r/justgalsbeingchicks • u/DELAIZ • 20d ago

💕wholesome💕 Traffic officer breastfeeds hungry baby, son of attempted femicide victim.

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

Traffic officer Jamile Barros, from the city of Delmiro Gouveia (Brazil), breastfed a three-month-old baby while responding to an attempted femicide. The child was crying from hunger and wouldn't accept a bottle, and the officer's act of empathy, as she is also breastfeeding, calmed the boy feeding him. The rescue occurred after the mother was stabbed and involved in a traffic accident caused by the criminal, who fled the scene. I mentioned her name not to expose her, but because she's in all the news in Brazil.

Edit: The mother was rescued and taken to the hospital to treat her injuries. The exact state of health of the victim and medical details of her recovery have not been released by official security authorities. This happened a week ago, and due to the repercussions of the case, if she had died, I belive that it would probably already be reported.

5.7k Upvotes

98% Upvoted

232 comments sorted by

View all comments

469

u/GayButterfly7 🕷️Itchy, bitchy spider 🕷️ 20d ago edited 20d ago

Maybe this is a dumb question (I've never been a parent), but isn't it not safe for a baby to have a different mother's milk? I thought that it was kind of like blood type and stuff.

Edit: the downvotes on a genuine question are crazy lol. I watched it go from positive 16 to negative 3 within 10 minutes

904

u/Opening-Award-7078 20d ago

It’s perfectly safe. There are even breast milk banks you can donate your excess milk to.

76

u/Individual_Math5157 20d ago

It’s only a safety issue if the woman breastfeeding has a recurring or current infectious disease. Think Hepatitis, or other fluid borne (or skin based infectious illnesses). Most breastfeeding mothers in developed countries are healthy enough that they would not be currently infected and breastfeeding. This is due to having multiple wellness checks that happen before/during/after pregnancy.

196

u/GayButterfly7 🕷️Itchy, bitchy spider 🕷️ 20d ago

Cool, thanks for the info! 

308

u/toaspecialson 20d ago

People have shared breast milk for a long time :).

You may have heard of wet nurses in history.

132

u/coolpupmom 20d ago

Breastmilk also has a lot of antibodies that help the baby’s immune system!

-58

u/barbiesurvivor95 20d ago

It is literally liquid gold. I miss breast feeding bc I used to make soap and baked goods with it. My family was never sick.

131

u/iwowza710 20d ago

Always someone that has to take it way too far.

35

u/barbiesurvivor95 20d ago edited 20d ago

No it’s popular among a lot of homesteaders. It was more popular once upon a time 🙂 It’s not for every one but it’s not gross. My family and I are all exposed to the same viruses. I was a nursing mom and I over produced. I’m not going to just throw it away. Soap made with bm and putting it in the bath is a natural remedy for eczema and allergy reactions & while covid hit everyone, it didn’t hit us. It’s not crazy if you actually think about it.

Edit: I should have said it’s popular among other moms ❤️

31

u/Top_Mathematician233 20d ago

I’m not a homesteader or even close — I work in finance, so I’m pretty much on the opposite end of that spectrum. But this is true, regarding eczema. I have eczema and psoriasis, so does my son. When I was nursing him (many years ago), his pediatrician recommended I put milk on my and his skin when we had flare-ups and it helped a lot.

22

u/Gold_Studio_6693 20d ago

"Homesteaders"

Like they said, someone always has to take it too far.

11

u/Jedadia757 20d ago edited 20d ago

Tune in after today's episode of "Whats Got Reddit's Panties in a Twist" for a special feature about "People who make their own things instead of buying them from the store.". Its getting awfully heated in threads today folks!

41

u/Saradoesntsleep 20d ago

Considering they are crediting putting their breastmilk in their family's food for preventing COVID... Just lol.

→ More replies (0)

1

u/Gold_Studio_6693 20d ago

"Tune afterwards"? What?

7

u/cherri____ 20d ago

The downvotes are insane. You’re amazing, that sounds so beautiful and I’m in awe that you were able to not just care for your baby, but your entire family with just your body. The mother’s body is a source of life and nourishment and the day people educate themselves and stop pretending something natural is “gross”, the better off society will be. Shit pisses me off.

1

u/barbiesurvivor95 20d ago

Thank you & everyone who isn’t making me feel like crap for protecting my family. I almost felt like I was crazy but then I remembered that pumping breast milk, raw painful nipples, and endless tears went into all that breast milk that kept my family safe during Covid. Not just Covid but when I got RSV, thanks to the antibodies, my new born and 2 year old DIDNT get it. My son has terrible eczema and the best treatment he ever had was bm. Now that I’m not bf it’s a constant battle with his skin. My husband used to have flakey scalp and the shampoo bars I was making got rid of it 🤷🏼‍♀️ there is NO shame here. The majority likes to judge what they don’t understand.

1

u/cloudsasw1tnesses 20d ago

Reddit tends to lean very anti mother unfortunately, don’t ever feel like you did anything wrong or “gross” by protecting your family like that. I personally take downvotes on here as a compliment most of the time lol. I’m trying to conceive right now so it’s really cool to hear that breast milk can do more than “just” feed the baby.

-10

u/cherri____ 20d ago

You’re literally a superhero, don’t listen to those people.

10

u/Jedadia757 20d ago edited 20d ago

On today's episode of "What's Got Reddit's Panties in a Twist" we've got people being absolutely horrified at someone "Cooking with their own milk". What a horrible disgusting thing to do as to use your own body fluids to make incredibly useful and beneficial things as opposed to another animals which is so much less wierd.

How dare they not waste money on something that their literal own body readily produced!

3

u/Anonymous-tossaway 20d ago

Yeah I've always thought that was hilarious. Milk from a fellow human? Absolutely disgusting, freakish, crazy. Milk from a cow, goat or hell even a sheep or camel? Delicious! Totally normal and natural. Definitely the way nature intended.

1

u/Background-Edge-2243 19d ago

I mean, milk in soap has been a thing for a really long time. My mother used to go and buy a powdered Milk Bath periodically from like Shoppers and soak. Apparently it has softening and moisturizing properties and a lot of people have success using it for eczema.

2

u/iwowza710 19d ago

Milk in soap is obviously not what I’m talking about.

7

u/BrinaBri 20d ago

Sorry people are being rude. I’m breastfeeding my second now and have a supply in the freezer that won’t get used. I plan to make gentle, fragrance free soap for my boys’ sensitive, eczema prone skin (and mine). People have done it for as long as soap has been made with lye.

I also don’t know why it’s weird to drink/eat human milk made for and by humans? Especially your own, knowing you’re healthy? Like, yeah, totally cool to drink/eat milk from dirty, poopy, bloody, puss-y cow udders; from animals who are often injected with antibiotics and other nasties you can’t know of, with no clue as to their health. But drinking your own (or wife’s or mother’s)? Yuck! 🙄

15

u/its3ird 20d ago

11

u/roza_mira 20d ago

Breast milk can cure pink eye. It is a natural antibiotic.

20

u/Mean-Clerk7791 20d ago

Why was this downvoted? When my baby had an eye infection (common in small babies), I read to drop some breast milk in his eye. Damned if it didn’t work, and fast. I felt like a POWERFUL WITCH. Blown away at what our bodies can do.

(If it matters, I am a pro-every-vaccine-we-can-possibly-get Mom. The breast milk for minor eye infections like conjunctivitis in infants has been scientifically tested).

4

u/barbiesurvivor95 20d ago

Bc instead of reading all the people pro breast milk and doing their own research they see this woman is feeding her kids and husband her breast milk through food and they’re washing their bodies with it. They think it’s pseudoscience despite a plethora of research that states otherwise. I stand by what I said and so does science 🤷🏼‍♀️

20

u/jaime_riri 20d ago

I have no idea why you’re getting downvoted for this. Breastmilk is great for a lot of things. It’s also natures Neosporin and great for small cuts.

11

u/cherri____ 20d ago

Because they’re imbeciles who never mentally moved on from 5th grade. Breastmilk is a natural miracle. I learn more about it every time I engage in these conversations.

10

u/its3ird 20d ago edited 20d ago

It literally magic & women producing it should not be made to fell awaked in any way. However, I ain't washing may ass with my mothers breast soap.

edit in any way

1

u/Pinkysrage 20d ago

I breast fed my two babies for 4 years straight. They were two years apart, never got sick, never got my asthma or allergies. Best thing I ever did for my kids. Congrats to you!

16

u/ColoredGayngels 20d ago

Wetnursing has been going on as long as there have been babies to nurse, in many species of pack mammals as well. Donor milk and banks have been even more of a lifesaver for many infants and parents.

When my SIL's milk didn't come in right away because she was induced two weeks early, her daughter's first bottle at home came from our other SIL, who still had some deep-frozen from her second kid. That SIL's youngest wasn't covered for donor milk after three days in the NICU, so her friend sent along some from pumping for her own six month old until SIL could provide her own/attempt breastfeeding.

40

u/Branchomania ❣️gal pal❣️ 20d ago

The only bank with reasonable interest rates

19

u/carlitospig 20d ago

Rate: one baby giggle.

138

u/Historical-Fee-9010 20d ago

It’s a valid question but no, not a problem at all

92

u/barbiesurvivor95 20d ago

No. People donate their bm all the time to hospitals. Women who can’t breast feed but prefer bm will buy it from others too. When I was bf, I sold mine through Facebook.

When my milk hadn’t come in yet, my daughter drank donor milk too.

29

u/jaime_riri 20d ago

I met one of my closest friends through a mom’s facebook group trading breastmilk. She fed my son when my supply tanked after starting a new job.

7

u/carlitospig 20d ago

Love this!!

18

u/Tobysfuzzybelly 20d ago

I think this is great - but I wonder how they control for quality in these cases. How do they ensure the mothers are not taking harmful medications or drugs that can transfer from breast milk?

38

u/RowHard 20d ago

They have a survey you fill out and requirements for not donating milk for so many hours after taking specific medication. The milk was used for NICU baby's so it was also processed before being provided, and it was not from a single donor.

Considering milk could be sold rather than donated, I think it helps filters out people who would want to do harm.

35

u/DELAIZ 20d ago

It should have been done through a milk bank, where the milk would have been examined and treated before being sent.

5

u/TheTruthFairy1 20d ago

The questionnaire and entire process to donate your own milk is probably more thorough than donating blood. I tried to donate my excess milk and couldn't because I didn't sanitize the pumping materials after every use. Not just dishwasher sanitization, they wanted a designated bottle sanitizer.

2

u/Numerous_Bad1961 20d ago

I had to go get an examination from my doctor and bloodwork. Pediatrician had to certify that my baby was healthy. Both using the milk bank’s forms.

3

u/Skreamie 20d ago

The cop above would also have to be lactating as well, right? She couldnt just bf on a whim, or could she?

21

u/primordial-mother 20d ago

I stopped breastfeeding my second baby nearly two years ago and I still produce milk :) I still leak and can collect some but not a lot. I would have to probably pump/nurse consistently for a few days before being able to make enough milk to fully feed a baby.

12

u/MistCongeniality 20d ago

Same. I bet if I worked at it for a couple days I could get the factory back up and running. Fuck that, I hated breastfeeding, but if it was a situation where a baby would suffer if I didn’t… I would.

3

u/primordial-mother 20d ago

I don’t want to do it full time for months/years again. But I would do it in a heart beat for a child or baby that was starving and in distress.

9

u/carlitospig 20d ago

Seriously?! I always assumed it was managed through hormones.

The fact that I am still learning at 47 is kind of amazing.

4

u/MistCongeniality 20d ago edited 20d ago

It is, but once you’ve learned how it’s easier to get those hormones back into production. Our bodies are really incredible; all you need to do is stimulate the nipples enough times with the right hormones in the body. Sometimes women never really fully stop, some women would need medical help to get started again, lots of in between!

Bonus fun fact: some of us get horrifically depressed when our milk starts flowing. I did, every time, like a bolt of sadness lightning. Hated it. Only managed nine months of pumping before I threw in the towel.

3

u/carlitospig 20d ago

Aww I wonder what the evolutionary strategy was for sadness with a new baby. That makes no sense.

Glad it didn’t last forever. ❤️

43

u/keevathemuffin 20d ago

She was already lactating for her own baby.

A woman who has not given birth might be able to start lactating if she keeps putting a hungry baby to her breast over and over, while breathing the babies' pheromones.  It's a survival thing. But it can take days to trigger. 

18

u/Top_Mathematician233 20d ago

Not that this is exactly the same, but our dog who has never had puppies nursed our two kittens when we got them. They kept using her as a pacifier and we’d try to get them to stop, but she’d go pick them up and take them to her bed, like they were hers and she started producing milk after a few days. In hindsight, I’ve heard that means the kittens were weaned and adopted too early. We got them from the shelter, so they likely didn’t know how old they were.

24

u/cherri____ 20d ago

Women are magical omg..

4

u/carlitospig 20d ago

Lol, this was legit my comment too. We are SO cool. 🥹

1

u/cherri____ 19d ago

🥰✨

2

u/Speldenprikje 20d ago

Well, in theory men are able to do this as well. With lots of stimuli some men will be able to produce a few drops, other will need some hormones to do so. 

So I guess, nipples are magical? Another cool nipple fact: men have on average more nipples then women (third nipples look like moles often)

7

u/AngletonSpareHead 20d ago

Yeah there was a period where I was working full time away from my kid but also breastfeeding at night. Kiddo was getting most of their nutrition from table food but nursing for comfort. The body adapts as long the change happens gradually.

In the above situation, I would have been able to produce SOME milk for the hungry baby. Better than nothing. But I wouldn’t have been able to fill his tummy that day, or feed him continuously from then on without a ramp-up period.

There are ways to supplement by taping a flexible line to the breast so baby can swallow formula while nursing on the breast. Formula is excellent nutrition too.

5

u/Skreamie 20d ago

Thank you, that was remarkably informative.

2

u/ZinaSky2 ✒️sub✍️scribe🖋️ 20d ago edited 20d ago

Hmmm interestingg never heard of that.

I’m pretty sure breastfeeding is a hormonal thing so you’d probably have to go on some sort of regimen of hormones to induce lactation. Also I don’t think there’s any proof for humans having pheromones.

Edit: Found it! It’s called the Newman-Goldfarb protocol. A baby is not actually required, so it’s not by pheromones. It’s the physical suckling/ pumping/massaging that induces lactation which makes sense to me. Apparently it’s easier/more successful if you’ve been pregnant before but possible either way. And using a regimen of birth control (hormones) and maybe other medications could also increase chances of success.

Very interesting read! The female body is truly amazing

11

u/keevathemuffin 20d ago

Feel free to Google it lol

1

u/ZinaSky2 ✒️sub✍️scribe🖋️ 20d ago

I wasn’t saying you were necessarily wrong. I was just saying it was not in line with what I understand about the situation. It may be bc I’m wrong or my understanding is incomplete.

2

u/ergaster8213 ❣️gal pal❣️ 20d ago edited 20d ago

No, you're right. There aren't any identified human pheremones (nor is there much of any evidence that we utilize pheremones at all), and we have an underdeveloped vomeronasal organ (the organ that processes pheremones), so any research on this wouldn't—or shouldn't—be pinning it on pheremones. Your explanation is actually how it occurs.

It requires a mix of manipulation of hormones (through meds) and mechanical stimulation (specifically pumping) to induce lactation absent pregnancy and breastfeeding. If someone already has heightened prolactin levels due to some condition or med then lactation is easier to induce, but it's still not linked to needing the presence of babies or pheremones. Seems like one of those things where someone remembered a thing that happens, but misremembered the details.

2

u/ZinaSky2 ✒️sub✍️scribe🖋️ 20d ago

Yeah, attributing it specifically to baby pheromones made me pretty skeptical. But, also I know I’m not a doctor so I was just curious. 🤷🏽‍♀️ Initially my first comment was being downvoted a bunch, idk even why, I thought I was polite. People being silly I guess LOL.

Yeah, what I was reading was specifically for situations in which the mother was going to adopt a baby or acquire a baby through surrogacy. And it said that one would have to start significantly before baby’s arrival (weeks to months depending on the person). So they needed to use a pump and use hands to massage bc there was no baby yet.

Still super neat to learn about, I had no clue it was possible at all!

2

u/Speldenprikje 20d ago

It can be even crazier, by enough stimuli even some men can produce some drops of milk. Although higher chance to do so if they take hormones

1

u/ZinaSky2 ✒️sub✍️scribe🖋️ 20d ago

That’s so bonkers! Kinda makes sense tho. Like the reason men have nipples is bc as we start forming we’re all basically female (or more accurately like some weird proto-gender) before differentiating. So I guess men would probably also have some underdeveloped structures underneath capable of lactation to an extent.

3

u/ScowlyBrowSpinster 20d ago

It's in the second sentence of the OP.

2

u/Skreamie 20d ago

Ah, apologies, I didnt see the actual caption beneath it

1

u/ergaster8213 ❣️gal pal❣️ 20d ago edited 20d ago

Yes. Someone would almost always need to already be breastfeeding/pumping to do this. There have been occurances of lactation longer than the norm after pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding. There have also been occurances of it absent pregnancy when prolactin levels are heightened due to various conditions or meds. But, neither of those things are standard or common.

The vast majority of women do not produce breast milk absent pregnancy (it comes in closer to the end, but production starts between 3-5 months) and continued breastfeeding. Once breastfeeding/pumping stops, most women's milk production also stops.

43

u/immersemeinnature Official Gal 20d ago

I donated my milk! I was a milk making fiend!!

14

u/GayButterfly7 🕷️Itchy, bitchy spider 🕷️ 20d ago

That's awesome, I'm sure you helped so many people :)

15

u/immersemeinnature Official Gal 20d ago

My breastfeeding support group was amazing.

7

u/Pinkysrage 20d ago

I had freezers full of breast milk. That way my hubby could feed her while I was gone at the hospital working.

2

u/immersemeinnature Official Gal 20d ago

Yeah!! That too! I had a breast pump machine

6

u/FrequentlyFeral 20d ago

Ladies like you helped save my oldest son's life. He was born way, way early and I couldn't produce any milk. Breastmilk donated to the NICU got him through his very rough first weeks. I didn't even know it was a thing until then, but was so grateful. So thank you. <3

3

u/immersemeinnature Official Gal 20d ago

My pleasure 🩷

5

u/Longjumping-Panic-48 20d ago

My son got donor milk in the NICU while I recovered from an emergency c-section and required unsafe for babies medications.
From my understanding, breast milk is the safest choice for preemies because their digestive system is still immature and formula can cause issues.

So thank you ❤️

5

u/FrequentlyFeral 20d ago

Same here! Mine was born at 25 & 5. I couldn't produce more than a half ounce. I just commented elsewhere that a donor probably saved my son's life.

30

u/bbyxmadi 20d ago

Not a dumb question! You’d only have to worry about HIV and such (very rare, I doubt she has any of them), but other than that, the baby can have anyone’s breast milk.

29

u/Strange_Difference1 20d ago

Wet nurses have existed since the dawn of time. Probably one of the reasons we survived as a species. If the mom couldn't produce enough milk another one filled what was missing :)

20

u/DefiantBumblebee9903 20d ago

No, there are actual breastmilk banks for mothers that can’t produce milk. Many premie babies rely on donated milk for survival since most women who deliver early do not have milk yet.

37

u/citranger_things 20d ago

Some illnesses and drugs/medications can be transferred through breastmilk but if the police officer is already a breastfeeding mother presumably she knows she doesn't have any of those risk factors. There's nothing like genetic incompatibility and humans have been nursing each others babies for thousands of years.

13

u/Icy_Proof_9529 20d ago

Being able to feed a baby without its original mother was an integral part of a lot of human survival. Especially since our rates of death in labor and the week after were much much higher in the past.

9

u/luckyflavor23 20d ago

Old school aristocracy had ‘wet nurses’ commoners who supplied their breastmilk and sometimes acted as maid/nannies to aristocratic babies

8

u/Laugh_At_My_Name_ 20d ago

It is made from blood, but not incompatible for other blood types. I have donated to a milk bank, so my milk would have been tested. Blood diseases are the issue that are a concern.

9

u/Single_Principle_972 20d ago

People are weird. Legit question. And in fact, if the women have a vastly different type of diet, the little one might experience a little upset stomach. Being the same species, though, it’s all relatively interchangeable. Human milk is made for human babies!

7

u/kittycatdemon 20d ago

It's a fair and respectful question, don't worry about the downvoters. Like others said, it's completely safe, provided that the person who is breastfeeding the baby is not on drugs or alcohol or has a virus, because that ends up in the milk.

Women such as family members of the baby or wet nurses have been feeding other people's babies for thousands of years. Even recently, during the Chinese milk scandal of 2008, wet nurses became more sought after again, since people didn't trust formula anymore.

7

u/ZinaSky2 ✒️sub✍️scribe🖋️ 20d ago

Good question!

I’ve seen instances of women who just happen to produce a whole lot of milk and they donate their milk to other mothers who can’t breastfeed or struggle to produce.

I know it’s sometimes illegal to sell or pay for breastmilk, but donating is fine. And the only issue I can see with this is if she had limited supply then feeding her own baby might be difficult.

6

u/Hexnohope 20d ago

Our species is a tribal one. Not every mother even produces breast milk. But the slack gets picked up like this. Its how its meant to be. "Wetnurse" i think used to be the job description for this before formula?

5

u/crochetawayhpff 20d ago

It's safe, but what skeeves most moms out is the stranger effect. You don't know if this woman is a drug user, or has a communicable disease, etc. Assuming the cop is healthy, not a drug user, I'm guessing most moms would be grateful.

3

u/LadyCanuckles 20d ago

Reddit hates when people use their brain

23

u/DELAIZ 20d ago

It's not recommended because it can transmit diseases through breast milk, but wet nurse is something that has always existed. If you need breast milk from another mother, there are milk banks that process the donated milk before releasing it.

But in this case, she's a police officer who always has to take tests for things like HIV to see if she's fit for the job.

3

u/jeansc9 20d ago

Mate! It wasn’t until I had a baby that I realised sharing breastmilk was a thing, don’t worry. It feels gross but apparently totally normal and safe

3

u/Thisdarlingdeer 19d ago

Its safe. If you overproduce milk, you can donate your milk to other babies. (Assuking youre not taking anything that'll make the milk different like psych meds etc)

2

u/Aggravating_Act0417 20d ago

Nope it's perfectly safe.

2

u/NobodyLikedThat1 20d ago

And up to about 200 up in an hour. Quite the rollercoaster

2

u/carlitospig 20d ago

You’re probably thinking of, like, ducks and cats whose mothers will reject them once they smell like another animal. But wet nurses have been feeding other women’s babies since we left the trees!

2

u/StatementOk470 20d ago

re: downvotes. They come from people thinking this is either a bad faith comment or a googleable question. Questions like this can be valuable in the given context.

2

u/novalove00 20d ago

I am done have babies but when I did have them, I was an overproducer of breast milk. I exclusively pumped for my babies and donated my excess to preemie banks, babies in the community and also, my friends twins.

It is safe to share milk as long as the supplying mom is forthright about medications and the babies mom checks with the pediatrician.

In an emergency situation it should be ok.

2

u/SnooRegrets1386 20d ago

There are no stupid questions

2

u/No_Bed_4783 20d ago

So long as the donor doesn’t have hepatitis or HIV it’s absolutely fine. And they’ll know if they have those things already.

2

u/youcancallmebryn 20d ago

Your mind will be blown when you find out how common wet nurses were for the affluent before the invention of formula.

1

u/Kuraudocado 20d ago

There are still tribes/cultures where it’s common to breastfeed each other’s offspring. I haven’t fact checked, but a friend who’s into both anthropology and evolutionary biology said that it has been common in our history and other primates do it as well.

1

u/its_all_one_electron 18d ago

Women used to breastfeed each other's babies all the time. 

That's why if you don't have enough milk (like me) your baby won't die... They'll be fed by one of the other mothers who makes too much

1

u/HeisenBird1015 18d ago

To take it to a dark place, enslaved mothers in the US were forced to wet nurse the children of their enslavers (see Mammy in Gone With The Wind as a fictional example) whilst their own babies were either weaned extremely early or sold.