One of the most controversial topics surrounding the issue of breastfeeding is what a woman should do if she finds herself unable to nurse her baby. An even more prickly subject is whether learning how to make homemade baby formula is a good idea.
I myself nursed all three of my children for an extended period of time. The first two were nursed for two years and the third for three and a half years. I practiced parent led weaning for the first 2 children as I did not want to be nursing and pregnant at the same time. For my third and youngest child, I simply allowed her to wean herself whenever she chose.
I’ve often considered what I would have done should I have found myself unable to nurse. Certainly commercial formulas are not a good option as these highly processed powders are loaded with rancid vegetable oils and denatured proteins. Even the organic baby formulas on the market should be avoided for this reason.
Is Homemade Formula Superior to Donor Breastmilk?
What about homemade baby formula made with milk, kefir, or yogurt from grassfed cows or free roaming, foraging goats? Would this formula be superior to human breastmilk from a donor milk bank?
To me, most folks’ opinion on this issue basically boils down to whether they feel that human breastmilk is suitable for an infant regardless of the diet of the Mother. I am of the persuasion that the breastfeeding Mother’s diet is critical to the nutrient density of her breastmilk. I wrote about this in an article commenting on the news story about a vegan Mother whose breastfed baby died.
Nutrient starved Mother = nutrient poor breastmilk
Science is backing this up. Published 2019 research found that the diversity of beneficial probiotics varies greatly from woman to woman perhaps due to dietary factors.
Color and Creamline of Breastmilk Varies Based on Diet
I know from personal experience how my diet affected the color and thickness of my breastmilk. With my first child, I ate everything organic but did not consume many traditional fats or sacred foods. My breastmilk was white with little cream on the top. My baby was also hungry all the time and wanted to nurse frequently. He also spit up a lot which I now know was my consumption of pasteurized organic dairy and improperly prepared grains during that time.
With my next 2 children, my breastmilk went from white to beige and had considerably more fat simply by adding lots of butter, cream, egg yolks, grassfed meat, and fish eggs to my diet. As an added bonus, my children were satisfied more quickly and stayed full much longer between feedings. They also never spit up unless I ate out at a restaurant or had consumed some low quality, non-Traditionally prepared food for whatever reason.
I sure wish I had frozen a few ounces of that breastmilk before and after my Real Food conversion. A picture would have been worth a thousand words!
Few Breastfeeding Women Follow a Real Food, Traditional Diet
Because the vast majority of women do not follow a Real Food, Traditional diet and because I so clearly observed the difference in my own breastmilk when I made the change myself, I would have chosen to make a homemade baby formula with raw milk from grassfed cows instead of seeking donor breastmilk.
To me, it would have been way too risky and far too likely that the donor breastmilk would have come from Moms drinking coffee or diet drinks, eating fast food, taking over the counter prescription drugs and the like. At least with grassfed cows, you know what they are eating and that they aren’t taking any drugs!
Holder Method of Pasteurization
Then there’s also the huge problem that many donor milk banks pasteurize the breastmilk!
And, no, the “Holder method of pasteurization” used by breastmilk banks is just as damaging as conventional pasteurization at dairy plants.
Yes, the Holder method is not as high (62.5ºC/144.5ºF) as flash pasteurization (71ºC/160ºF or higher), but all the enzymes and probiotics are still destroyed at 48ºC/118ºF, so don’t buy that line frequently spouted by donor bank advocates.
I give my opinion on this topic with one caveat.
If I could have found a few Moms that I knew who were eating a Real Food diet, I definitely would have accepted their breastmilk donations for my child if necessary.
But, from a donor milk bank, this information is 100% unknown. And, with Real Food Moms in the minority, using donor milk is just not worth the risk.
What about you? Would you have chosen homemade formula or a donor breastmilk bank? Why or why not?
Thankfully, I have been able to breastfeed all 3 of my sons without any trouble. At the time, I didn’t know anything about Nourishing Traditions and my sons probably would have ended up on canned formula if I hadn’t been able to nurse. But when I was a baby, my mom couldn’t nurse (I’m not sure why…due to having to work in a hot factory, I think…hard to stay hydrated or find a way to pump). She found I was allergic to every commercial formula she tried. She eventually put me on raw goat’s milk she got from a dairy weekly (without anything added that I know of) and I thrived on that. So, I might have looked into something like that had I been unable to nurse. Perhaps that would have led me to information on homemade formula.
At this point, I would be reluctant to accept milk from a donor bank. Especially if it was pasteurized! There are just too many pregnant and nursing moms taking the “safe” OTC meds like Tylenol and Benadryl and I would not want that going in my babies! I would definitely give my babies the homemade formula knowing what I know now.
I do think, though, that if a mom is ONLY going to choose between a donor bank and canned formula, the donor bank milk would probably be better.
Most of my friends have babies now, I would ask them first if they would donate — many are “real foodies” so that would be ideal. Failing that I would make the formula. I’ve never run into this, my first is 3.5 years and still nursing, and my second is 2 years and still nursing, and I’m expecting #3 anytime.
It is interesting what you say about the changes in your milk. My first baby was NEVER satisfied (I ate SAD) and I never produced enough milk, no matter how frequently she nursed. Which was about every 30 – 45 minutes during the day. She struggled with chronic diaper rash and other issues from 2 months on. We ultimately discovered multiple food allergies and gut damage (at least she didn’t have vaccines!) and she went on GAPS for awhile around age 2. Only then did her health significantly improve and she began talking for the first time!
My second (semi-traditional foods; I had just discovered it and was eating half not-so-good, but including more traditional fats) put himself on a 3-hour feeding schedule from day 1. He was only fussy if I consumed (regular) dairy, which I could not eat until he was 8 months old. That was when we discovered raw milk and he hasn’t had any issues since! He was a fussy night time baby though from 3 months until 15 months (really a bit longer), waking many times. It may have been his personality, it may have been us going through GAPS and other issues at that time, I don’t know.
This time I’ve had raw milk and traditional foods throughout my pregnancy, including FCLO, lots of fermented foods, etc. My husband and I are so excited to see how this new baby does! I expect to have TONS of milk (which I did the second time too) for all my babies. (That is, my baby and my older nursers.) I didn’t pump at all the second time and probably won’t this time, I just took baby with me everywhere for the first 6 – 8 months, so I have no idea if my milk LOOKED different. But I could tell the difference in baby’s satisfaction and growth.
I’ve commented to your other breast milk/formula posts but here goes again 🙂
I struggled with breast feeding. Even after working religiously with a lactation consultant, taking fenu greek, etc, etc I will still only producing 2 oz in 4 hours when my baby was 7 months old. I breast fed him and supplimented with goat milk formula (unpasturized) until 7 1/2 months and then switched to all goat milk. I wanted so bad to nurse him exclusively until at least 18 months. It broke my heart and took me several weeks to “forgive” myself for not being able to do so.
Knowing what I now know about commercial formula and the effects of a mother’s diet on her beast milk I would not change my choice. Had I had a relative or close friend who was able to donate milk and followed a similar diet I MAY have considered it however I feel there is something sacared about breastfeeding/breast milk & I don’t know if I could have given another woman’s milk to my son (it’s a hang up, don’t hate me, it’s just my personal feeling).
I was encouraged to not nurse my first child in 1980. He was allergic to every formula we had access to, it turned out, and he likely would not have survived if I had not relactated. The “can’t nurse” population is truly rare. Many are told they cannot for various reasons. I was too skinny, too high strung, and the doctor assumed I didn’t want to be bothered. I had not nursed for three months when I relactated. It can be done with professional help. I was truly blessed to have a dear friend who I knew personally and well, and she donated to me for a couple weeks while I got my supply going.
Back then, AIDS in breastmilk was not a danger, and many other transmittable diseases weren’t even being tracked. Even so, if I had not had a friend who could donate, there is no way I would have taken donated milk. I was raised on formula, and had many health problems, but I’m alive and breathing! The formula recipe in Nourishing Traditions fascinates me, though!
Donor milk comes with a high cost (though they aren’t making a profit, just covering costs of testing, etc.) that makes it less accessible for most people. I personally wouldn’t want to pay the $4 and $5 an ounce for a pasteurized product, but would like to do it if commercial formula were the only other option. However, I find it unlikely that I would be able to afford that for very long. I would probably do a combination of donor milk sharing (like Eats on Feets) and Sally’s recipe. Which, might be the best combination anyway, since it would allow for human immune cells (unpasteurized, as I would only get donations from someone I trusted) and control over the diet of the cows, etc.
I do wish to address some of the comments though, in that, I find it’s highly unlikely to find breastfeeding moms who don’t care about their diets, and assume willy-nilly that their children will always be healthy, no matter what their diet while breastfeeding, or their children’s environment outside of breastfeeding. As a mom who breastfed her little guy until 31 months, I never thought I could just eat whatever I wanted (even though our diet was less traditional then) and I certainly didn’t think that gave me a free pass to doom bottle fed babies to cancer. I’m a huge breastfeeding advocate, just in the way that I’m a huge real food advocate. I know, for myself, breastfeeding successfully was just another avenue leading to real food.
And, to answer your question “Are donor breastmilk banks ever a good idea?” I think that given the majority of babies not receiving breastmilk are getting conventional formula, the answer no matter what you feel about breastmilk vs. homemade formula should definitely be yes. Otherwise, even more babies will be getting Nestle and Similac. And, I don’t think that’s something any of us want.
donor banks charge but human milk for human babies and eats on feets match donor to baby in need and are free!
I just wanted to add, Sarah, that I am so glad you posted this. I meet too many mothers who think that breastfeeding is the only factor in your child’s health. They act like bottle fed babies are doomed to cancer and breastfed babies will be healthy, no matter what. They ignore their diets (except for alcohol and smoking) as they blissfully do extended breastfeeding – certain that their baby’s diet is complete. As I said, breastfeeding is a link in the chain of your child’s health – a big link – but not the only one. A mother’s pregnancy and breastfeeding diet are crucial to Baby’s health as well and breastfed baby’s can be malnourished due to Mommy’s poor nutrition.
I know plenty of children who were breastfed for an extended period of time who have narrow faces, crowded teeth and pale faces. Breastfeeding alone does not ensure a child’s health that’s for sure. The Mother’s diet while pregnant and breastfeeding is critical.
I love breastfeeding and did extended breastfeeding with my two daughters. My mother breastfed her first three children (including yours truly), but developed a series of infections with her fourth that did not permit her to nurse the others. She tried every natural remedy out there to no avail. Luckily, she discovered Nourishing Traditions, ate healthier while pregnant and used Sally’s formula recipe. The next five children were very fat, healthy infants – healthier, in fact, that we breastfed children. Breastfeeding is a link in a healthy baby’s life – not the only factor. I have met many unhealthy kids whose mothers did extended breastfeeding, but they had a poor diet. I agree with Sarah. If I could not breastfeed, I would eat a scrupulous prenatal diet and then use Sally’s recipe. It had exceptional results for my younger siblings and I think it is very close to the real thing. Furthermore, I know breastmilk contains wonderful antibodies, but, do they benefit the baby as much – or even at all – if the mother is from a different environment and her body is battling different things? Also, transfats go right through the milk and most mothers nowadays eat plenty of them! Even if a mother is not smoking, but she did previously, she still may have many toxins that are in her body. Using donor milk could be a risky business.
Until the vast majority of moms breastfeed, donor milk is a necessity. It is lack of a supportive breastfeeding culture–not biological maladies–which prevents so many mothers from nursing their babies. I agree that there is a serious need for education about nutrition, but to label breastmilk as potentially harmful due to one rare, tragic case in France is not helping moms or babies. Donor milk helps save lives of babies in the NICU. Even milk from a mom eating mainstream American diet is vastly superior to commercial formula. AT this point in time, raw milk from cows or goats is illegal for sale and hard to obtain in many places. Lets not disparage moms who choose donated milk (or to breastfeed without obsessing about perfect nutrition) over formula. There is plenty enough mama guilt to go around.
(For the record, I am still nursing my 4 year old, and while I am always improving my diet, it was not ideal before conception or even today–though I’ve improved things since.)
Good response! I agree. We cannot label breastmilk as potentially harmful based upon one tragic case in France. Overall, human breastmilk is THE BEST for human babies. And our bodies really do give the best to the baby.
We need to up our person-to-person (it’s not as effective when its some sort of national campaign) education regarding breastfeeding our children. This is a matter of mothers teaching their daughters.
The absolutely last resort should be formula, of any combination.
No, I would definitely go for donor milk. There are thousands of ingredients in human milk, and we don’t even know what all of them are. We add a ton of things to turn cow or goat milk into formula, and it’s still not covering all the bases. Goats and cows do not make human antibodies, for instance, and you can’t add them in. There are also cancer-fighting ingredients in human milk.
I’m a believer in human milk for human babies if at all possible. I think even pasteurized milk from someone eating the SAD is probably better than the best formula. I’ve heard story after story of babies who suffered on even the best formulas, and recovered when given banked human milk. Preemies survive at much better rates on breastmilk, avoiding necrotizing enterocolitis and other diseases, even though their milk is pasteurized!
However, if I needed milk, I would probably go to an unofficial milk-sharing group, like Human Milk for Human Babies, so that I could get unpasteurized milk from a donor I trusted.
Unpasteurized breastmilk from a donor whose diet was known and trusted would be the only way I would accept donor milk too.
Wouldn’t many of those antibodies and all the probiotics be killed with pasteurization?
Very interesting post. My mother did not breastfeed me; born in 60′ bottlefeeding was a poor trend that many mothers followed. Based on my current knowledge I believe that was at the root of the many ear infections I had as a child along with the horrible antibiotics they gave to treat those.
Having never had a child I am not experienced in breastfeeding. If I was unable to nurse and had the above 2 choices I would go with a homemade formula from raw milk from grass fed cows over donor breast milk. My one exception would also be if I actually knew a couple of moms / what their diet consisted of or the source of the donor breast milk. I would not trust any commercial donor banks. So once again my friend I think you are spot on!!
How exciting that you will be speaking, wish I was going to the WAPF conference! Need a roomie?