My wife has decided to donate her breastmilk. As part of the process, they do a DNA test, presumably to verify that the milk you send is always your own.

The phlebotomist frightened her by warning her that once you're DNA is taken "it's always out there" and that it's possible that health insurance in the future could be rejected based on her DNA.

I know this isn't possible now, based on the chance that this might be possible in the future, should you be careful about who has access to your DNA? What else could happen if people had access to that info?

Clone your wife?

they can't just milk her right at that place? that way they know for sure it's her as well.

Sorry, the possibility I was talking about was having a health insurance company identify a defect via DNA and deny coverage, but other concerns come to mind like police finding a genetic propensity toward crime.

She'd rather not drive from North Carolina to California twice a day.

I've never heard of donating breast milk. Do they squeeze it out themselves or do they hook her up to a machine or what?

Also, what is the main reason she's choosing to do this?

good call.....

Where in CA is it? If its in LA, well of course not, thats like driving to hell. If its in the yay Area, than why not? Its a lovely place.

She pumps into little bottles anyhow (so I can feed him, or babysitters can feed him, or we can mix milk into his solid food). It keeps in the fridge for a while and in the freezer for, like, a month. And yes, it's like a little machine, but she also has a small hand pump. The milk bank just sends her the materials to ship her breastmilk with cold packs.

Here's a link to the site: http://www.nationalmilkbank.org/ I don't know if that's the bank she's using, but it's the same thing. It helps mothers who want to breastfeed, but can't because they aren't producing, or they're sick, or they adopted.

you're wife is pretty cool B.

helping other people?

one would hope there are would be laws to protect it. i imagine the company have some kind of form you sign swearing they won't distribute the information to third parties also. of course, neither of those methods are foolproof.

so what's wrong with formula? my mum didn't have any milk and i was given it, and we all know i turned out just fine *twitches*

Well, the consent form says it will be kept confidential, but it also says that info will be turned over to state and federal governments as required by law. I'm sure no law requires it right now, but should one be concerned about the future?

I mean, we used to think that the law required a warrant before wiretapping, searching, and seizing, but that all went to shit recently.

Babies get mommies antibodies from breast milk, that help protect the baby from the same diseases. It's a huge immune system boost. Babies who don't get breast milk from their mothers are more prone to being ill and developing allergies.

This is most important in the first hours/days after birth. The benefit fades rather rapidly afterwards.

ow, this thread is big surprise, i didnt know that this subject wasnt talked on other countries



here we get a LOT of information about this


the math is simple:

more breastmilk > more health

its proved, if you can feed your kid til 1 year, its better

do it til you dont have milk anymore

Don't worry Laura, my mom was sick when I was born, and I was premature so I went straight to the ICU in the hospital next door. After our initial meeting, my mom didn't see me for weeks and long after her reserves were dried up.

I turned out mostly KO.

I'm quite shocked to hear that insurance companies (or the authorities for that matter) would abuse an altruistic gesture like that. It's nothing less than sickening! I really don't understand why the Americans accept this absolute onslaught of unethical treatment from their governments and corporations.