Cross Nursing:Comfortable or Uncomfortable

'Credit : Flickr:UNICEF Ethiopia

'Credit:Flickr:Junta da Província da Beira Litoral

'Credit:Flickr:Rob Friesel:One-hundred twenty-one ounces of human breast milk, pumped 2-6 oz. at a time (in 15-20 minute blocks). Queued up and ready for donation.

If you are a mother, you must have heard the terms 'Cross Nursing' and 'Wet Nursing'. First off, there is a difference between the two. Wet Nursing is when a person is paid by the baby's mother to breastfeed the baby permanently. Cross Nursing is usually done when the mother is unavailable, usually between friends and family.It is not uncommon for a person to be uncomfortable with the idea of cross nursing. Sometimes, this is associated with an unacceptable physical act which is weird and inappropriate. On the other hand, there are people who would rather have their babies be cross nursed in demanding situations rather than be fed using formula.There are reasons for a woman to seek out out cross nursing. One of them being, to stimulate breast milk if her own baby is not able to do so due to being premature or having birth defects. One the letdown is stimulated; it is easy for her baby to get a proper latch. Cross nursing is also used in situations when the baby is adopted.Conversely, it is often not accepted by some mothers since they do not trust about the diet of the cross nursing mother. It could also interfere with the maternal bond between the baby and birth mother. Breastfeeding is a very intimate bond between a child and mother.The most important thing here is to know what is best for the baby and to make sure baby gets proper nutrition and antibodies that will help your child fight infections by being entirely breastfed at least for the first six months, and then with solid food until the baby is two years old.For the people who are uncomfortable with the idea of someone else feeding their baby, there is always an option to express and store breast milk. There are also people who sell or donate breast milk. Considering so many bizarre reviews out there for breast milk sold online, you might want to consider your options very carefully.Do consider buying from Milk Banks. Few of them can be trusted as they have a set of guidelines to follow if they want to sell breast milk. From what I have learnt, these are the four rock solid pillars for breast milk sharing:1. Informed Choice2. Donor Screening3. Safe Handling4. Home PasteurisationBased on these four, it is advisable to make a choice and weigh your options. Do not be afraid to talk to the lactation consultant and work on a diet plan to improve your own breast milk for the baby.