Breast Milk for Sale

(Newswire.net — December 21, 2017) Cheyenne, Wyoming — The idea of selling breast milk doesn’t sound very kosher but believe it or not, it’s a growing fad. Originally limited to newborns whose mothers are unable to feed for whatever reason, it is now a booming business to sell breast milk in much the same way as a carton of milk in some spheres. 

“In the United States, there are around a dozen banks which generally sell milk for around $4 an ounce, roughly the cost of processing and pasteurizing donations,” reported by Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) Australia in a December 2015 article. 

Under a nation bank for breast milk one can appreciate the need to cover production cost by way of passing on a fraction of such expenses to the end users. However, something this creates a vicious cycle and does more harm than good. 

“The Human Milk Bank Association of North America Guidelines stipulates that donors not be paid for their milk,” states Wikipedia. “However, hospitals and recipients are required to cover some of the cost for collection, processing and distribution of milk which may be from $3.00 to $5.00 an ounce.” 

Now take for example the old Brazilian breast milk bank policies of the past where poverty stricken mothers often sold their breast milk to the state at the expense of their own child’s health. Some infants were left underfed and nutrient deficient or were provided formula mixed with unsafe water. Thankfully, the system has been thoroughly revamped and Brazil now boosts a first-class network of donor banks which have become a model for the rest of the world.  

Despite all the progress made, some pockets have been created as independent entities now facilitate and capitalize on lactation demands. With online stores such as Only The Breast providing a platform to buy, sell or donate breast milk under categories like “fat babies”, “fresh on demand needed” and “willing to sell to men.” 

“The vast majority of Only The Breast members are honest, abiding by OTB terms and are simply looking to provide safe milk for babies in need,” reads the Only The Breast website homepage. “However, in light of cow’s milk contamination of some breast milk samples purchased via the internet, Only The Breast reiterates our long-term guidance that all OTB sellers should follow best practices using aseptic technique for expressing, handling, and storing human milk which also addresses shipping, freezing and all buyers must follow safety guidelines for peer to peer donor screening.” 

While the motive and validity of Only The Breast and other similar entities are questionable, one thing is for sure, there’s a lot of breast milk being moved about. Just as a nurturing mom would ensure her baby consumes nothing but the best, if you’re in a position where purchasing breast milk is a must, then it’s well advised that one employs a breast milk analysis kit much like the HealthyWiser™ PureMilk™ alcohol detecting strips to test the delivery as a precaution.