It does not matter if you have 5 kids or you are a first-time parent, one thing we have all had to think about is how are we going to feed them? With what? Today we are going to talk about breastmilk in a capacity that maybe you did not hear about at the hospital. Community Breastmilk Sharing – what is it? Is it safe? Risks? If you did not ask all these same questions about other options, you need to really think about why.

What is community breastmilk sharing? Well, when I needed breastmilk for my daughter, I would post on Eats on Feets Facebook page in my community and wait for a response or ask for the help from the page's admin team. The details from there would vary but essentially, we would talk online, by phone, or in person and I had never done this before, so I had to do research. The beauty of Eats on Feets, the reason they have my respect is they did the research. They did the research and left it out there for everyone to read and look up themselves. The sources and information are reputable and updated as needed. I used those resources when I spoke to the potential donors and I answered their questions. When we were comfortable enough and decided to move forward, we decided to meet in a place where we agreed we were comfortable, and I would get breastmilk and I would give her breastmilk storage bags in exchange. This is not something that is required, but that is how I chose to say "Thank you." We parted ways until I was in need and then I would see if they had any available. My daughter had 12 different donors, they're all heroes in my book!

When I chose community breastmilk as a source that meant researching an entire person, we call this Donor Screening, and that is not something a lot of people are comfortable with. I certainly had never done it before. I am the boldest, outspoken, type A personality you have ever met and it made me weird to dive into someone else's personal business asking about: their health, vaccines, medications, smoker/non-smoker, all kinds of stuff right? It was difficult for me and I felt so embarrassed that I would come to them asking them for something only they could produce for my child and have the audacity to interrogate them about their choices. I already felt bad enough that my own body had failed me in the one place I thought it should not have (mental health, it is important!) and here I am in Wal-Mart parking lot questioning a stranger for their milk my daughter so desperately needed. EOF helped me through it and that mother (who I will not name for privacy), she hugged me, and I cried, and she willingly answered all my questions. I had written them down because I knew I would not remember. She even told me some to ask next time. (I am crying right now). This is a personal and emotional choice, so you do your research and you make sure you are comfortable doing this and asking the hard questions. If you need help, you ask for help. Screen your Donors, if you find out they will not answer questions, or they seem like they are not being transparent: contact EOF immediately. Safety first will always be our motto!

The next thing I want to talk about is safe handling, this is for Donors and those receiving the donations. It is important for everyone to keep their spaces in their homes clean where the milk is handled, keep hands clean, keep bags and equipment for collection clean. This also means proper storage, transportation, and shipment of breastmilk. Community breastmilk sharing should never have more risks than if you were breastfeeding your own child. Are there risks? Yes. Like with everything in life there are risks, but those same risk factors can be applied to those being fed in a hospital NICU setting, in a park, or at home. To date there have not been any documented cases of disease transmission or bacterial infection through community breastmilk sharing. If you still have concerns let us move along…

If you want to participate in community breastmilk sharing but you have doubts about things, there is always home pasteurization. What is that? The first method is like flash heating, you heat the milk to an extremely high temperature for a short amount of time (please note: this may diminish the milk's nutritive properties). The second method is like Holder pasteurization (like what milk banks use) it is where the milk is exposed to a low temperature for a long time (please note: this may diminish the milk's nutritive properties). I never used either. Why? Breastmilk is best raw, it holds the lowest rate for bacterial infection, and it retains all its nutritional properties. Pasteurizing breastmilk has been shown to raise the risk of spore forming bacteria such as bacillus cereus.

Be Informed. Screen Your Donor. Handle everything safely. Pasteurize or don't pasteurize.