Can you breastfeed another's baby?

Throughout history, breastfeeding another's child has been commonplace. Especially if you talk about mothers who are unable to breastfeed due to medical, personal or professional reasons, often mothers from their families offer their breast milk to the child. It is also not uncommon for the children who are kept at day care to be breastfed by those who take care of them. Wet nursing is also a profession and an ancient concept. So, is it really okay to breastfeed another's child?

Dr Ginni Mansberg, a Sydney-based GP, told a website that when it comes to getting your child breastfed by another, it is more about the 'weird' factor than actual and big health concerns. "It's quite a personal thing - the thought of your baby suckling from another mother is very unpleasant for most mums," she said.

"Wet-nursing is an ancient concept. For example, my late father-in-law had a wet nurse in upper class Europe. Back then, many women had no means of making a living and also wanted to keep breastfeeding to continue the contraceptive affect. So they worked as wet nurses. Now, women are more empowered to make other choices," she added.

However, modern research may not agree so docilely. Many modern day experts say that the risk of infectious diseases is quite high when it comes to breastfeeding another's child. The wet nurse can pass on infections like HIV, hepatitis and yeast, bacterial and viral infections. Also parvovirus, herpes, rubella and CMV can be transmitted through breast milk.

But let's say you need a wet nurse because the mother is not there or is incapable of breastfeeding the child, you can consider a person who is in relation to the mother and you know her complete medical history. However, it is always best to talk to your pediatrician about it first.