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Cross-Nursing Trend on the Rise
How would you feel about your baby being nursed by a friend or relative?
So called “cross-nursing”, while more common in other countries, is on the rise in the US. The reason for this is estimated to be that breastfeeding has regained popularity and working mothers who are committed to breastfeeding are looking for alternative ways their children can reap the benefits of breast milk. Some mothers, like those featured in the article links below, believe that cross-nursing is a wonderful bonding experience between women and a way to build community.
Doctors and breastfeeding organizations, such as La Leche League, are worried that cross-nursing is a danger due to the lack of screening for viruses and other things that are communicable through breast milk. They suggest going through a milk bank where milk is screened as well as pasteurized.
Then there are those who sexualize breastfeeding and believe that nursing someone else’s child is simply pedophilia. While nursing someone else’s child is very unconventional, it’s ridiculous that people feel breastfeeding is sexual, and it irritates me that they would deny a woman’s natural right to feed their child the ultimate, well-balanced meal! Get. Over. It. Stay in your houses, eat microwave TV dinners, and smoke ’till you drop for all I care. Just don’t get in the way of my baby getting what he needs!
As far as cross-nursing goes, it’s very thought provoking and I think that the only person I would be open to share nursing with is my sister, Alexis. I love, respect, and trust her completely; all components I would need intact to enter into such an intimate “job share”.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1612710,00.html
