Presentation Information

The Milk Sharing Conundrum - The Grey Area Between Scope and Need

• Speaker: Laurel A. Wilson , IBCLC, BSc, CLE, CLD, CCCE, CLSP
• Presentation Type:
• Duration: 45 Mins
• Credits: .75 CERP, .75 Nursing CEU, .75 CME, .05 Midwifery CEU, .75 Dietetic CEU

Abstract:

All human babies have the right to breastmilk exclusivity. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways - breastfeeding, expressed breastmilk via a feeding device, or pasteurized donor human milk. Recently there has been much attention placed on the traditional, though professionally frowned upon, practice of informal milk peer to peer milk sharing. The increasing popularity of milk sharing via social media, the growing attention on the importance of breastmilk exclusivity, the increasing awareness of potential dangers of artificial milk, and the inability for donor milk banks to provide donor milk for more than those in critical need has led professionals and families to an impass. Even though some professionals have warned against the practice, its use is becoming more widespread. Finding policy and recommended practices can be difficult. This presentation reviews the current challenges and realities of milk sharing while helping professionals provide best practice recommendations.