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It’s a cliché but it’s true: everyone’s journey into parenthood, including baby food, is different. Some choose to breastfeed. Others decide not to. Either decision is perfectly fine: it all comes down to what’s best for each family.
Similarly, everyone’s body is different, and this includes the amount of milk a breastfeeding person can produce. Some people can’t make enough milk, while others have enough in abundance, including a mother on Reddit who exclusively breastfeeds and produces more than her four-month-old daughter needs. She is using extra milk to create a reservation.
No big deal, right? But apparently, her sister, who is also a new mom, thinks it’s a problem. Then the whole family got involved and now it’s a very big thing.
“Recently [my daughter] I haven’t been able to close my left chest and I’ve been pumping that side, so I have a decent stack of milk, “u / tossmeaway48 wrote on the AITA subreddit.” My sister also had a baby recently and decided not to breastfeed (which I support. Fed is the best.) “
The poster later explained that her sister decided not to breastfeed because she did not want her breasts to sink. And you know what? It’s okay: your body, your choice. The formula is a completely nutritious option. It’s also expensive, and the Redditor’s sister has noticed.
“He came one day and asked me if I could take my breast milk,” the poster continued. “He decided that the formula was too expensive and I would only take the breast milk I was pumping. I told him no … I was saving that in case the girl had closing problems again, or if I didn’t have it, and she needed feed. “
And then the conversation turned sour.
“My sister got scared and told me I didn’t need that much, and that I could always pump more, so giving him what I’ve pumped so far wouldn’t matter,” the poster said. “We argued for a while and she involved our parents. Now it’s become a family issue and people who disagree have been blowing up my phone.”
I wanted to know, “Am I being irrational?”
The post is less than 24 hours old and has already accumulated more than 1.2 thousand comments. And the Reddit verdict came quickly (and without much deliberation): the original poster (OP) is absolutely no being irrational.
“Imagine if OP didn’t have a newborn at the same time as her sister. Would she feel entitled to breast milk from those around her? … What a ridiculousness of right and selfishness,” one of the leading commentators replied.
“Your sister clearly doesn’t understand what is physically demanding and consumes a lot of time breastfeeding and pumping a supply. She is not entitled to the milk you have collected from the body for your own daughter,” another person wrote.
“This is so weird. I breastfed three kids. Pumping and storing milk is HARD. It takes a lot of time and effort. Asking someone to give it is like asking someone to give away pictures or hours and hours of their work. “. said another.
I feel the last two comments personally. I also had an oversupply with my son. Although I stopped making bombs shortly after her first birthday, she will receive her last ounces of breast milk later this week at 18.5 months. I worked hard to make this milk and I made it for him.
I tried to donate, but the FDA recommends not using milk purchased from someone online because it potentially exposes the infant to problems like HIV and illicit drugs. I have no issues with either, but I felt uncomfortable contributing to something the FDA advised against. I also didn’t know of any local hospital that took breast milk. And frankly, my the body made this milk, and so it was my option to give it only to my son.
If you have extra breast milk, here are some things you can do with it:
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Look for a reputable milk bank and donate it. Some milk banks, such as those in hospitals, analyze donors to safely collect and test human milk.
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Find a peer-to-peer group. While the FDA does not recommend it, it is not illegal to give it to peers. Breastfeeding people who donate are likely to consider the interests of other babies. Facebook groups, such as Human Milk 4 Human Babies, allow people to post about extra milk they have or need.
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Put it in the freezer and give it to your baby. The CDC says you can store breast milk at temperatures of 0 degrees Fahrenheit or below for up to 12 months (although it’s best six months or less).
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Give the baby a milk bath. Put some breast milk in the tub. While there is minimal research, experts say milk baths could treat conditions such as baby acne and dry skin.