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HWN Suggests

Got Milk: The Underground Online Marketplace for Human Breast Milk

In the world of peddling online breast milk, mothers looking to make money off their excess milk become their own marketing managers, constantly curating their personal brands to separate themselves from the rest. It's why you'll find labels like "organic," "gluten and dairy free," and "vegan" swimming through milk classified sites like sad goldfish in an elaborate fish tank at a mid-scale Chinese restaurant.

The sea of labels can actually be pretty reassuring, even to someone like myself who is not looking to buy milk at all. It makes the whole experience feel vaguely familiar, like perusing the dairy aisle at your local grocery store.

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Featured

 Breast milk banking continues an ancient human tradition and can save lives

Around 2000 BC breastfeeding was considered a religious obligation. Now we understand why breast milk is the ideal food for babies, with evidence showing it provides substantial benefits to health even beyond the period of breastfeeding.

 Breast milk market is booming online – it’s unregulated, might make your baby sick, but entirely legal

For parents who want their child to have breast milk, but are unable produce it themselves, being able to buy it on the internet might seem like a hopeful solution. Many families might want to feed their infant breast milk for a number of reasons, such as improving their child’s immune system. This might lead families to turn to online forums or Facebook groups to find women selling their breast milk. But the dark side of this online trade is that not only are there no laws restricting the sale of breast milk online – it’s also unregulated in the UK and Ireland. This leaves parents vulnerable to buying breast milk that is substandard or dangerous for consumption by their child.

 Don’t Buy Breast Milk Off The Internet

Experts say the industry needs a lot more regulation to make sure the milk is safe for babies.

Articles of Interest

Breast Milk Bought Online Has High Levels Of Bacteria

Three-quarters of the website-purchased breast milk contained Gram-negative bacteria, which can cause infections. That's compared to 35 percent of the milk bank samples. The purchased milk also contained more coliform bacteria, which are typically found in feces. There were also higher levels of Staphylococcus and Streptococcus, bacteria found on the skin that are usually harmless.

Resources

Human Milk Banking

HMBANA advances the field of nonprofit milk banking through member accreditation, development of evidence-based best practices, and advocacy of breastfeeding and human lactation to ensure an ethically sourced and equitably distributed supply of donor human milk.