Q: Are there no wet nurses in this country? My 8-month-old will not take a bottle or pacifier. I need a form of chemotherapy, so I was hoping to hire some help and pump and dispose my breast milk until my system was clean.
A: There are no formal wet nurses in our country that I have ever heard about. Because of concerns about AIDS and hepatitis, even milk donation must be carefully screened and the milk carefully treated before other babies can drink it. Some mothers have friends that they feel safe with, or family members that they would feel comfortable allowing to nurse their babies, but it would be essential to have them screened as well to be sure they do not have any kind of illness that could be communicated to your baby.
Also, it is important to find out how long the chemotherapy drug will remain in your milk before you can safely breastfeed and to be sure to obtain a very effective double electric pump for pumping during treatment so that your milk supply will not diminish. You may find that your baby will take a cup for nourishment, even if a bottle is not acceptable to him. Best wishes for a speedy recovery from your illness.
By Ann Calandro
BSN, RNC, IBCLC Lactation Consultant
