I’m not out of my hiatus – things are actually even wilder than ever around here. HOWEVER – This article is too important not to link to.
I’m going to ask a couple of questions and then direct you to a really important article.
If a business came to you and asked you to donate your breastmilk to them so that they could use it as a raw ingredient in their products – that they sold at a profit – would you do it?
How would you feel if you found out that the altruistic organization you donated your breastmilk to was a front to obtain breastmilk to use in a company’s products that they then sold at a profit? That the company above was actually buying your breastmilk from the organization you donated it to?
Amy at Just West of Crunchy just posted Swindled: The Ugly Side of Milk Donation about Prolacta Biosciences and I think that everyone needs to go read it now. With breastmilk donation booming this is important information to be aware of so individual mothers are not fooled and so that advocates aren’t accidentally becoming a conduit for the company by recommending donation to any of the “Milk Banks” affiliated with Prolacta.
Amy writes:
Milk sharing, banking, and donation have been in the news lately. Some people advocate sharing; some advocate milk banking via donation. What I’m sure no one wants is for moms to be swindled out of their breast milk, but that’s exactly what’s happening – and on a widespread, national basis.
That’s right: moms are being swindled out of their milk donations so that Prolacta Bioscience can PROFIT from them.
What’s worse, is that they’re doing it under the guise of altruism in the name of vulnerable, sick babies. It’s a complex issue, one that seems to spiral into a rabbit hole with every new fact that’s uncovered.
There is MUCH, MUCH more in the article including a Nestlé connection.
Then there are additional follow-up posts.
Prolacta responds to “Swindled: The Ugly Side of Milk Donation”
If you are looking for additional links related to Prolacta Bioscience I’ve got a few here.
Thinking of Donating Your Breastmilk? Read This First. This is an older article (2007) from The International Breastfeeding Symbol. There are some additional articles as well.
100%. I repeat, ONE HUNDRED PERCENT! Can’t you read? ………. oh. wait. Series at Hoyden about Town (Aug 2007) on the issue
Is The International Breast Milk Project a Scam? Original post (May 2007) at The Lactivist – nursing out loud asking questions about the link between Prolacta and the original ‘Milk Bank Project’ they hid behind.
My Thoughts on the Prolacta / International Breast Milk Project Arrangement Follow-up article (June 2007) at The Lactivist – nursing out loud
Executives in desperate need of donor breastmilk Breastfeeding Truth posted a 4 part series in Feb 2010
Something I’ve noticed in my searching (and it could just be that my Google-fu is on the fritz) is that there are not many respected breastfeeding advocates picking up the torch on this issue. I see a huge opportunity for Lactivists and breastfeeding experts to make a difference here (I’m doing what I can but we all know I’m the smallest of small potatoes here! LOL)
COMMENTS ARE CLOSED HERE.
I’m going to encourage you to head over to Just West of Crunchy and converse and suggest that if you have a blog that you post about this issue and link to JWoC’s article. If you use Twitter – tweet the hell out of this article and if you are involved in social media – wallpaper the link there as well. Making the JWoC article (or any of the other links I found) the FIRST article returned on a search of ‘breastmilk donation’ as well as searches of Prolacta Biosciences is one great way for Lactivists to teaspoon*.
Disclaimer
I’ve disliked Prolacta Bioscience and their business model for obtaining breastmilk at no cost since forever.
* to teaspoon/teaspooning – Our individual efforts to advocate for something important in the face of overwhelming opposition/opportunities (oh the irony of the word opportunities) Popularized at the Shakesville community by the fabulous Melissa McEwan who said “All I ever do is try to empty the sea with this teaspoon; all I can do is keep trying to empty the sea with this teaspoon.”
and now… back to the hiatus.
ETA June 23, 2011 – Added link to Hoyden about Town
ETA June 29, 2011 – Added Part 2 and Part 3 of the JWoC series.
