I think Jean's post not only is profound but timely.

"I believe we are seeing a growing # of mothers who certainly value the
product enough to be milk-harvesting, but are not aware of the benefits
of the actual process of direct breastfeeding."

We are now witnessing the beginning of a new industry whose impact on
breastfeeding may be profound.  The commercialization of human milk will
impact the breastfeeding community significantly.  As Elena Taggart Medo
raises funds to launch her company Prolacta Bioscience Inc., breastfeeding
advocates will need to rethink alot of issues. One of which is making our
communities aware of the benefits of direct breastfeeding.

Canned human milk is obviously an outgrowth of a society that has made an
investment in "things" rather than people.  Breastmilk has become a commodity
to be bought and sold.  If we accept this idea and if we invest in this
business, than ultimately we are self-destructing.

It is also important to find out whether Prolacta Bioscience is getting
funding from the infant formula industry.  I suspect this is the case.
Therefore if breastfeeding advocates join forces with this business, they are
aligning themselves with the infant formula industry.

In the past Ms. Medo secured contracts with Abbott ($1.1 million) for her
company White River Concepts.  And according to her biography, in April 2001
she has "filed patents on the creation of a gammglobulin replacement made
from 100% human milk products and lactoferrin from human milk, a
pharmaceutical cure for e.coli."  So one might suspect that women who kindly
donate their milk will be helping Ms. Medo and her company profit from
something they are willing to give freely.

So Jean, you word "milk-harvesting" is timely.  We need to reflect on the
value of breastfeeding, the actual physical contact of mothers and babies.
Our society seems bound and determined to value the commodity rather than the
relationship.  And maybe that is because our society has made the decision
that value has everything to do with the capacity to generate "money" and
that human relationships are secondary or unimportant.  Valerie W. McClain,
IBCLC

biography of Elena Taggart Medo
http://www.pbwunlimited.com/elenabio.html

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