Most people have a pretty nasty reaction when they hear that moms sell their breast milk. Typically we think it's gross or unsanitary. Almost everyone reacts with disgust. Who are these women? Why are they doing it? Who buys this? When I talked to these women I discovered that I had tons of misconceptions about them and the process they go through. There are a few things that you should know about these moms. They have reasons for doing what they do. Most of them are just like you and me, only they have a freezer full of breast milk and a little more cash in their pockets.
13 They Do It For Many Reasons
Some women do it to make ends meet. I met some who did it because they had previously needed breast milk from a bank, or had heard about the bank, and they truly believed in what that bank was doing. Some of these women just had too much milk and didn't know how to go about donating it. There were even a few who had been approached, had extra, and didn't put a whole lot of thought in it. Whatever their reasons are, pumping breast milk isn't as easy as it sounds. It takes time, money, and sometimes discomfort.
12 Most Donate
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Speaking with women all over the country, who sold their breast milk for many reasons, I found they all had something in common. Every single one had previously donated. Many of them were actually still donating and only being compensated minimally for travel and supplies. These women use sites like www.hm4hb.net and www.eatsonfeets.org to find local families who need donor milk for their children. The women I spoke with eventually lost contact with the family who needed them or moved to locations where they found no need. That was when they turned to breast milk sales.
11 They Are Not Breaking Laws
When asking around about breast milk sales, a lot of people told me that it was illegal. Some even assumed I was selling my own milk and threatened to report me. The truth is, there are no laws banning sales of breast milk in the United States. No mother has been arrested for selling milk. People that have negative feelings about profiting from breast milk have spread a rumor. That's it! It is illegal in Canada because it falls under the scope of bodily fluids. The United States has not categorized it the same because doing so would impact women pumping and storing milk at work.
10 They Don't Make Much
These women are not rolling in dough. All that I spoke with expressed that they would donate if they knew a mother in need personally. The large milk banks like Tiny Treasures and Mothers Milk Coop pay only $1.00 per ounce. Women who use private sites like www.Onlythebreast.com are charging around the same, with a few mothers who have specialized diets charging up to $2.25. Naysayers told me time and again that these moms are charging $5.00 per ounce and babies who need the milk cannot afford that. I couldn't find any mother selling at that price. Of course, formula is much cheaper BUT often a mother is looking to buy donor milk because her child has rejected formula. The hypoallergenic special dietary formulas are about $1.90 per ounce. Breast milk is nutritionally superior so this puts the going rate at an appropriate price point. There is no shame in valuing something that is valuable.
9 They Aren't Always Selling To Babies
The latest tactic for building muscle is drinking human milk. Body builders are heading to Craigslist and other breast milk sales sites to purchase this liquid gold. Masters of culinary arts are using breast milk to make unique creations and it has even been featured on MasterChef as an ingredient in macaroni and cheese. Multiple restaurants around the world offer boobishly delicious dishes. Cancer patients are using breast milk to boost their immunity after chemotherapy and even healthy people are purchasing breast milk to use as treatment for every day issues. Breast milk can treat skin conditions, ear infections, Crohn's disease, the list is endless. It would be wrong to omit the occasional internet creeper out there buying breast milk for kicks. Yes, in addition to all the valid uses, there are a few people out there purchasing breast milk for unknown reasons.
8 They Aren't The Only Ones Selling Human Body Products
I used a hair calculator and my current value is 158 bucks! Sperm donors are getting about $40.00 per specimen. Much higher than breast milk is selling for. Plasma runs around the same price, and most people consider that much more precious than a mother's milk. A poop sample will score you $50 if you can give one five days in one week! The biggest payout is by far egg donation. $8,000 and that is a low-end estimate. Bone marrow donors are even being compensated now at $3,000 per donation.
7 They Are Necessary
Formula companies buy breast milk in order to test and improve their formulas. Prolacta is one company that pays for breast milk so that they can make a human milk fortifier. This is used to increase calories in the milk and formula that premature infants get, allowing them to thrive. Other companies in the medical industry are buying breast milk via compensating milk banks. They use it for stem cell research. Breast milk is full of stem cells and research is showing it can be used to fight cancer among other things. One company purchasing breast milk has identified a fatty acid-protein they call Hamlet. This protein kills 40 types of cancer cells in the lab.
6 They Have No Friends
People are soooo judgemental. Breastfeeding moms who don't sell their milk think sellers are greedy and selfish. I certainly would have fallen into this category at one time. Friends and family outside of the lactating world just think they are gross. Everyone has strong opinions about them and why they do this. There are multiple websites devoted to how dishonest these moms are. Many are warning that breast milk sellers are scamming. Basically nobody wants anything to do with them. Weird. They all just seemed like nice, normal, ladies making a choice that made sense for them at that time.
5 Their Milk Is Sanitary
The milk banks that are paying these mothers require a doctor to sign off on the mother's health as well as the health of their child. In addition they undergo a blood test. The mother also has a DNA test and every donation of breast milk she sends in is matched with her DNA. This ensures that she does not have HIV or other blood borne illnesses that can survive in breast milk. The milk banks also require the mother to verify the temperature of her freezer so the milk is stored safely. Online breast milk classifieds like Onlythebreast, require that the milk be pasteurized. These ladies aren't just selling nasty old milk they found in the back of the fridge.
4 They Are Healthy
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They get a doctor's note certifying health, but there is more. They can't be on medication. They can't smoke or use any nicotine. Browsing through ads you will find so many offering organic diets, as well as gluten-free, dairy free, paleo, almost anything. Many report high fitness levels and list all vitamins they are taking to ensure their milk has a high nutrient content.
3 Selling Milk Isn't New
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Wet nursing is nursing an infant that is not yours. There is evidence of wet nursing as a profession as early as 2000 BC. This was out of necessity, but we see wet nursing appear as a choice around 950 BC. This lasted well into the 1800s. Breastfeeding someone else's child was a career option and there were regulations in place protecting it. The bottle was introduced thus the profession began to decline. Though we do see prescriptions for formula in early Israeli and Egyptian cultures, wet nursing was the most common choice by far. In Europe, royalty typically hired wet nurses and the Roman empire held specific contracts with them for the feeding of abandoned infants. All of these women were well paid. Modern moms selling their breast milk are simply doing something that humanity has always done.
2 They Are In Hot Demand
No matter what everyone says or thinks about them, people are buying the milk. There is definitely a high demand for the product and the price point currently set seems to work just fine. As more and more families choose surrogates or adoptions the demand increases. Some women are boasting sales in the thousands. Like anything else , if there is a demand someone will supply it.
1 They Are Honest
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When it comes to breastfeeding in general, nobody is really honest about how difficult it can be. Pumping milk adds a whole other level of difficulty. It just isn't totally worth it to do for free. Yes, some women generously donate milk to infants in need. Those same women may find themselves in a financial bind or without the ability to stay home with their child. It can get exhausting to do something difficult for free and at some point they request a fair wage for a great product. They eat healthy, spend hours on the pump, store and finally transport liquid gold. These are honest, hard-working women.
