“It’s more than milk, it’s mental health”: A case of online human milk sharing

Journal article

Wagg, A., Hassett, Alex and Callanan, Margie 2020. “It’s more than milk, it’s mental health”: A case of online human milk sharing. International Breastfeeding Journal. 17 (1), p. 5. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-96628/v1

Publication dates
Authors	Wagg, A., Hassett, Alex and Callanan, Margie
Abstract	Abstract Aim: To produce a single case example of an online breastfeeding support group use, through one mother’s experiences of seeking human donor milk online. Background: Milk sharing is not a new concept and occurs today via regulated human milk banks and unregulated online milk sharing groups. Exploring and understanding how, and why, mothers use these peers to peer milk sharing groups, is a vehicle to understanding how breastfeeding mothers can be tangibly supported online, adding to the literature on peer milk sharing, from a recipient’s perspective. Method: This is a qualitative, exploratory study observing the attitudes, thoughts, and feelings of one mother who is seeking human donor milk through online groups. A single key case was identified, and the participant was asked to document thoughts and feelings as she searched for milk online. A telephone interview after two months, and online page activity from www.humanmilk4humanbabies.Facebook.com was captured for the week following the interview. The results were presented in a chronological and linear analytical approach adopting pattern matching.Results: ‘Abbi’ is a mother who has Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and subsequent low milk supply and sought donor breast milk online. Online support groups introduced her to donor milk sharing, which not only supported her breastfeeding but supported her own mental health. Abbi talks of the need to build a trusting relationship with her donor, due to the lack of regulation, and the positive impact it had for her and ‘Lucas’, her baby. Conclusion: Considering milk sharing groups simply as tangible online support ignores the complexities around Abbi’s decision to use human donor milk. Peer milk sharing online is an option for mothers, but it is surrounded by stigma amongst other mothers, professionals, and even within pro breastfeeding support groups.“Tweetable abstract”: Milk sharing is not a new concept and occurs today via regulated human milk banks and unregulated online milk sharing groups. How and why do mothers obtain breastmilk online?
Keywords	Online support; Human milk sharing; Online milk sharing; Online social support groups; Tangible online support; Human milk; Humans; Mothers; Mental health; Breastfeeding; Infants; Milk banks; Women
Year	2020
Journal	International Breastfeeding Journal
Journal citation	17 (1), p. 5
Publisher	BMC
ISSN	1746-4358
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)	https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-96628/v1
Official URL	https://internationalbreastfeedingjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13006-021-00445-6
Online	04 Jan 2022
Print	01 Jan 2022
Publication process dates
Accepted	13 Dec 2021
Deposited	17 Feb 2022
Publisher's version	s13006-021-00445-6.pdf License CC BY 4.0
Output status	Published
License	CC BY

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