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

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?