Informal Human Milk Sharing

Abstract

Background:

Little is known about women’s participation or likely participation in informal human milk (HM) sharing. The US Food and Drug Administration recommends against feeding infants shared HM acquired directly from individuals or through the Internet.

Objective:

This study explored the experiences of and attitudes toward HM sharing among mothers with experience of HM feeding and breast pump use, regardless of whether or not they had participated in HM sharing.

Methods:

We conducted qualitative, semistructured, in-depth interviews with 41 mothers from 4 counties in upstate New York, asking about their attitudes toward HM sharing. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed inductively.

Results:

Most women were aware of informal HM sharing and some had personal experience with sharing. Many mothers reported a willingness to provide their own HM if they had extra and their own child had enough. Mothers were less trusting about receiving HM, voicing concerns about the dietary intake or disease status of potential providers. Mothers felt that whether or not they participated in HM sharing would depend on the situation; they were most amenable to sharing with a family member or close friend. A novel finding was the involvement of lactation consultants and midwives, who coordinated HM exchanges for mothers in this sample.

Conclusion:

Awareness of HM sharing was high in this sample. Depending on the situation, mothers may consider participating in informal HM sharing and they may be facilitated by health professionals. Future research is required to establish the benefits and risks associated with informal HM sharing.