Moral dilemma - Should I let my best friend serve as my "wet nurse"?

Before you judge, please take into consideration that we both have infants and are both nursing them. We are very health-conscious and are on the same strict diet program. She's babysitting for the weekend and it's so nice of her to offer. I mean, really nice. Wow.

Yeah, that's a REALLY good friend.

I can't think of anyone I'd do that favor for. Nursing aside, I don't think I'd be able to sit for a baby with my own infant in the house.

I don't see any reason not to. The only thing is, see if your baby will nurse from her. It's been proven that babies are sensitive to their mother's smell. Maybe she (he?) won't take the breast from anyone but you. That's something you (and she) need to know BEFORE you leave.

Also, she should start pumping a week before the vacation. Right now she only produces enough milk for her baby, she'll need twice as much (does she realize that?), and it will take her body time to adjust to the extra production.

I would let her, so long as she has a clean bill of health (no HIV or AIDS type stuff), I'm assuming she does.

That is a very generous offer. It must be wonderful having a connection like that.... It used to be more common before this "isolation age" we live in now, which will be apparent with some of the answers I'm sure you'll recieve on this one!

I think it would depend on a few things - you wouldn't be asking this question unless you were at least (a little bit) uncomfortable with it, so you might be looking for another option - will your baby take a bottle? If yes, could you pump and keep breast milk for your baby? That might be the best option for you, in this case. However, if your baby doesn't take a bottle (sorry, I don't know how old s/he is - maybe using a sippy cup now?), then having her breastfeed your baby might be your only option. I think it is a very generous offer and it will really depend on how comfortable you will be with it. Intellectually, I think it's totally a wonderful gesture on her part but emotionally, I'd feel a little weird about it, as irrational as it might be.

If you are both comfortable with it and you know she is healthy and free of any STD's and such then I would say go ahead. I had to babysit my nephew overnight and he was used to breatfeeding before he went to bed. I tried everything to get that kid to go to sleep. I had twins that were 4 months older than him that I was breastfeeding so I gave it a try. It worked and he slpet the whole night. If you are away that might comfort your baby and be a security thing. I would definatly be open to the idea. Best Wishes to you.

I would see nothing wrong with it depending on certain factors.
First off would be if the babies are very close in age to each other. Breastmilk changes throughout the duration of feeding based on the infants age. It has different nutritional qualities.
Second, before I left my baby with her I would have her sit down before you left and try to feed your infant. She doesn't smell or feel like you do and your baby may not be willing to nurse from her becuase of those differences.
Other then that as long as you are comfortable with her health status it is very generous of her to take your baby for the weekend....Having two infants in the house is so very much harder!
You may want to pump today and tomorrow and provide her with the breastmilk just in case your baby does decide to refuse to nurse from her.
I know my son as a young infant wouldn't even take a bottle from his daddy since it wasn't me holding the bottle.

best friend / sister type thing ... for me, yes wet nursing is great - under the right circumstances though...

but not for a social babysitting engagement, if I was having surgery and baby wouldn't take a bottle from our frozen stash, or if I was so sick that my medication didn't allow me to, or in some emergency I would prefer a wet nurse...

Since you have not given any more details of the situation... I'm assuming you're going on a vacation... so for me (even with my sister / best friend / cousin...) the answer is no. Take vacation later when baby is ready, or prepare baby to take a bottle of your frozen stuff.

I'd prefer a wet nurse over formula anyday ... but I would prefer my own expressed breastmilk before a wet nurse.

Yeah!! That IS super nice of her to offer.

First, let me say there is no "moral" dilemma here. It's just a matter of how comfortable you are with that...

I say absolutely let her do it if she offers. I see you are already very conscious about diet, but just make sure she is free of nipple thrush or any communicable disease or infection of any kind, like mastitis. Make sure she is not drinking any alcohol or taking any medications....and that her caffeine consumption is to your standards.

What a thoughtful friend you have!!!

PS people can be so strange sometimes...don't listen to the close minded people who are weirded out by this...that's pretty irrational and ill informed! We drink milk from other SPECIES why would it be strange for a baby to drink milk from a being of his/her own species? Breastmilk is soooo full of antibodies and can actually cure things like conjunctivitis when applied topically. GO FOR IT and be thankful for such a caring friend. That is so great!

Sure, as long as she doesn't drink, smoke, take drugs or have any transmissable illnesses. I've wetnursed for two of my relatives and it was fine, the babies accepted my breast without a problem at all (one newborn, the other about 10 months old). Breastmilk from another mother is still alot better for the baby than formula. To make sure she has enough milk for two infants, you could express a little so she has it in the fridge, and get a supply nursing system for her to give it. She also should probably express a little now to bring her supply up.

As for you, make sure you keep pumping over the weekend while you are away from your baby, as you don't want your supply to drop. You can keep your expressed milk in your deep freezer for six months, or a fridge freezer for 3 months...it might come in handy, especially for mixing with solids later on.

this might sound kind of gross to most people, but my mother used to drop me off with my aunt for weeks at a time. my aunt had a baby 2 months after i was born, and she was very poor, so she breast fed me. i don't see any problem with it, that's why we have wet nurses, because it's not a bad idea.

i would if my doctor said it was ok and her's did too so run it by them first.

I myself think it to be a little strange, it was a nice offer but I wouldn't want my infant taking from my best friend no matter how close we were. I mean would you swap partners? I would find alternative ways for your baby to drink...pump pump pump

I certainly would not for many reasons the first one is that there are many products on the market that you can use (breast pumps) if you are against formula. I'm sure wet nurses went out when breast pumps where invented. DOWN THUMBS me all you like guys!, as the question says moral dilemma, so it's a belief's thing, I breastfeed both my sons & find it a very special bond between a mother & her child. (I'd rather feed my sons formula then have them suckle on another womans breast, many babies world wide thrive on it, for what ever reason it is introduced to them).

I personall wouldn't, since this is a special thing between the mother and baby and even though it is food for the baby I wonder if baby will accept the breast since babies can tell the difference. If u still try it, let us know how it goes.

Personally, I wouldn't want anyone else nursing my son. You have a specific milk that you make that tastes good to him. Hers will taste funny, just besides the fact that its kind of strange. I would pump and leave her the milk.