What is Eats on Feets?

Eats on Feets is a volunteer-run, worldwide network that facilitates platforms for parents, caretakers, and professionals who have made the informed choice to share or support the sharing of human milk. Our platforms provide a commerce-free space where families can offer or request breastmilk in an ethical manner.

How was Eats on Feets started?

"Hey, why don't we just become wet-nurses; instead of Meals on Wheels, we can call ourselves Eats on Feets."
— Shell Walker Luttrell, 1991

These words are at the foundation of the Eats on Feets network.

Meals on Wheels is a network comprised of 5,000 community-based programs across the United States dedicated to addressing senior hunger and isolation.

In July of 2010, Shell, retired LM, CPM, started the original Eats on Feets Chapter on Facebook for her community in Arizona. Remembering her words from 1991, she thought that Eats on Feets would be a fun and lighthearted name for a page dedicated to bringing human milk to babies in need. In October of 2010, the idea caught on, and a network of multiple chapters was created.

What is informed choice?

An informed choice is made by examining all credible, verifiable, and relevant information available and using it to carefully and objectively weigh options as well as potential consequences of the different infant feeding options. When parents or professionals look for information in order to safely share breastmilk or support breastmilk sharing, it is important that ALL of the information is taken into consideration in order to make truly informed choices, not just that which supports personal dogma with regards to breastfeeding.

Why choose Eats on Feets?

By designing the original working model for facilitating a Facebook-based milksharing network, original documents, as compiling and making accessible extensive research, we have influenced milksharing policy, and have become known as the go-to organization for information regarding the safety, mechanisms, and informed choice process of community-based milksharing.

Our safety information is under regular scrutiny from members of the medical and research community.

Our administrators work diligently to protect the right to harassment-free, commerce-free, ethical arrangement of milksharing that honors the integrity of direct contact between donor and recipient.

What does Eats on Feets believe?

Eats on Feets believes that:

• Breastfeeding is essential for both infant and global health.
• Breastmilk can be shared in a safe, ethical manner, and families are capable of making informed choices.
• Sharing healthy breastmilk is a vital option, when necessary, in order to maintain exclusive breastfeeding.
• There is enough breastmilk for all the babies who need it.
• Informed use of healthy donor milk is superior to artificial substitutes.
• Wet-nursing is an important part of milksharing.
• Hand expression of milk (while maintaining clean technique) does not involve the cleaning of parts and may thus be cleaner and safer than using a mechanical pumping system.
• Breastmilk from a healthy donor that is raw and fresh (not frozen) is closest to its natural state and therefore most beneficial.
• Individual rights should be respected in all decision making and milksharing interactions.
• Individuals and communities are in a key position to help meet the breastmilk needs of babies.

What are the benefits of community-based milksharing?

Some benefits are:

• Normalizes breastmilk as the primary food source for babies, wet-nursing, and the sharing of breastmilk
• Rapid response in acute situations
• Affordable
• Control of the pasteurization process
• Likelihood of obtaining age-specific milk if desired
• Opportunity to meet donor(s) and verify lifestyle and health habits
• Provides parental and caretaker autonomy
• Builds community with other parents and caretakers
• In some cultures: extends family to include 'milk-brothers and -sisters'
• Key placement of those whose knowledge, assistance and networks could be imperative during a state of emergency

What does Eats on Feets not do?

• Support or approve of the selling of breastmilk on our network.
• Accept any bartering for breastmilk other than bag-for-bag replacement if needed.
• Match donors and recipients.
• Accept third-party offers or requests.
• Screen donors or recipients.
• Provide clinical advice/care for breastfeeding difficulties.
• Collect, store, or distribute breastmilk.
• Accept liability for the outcomes associated with sharing breastmilk.