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Quarter of mums would consider breastfeeding another woman’s baby to help out.

Baby Care
 Photo:Courtesy

Study follows controversial decision by American mum Jessica Anne Colletti to breastfeed her son and her friend's son

A quarter of mums would consider wet nursing to help out a mother who was unable to breastfeed her own baby, research has revealed.

The study follows the controversial decision by 26-year-old mother Jessica Anne Colletti to post images of her breastfeeding her son and a friend’s child at the same time.

While her picture has split the parenting world, a report by website Netmums found one in 25 British mums are already wet nursing a friend or relative’s baby and two in five would breastfeed a stranger’s tot.

The survey of more than 2,000 mothers revealed one in seven believed a wet nurse was the next best thing to breastfeeding your own child.

And more than a quarter felt it was just going back to how babies used to be fed when wet-nursing was second nature in Britain until the mid-19th Century.

Yesterday the Mirror told how Jessica caused a storm after posting pictures of her breastfeeding both her 16 month old son and his “milk sibling” aged 18 months.

The mum from Pennsylvania said the trio shared a “special bond” but she faced a massive backlash from women who branded wet-nursing “sick and disgusting”.

But Net mums research found British mothers backed the practice along with milk sharing with almost half willing to donate breast milk for babies in need.

Hollywood actress Alicia Silverstone is leading a US milk share scheme with her Kind Mama service to help mothers unable to produce milk for their babies.

And a host of free online breast milk sharing services are already on offer in Britain giving mums the chance to choose milk from donors who match their own backgrounds from vegetarian and vegan to those whose baby is the same age as theirs.

Of the new mums who turn to milk sharing sites for help, a third have had premature babies and a quarter have been too poorly to breastfeed, Netmums research found.

A further one in five have not been able to produce enough milk and more than one in ten have suffered a medical condition that has made it difficult to breastfeed.

Netmums editor in chief Anne-Marie O’Leary said: “Milksharing is the ultimate milk of human kindness. In a world where almost everything is now commercialised, it’s wonderful to see families coming together to help and support each other for free.

“Everyone involved - from the mums donating milk to those running the sites - give their time and effort without charge to ensure babies get a healthy start in life. The trend may be new but it’s already touching people’s lives and making a significant difference which will last the families it helps forever.”

 

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