If the word milk-harvesting originated on Lactnet, it should be credited to
Chanita Stillerman, IBCLC.  According to an archives search, her post in 1997
speaks of a mother "harvesting her own milk."  A second post in 1999 uses the
words, "milk harvesting." (no hyphen)  I did not do an extensive search but
hopefully we have given credit to the right person.

I wanted to clarify some of my thoughts least someone get the wrong
impression of my previous post.  I believe that a woman who pumps and
provides her own milk for her infant(s) is breastfeeding.  Woman who do this
for either short or long periods of time are breastfeeding.  While I highly
value the physical contact of a mother and infant, I think we must recognize
the dedication and love it takes to provide breastmilk for an infant by not
having that intimate contact.  It is breastfeeding but is what I would call
breastfeeding the hard way.

If and when Ms. Medo gets her company off the ground and starts providing
human milk (breastmilk) in a can, we may need to use the terms breastmilk
feeding or milk-harvested. We will have to change our vocabulary because in
essence our world has changed.  I would never use the word milk-harvester to
describe a woman who provides her own milk for her infant.  I might use that
word to describe Ms. Medo because truly that is what she and her company will
be doing.

I think the implications of this industry are troubling.  If one can get
breastmilk in a can, then wouldn't women be persuaded rather easily that
their own milk is contaminated?  How is the breastfeeding community going to
confront the issue of the differences between getting human milk in a can
versus breastfeeding?  It is obvious to me the selling point of human milk in
a can will be that breastfeeding is polluted, dirty.  Let us sanitize it for
you, can it and add what is truly needed.  The issues of environmental
pollution, infectious diseases will all be reasons to use the pasteurized and
improved human milk.  In fact I can see the advertisements now.  They won't
have to be careful about saying "just like breastmilk" because it is
breastmilk.  I call it the breastfeeding advocate's nightmare come true.
Valerie W. McClain, IBCLC

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