Sharing breastmilk: wet nursing, cross feeding, and milk donations

Wet nursing and cross feeding both involve the breastfeeding of a child by someone other than the mother. Wet nursing involves a woman who is not the social equal of the employer, is never reciprocal, and is normally for payment. Cross feeding (also 'cross nursing') is the informal sharing of breastfeeding between equals, and is usually unpaid and may be reciprocal. Community attitudes in the late 20th and early 21st centuries are distrustful of this practice, though satisfaction is reported by the women involved in sharing breastfeeding. Community unease has included feelings of revulsion, rationalized by concern about the transmission of infections. Yet recently there have been sporadic feature articles in the print media reporting instances of, and opinions, on these practices. This review article explores the sharing of breastfeeding, principally in Australia, and provides an historical context for concerns about transmission of infection. These issues will also be discussed in relation to human milk banking.