bliss** · 11-07-2008 16:11

Probably not. I can't express a great deal anyway, usually only 40-50ml if DS misses a feed, and I can usually express nothing after a feed. I don't even bother expressing for him anymore, he usually has one bottle a week when i am at work, and as he is 15months, he has cows milk then. IF I could express easily and had heaps of milk (a friend of a friend expressed over 100mL of colostrum BY HAND before she left hospy as she had so much milk with her 5week premmie) then i would consider it. But also there are no banks nearby, so it would be hard to do too. On that note, I also said in the other thread, that due to our location, I would give formula over doner milk anyway. Location and availability play a big part in my decision.