New diet: drinking breast milk??

[momo3bur]

To each his own! Ummmm...this is definitely not for me, but hey whatever. LOL. I don't think I would voluntarily continue to lactate so that someone other than my babies could feed themselves off of me, though. It's a pain in the butt.

I'm pretty sure this is the reason we began getting our milk from sources like cows and goats. It's just too troublesome for a woman to lactate her entire life to feed her family. LOL. Although, I'm sure it would help keep her in great shape as feeding a family of five would probably allow her to eat like a horse and stay thin.

[elucidate]

Originally Posted by momo3bur

To each his own! Ummmm...this is definitely not for me, but hey whatever. LOL. I don't think I would voluntarily continue to lactate so that someone other than my babies could feed themselves off of me, though. It's a pain in the butt.

I'm pretty sure this is the reason we began getting our milk from sources like cows and goats. It's just too troublesome for a woman to lactate her entire life to feed her family. LOL. Although, I'm sure it would help keep her in great shape as feeding a family of five would probably allow her to eat like a horse and stay thin.

Exactly!

The women I know who are breastfeeding have gotten to the point of being so fed up with not having ownership over their own bodies anymore that it's become a battle to wean the child off the breast.

I'm sure it becomes annoying in the world of the cow or sheep or dog or whatever animal as well past a certain point.

[momo3bur]

Originally Posted by elucidate

Exactly!

The women I know who are breastfeeding have gotten to the point of being so fed up with not having ownership over their own bodies anymore that it's become a battle to wean the child off the breast.

I'm sure it becomes annoying in the world of the cow or sheep or dog or whatever animal as well past a certain point.

Oh yes...I don't have a single friend who has breastfed that would nurse past two years of age. As a matter of fact, it seems most stopped around 6 months. Personally, I aimed for 1 year old but never quite made it that far. Once teeth start coming in, it's difficult to keep your nipples intact. LOL. I would like to keep my nipples...I'm not sure my breasts would be particularly attractive wtihout them.

There is a reason that animals naturally wean their young. I think milk from your natural mother is meant for only a particular amount of time. However, I suppose IF we are going to continue to drink milk, it's probably safe to say that human milk would be easier to digest and probably more beneficial healthwise for humans. I mean...I GUESS. LOL. I don't know. I DO know it grosses me out to even think about drinking someone's breastmilk as an adult and regardless of the health benefits, I'm quite certain I won't be part of the breast milk craze.

[momo3bur]

I just found this on Wikipedia:

"Spanish king Alfonso XIII visited the region of Las Hurdes in 1922 in order to display the concern of the crown. The king and his retinue lived in military tents planted near the town of Casares de las Hurdes. During the king's visit, a strange incident took place: A local village chief, concerned that the king was drinking only black coffee (a consequence of the king's aides distrusting the quality of the local milk owing to unsanitary conditions in the area), served the king a small jug of milk saying, "Your Majesty rest assured that this milk is totally trustworthy," which turned out to be breast milk from his wife who had recently given birth. The king became aware of this fact only after having had his café con leche.

Preliminary research indicates that breast milk can induce apoptosis in some types of cancer cells. Adults with GI disorders and organ donation recipients can also benefit from the immunologic powers of human breast milk.

In Costa Rica, there have been trials to produce cheese and custard from human milk as an alternative to weaning.

A controversial Swiss restaurateur has created a menu based around foods cooked in human breast milk.

An Icecreamists in London's Covent Garden started selling an ice cream named Baby Gaga in February 2011. Each serving costs £14. All the milk was donated by Mrs Hiley who earns £15 for every 10 ounces and calls it a "great recession beater". The ice cream sold out on its first day. Despite the success of the new flavour, the Westminster Council officers removed the product from the menu to make sure that it was, as they said, "fit for human consumption", disregarding the obvious fact that breast milk is fit for, at least, human baby consumption."

Hmmmm...maybe there is something to this whole breast milk thing. LOL. I guess I'll be missing out on these health benefits.

[SkylightMT]

Originally Posted by elucidate

The women I know who are breastfeeding have gotten to the point of being so fed up with not having ownership over their own bodies anymore that it's become a battle to wean the child off the breast.

I'm sure it becomes annoying in the world of the cow or sheep or dog or whatever animal as well past a certain point.

So true. Eventually that arrrrrrghhhhh no more I can't stand it feeling takes over.

I think that for mammals, though, weaning also occurs so that the next gestation can begin. I know that for humans, although its harder to get pregnant while still breastfeeding (ovulation is less likely to occur while breastfeeding) when it does happen, the nipples become so sensitive that the mom can hardly stand it. It seems like its nature's way of preparing for the next newborn, who benefits from colostrum and the proper balance of foremilk/hindmilk that is determined by the newborns nursing patterns. If breastfeeding is already established before the newborn is born, the balance that best suits the newborn isn't present. But they seem to do fine anyway.

Evolutionarily, it would seem that being breastfed all your life would not be the best way to ensure the survival of the genes - if the mother were to die, that would be two deaths; and if she is less likely to get pregnant while she is nursing, that would mean fewer births.

[momo3bur]

Originally Posted by SkylightMT

So true. Eventually that arrrrrrghhhhh no more I can't stand it feeling takes over.

I think that for mammals, though, weaning also occurs so that the next gestation can begin. I know that for humans, although its harder to get pregnant while still breastfeeding (ovulation is less likely to occur while breastfeeding) when it does happen, the nipples become so sensitive that the mom can hardly stand it. It seems like its nature's way of preparing for the next newborn, who benefits from colostrum and the proper balance of foremilk/hindmilk that is determined by the newborns nursing patterns. If breastfeeding is already established before the newborn is born, the balance that best suits the newborn isn't present. But they seem to do fine anyway.

Evolutionarily, it would seem that being breastfed all your life would not be the best way to ensure the survival of the genes - if the mother were to die, that would be two deaths; and if she is less likely to get pregnant while she is nursing, that would mean fewer births.

This all makes more sense than anything I had running through my head! LOL!

Thank you for this.