My friend & i have been best friends for 13years, and as everyone knows having a friend for that long you can joke act foolish & act not so serious at times, but the other day i think my friend might have taken a joke to the next level . We both have babies, hers only 4 weeks old & my bub is nearly 4 months. We are both breast feeding mothers.
My friend had a app to go to so i offered to take care of her baby for the duration so she didn't have to drag him along while he was content. While walking out the door she said I didn't get a chance to express milk and he doesn't have formula but I give you permission to breastfeed him if he gets hungry. Lucky for me she only took an hour and he didn't wake up. Too me it felt wrong having her say something like that & after talking to her she said it was a joke & she knew he wouldn't wake as she fed him prior so he wasn't due to wake up.can you get in some sort of trouble for breast feeding someone else's baby,? And would the milk still have the same effect? I was blown away from this remark, all I could think about was what the hell would I have done if baby actually did wake up for a feed.
Breast feeding joke to far?
Breast feeding joke to far?
Posted in:
Baby & Toddler, Baby Feeding
7 Replies
If she gave u permission (u didn't know it was a joke at the time) then I would think she wouldn't care. You can get breast milk banks or they are trying to introduce them. I would think they are doing this as yes breast milk would have same effect...
personally tho I would have expressed n bottle fed if it was an emergency n you had no formula. And after u contacted her to talk through options.
If she gave you permission I would say it originally wasn't a joke. Even though I wouldn't breast feed a child who isn't mine, I would feel honoured that your best friend loves & trusts you like that (with also making sure she would never breast feed your child off her own back). Breast milk is breast milk. Some Mums who produce too much milk actually express & donate it to help babies who can't be breasted because breast is best.
No big deal I my books. Hundreds of mums use donated breastmilk instead of using formula. It's called wet nursing.
I have my expressed milk to a friend who's baby was 3 months younger and she was having a really rough time with him although she refused to give formula, I tried to convince er to mix feed but she was adamant so I expressed a few feeds for her and she went to a milk bank too, but feeding direct from the boob would be weird as. I guess everyone has their line- but I would say choose to believe what she said- if she said it was a joke let it go :)
There is nothing wrong with breastfeeding another baby if the mother has given you permission. I don't see anything wrong about this situation.
I would think your friend probably wasn't joking and your reaction made her say that. It is extremely natural and normal to do that. Before formula, if a mother couldn't feed her baby (either once off or for good) for what ever reason, another mother or a wet nurse would. I would feed my friends hungry baby in a heart beat if I needed to and had permission to. I have donated expressed milk to friends and strangers. My mum fed her sisters baby when my Nanna was baby sitting and my aunt got stuck in town. To me it is the natural thing to do, each to their own though and perhaps before you next baby sit you should discuss the options.
Relax! If the baby had of woken up you could've just called her! And yes the milk does have the same effect - there are milk banks out there for people who can't express/breastfeed. Personally I'd let my sister bf my baby if I really needed it. Don't even think anymore about this & dot et funny over something so silly! You've been friends 13 years!!! Have a laugh and move on!