‘It shouldn’t be looked down upon’
A mum-of-three has split opinion after revealing that she often breastfeeds her niece to give her sister a ‘break.’
Emily Boazman, who lives in the US, tries to help out her sister Katelyn with looking after her daughter in any way she can.
But whilst most people would probably help out with childcare by maybe babysitting every now and again or doing the school run, Emily goes a couple of steps further.
She prompted debate on TikTok after sharing a video of her nursing her niece so that Katelyn can have some down time.
The video shows Emily breastfeeding her niece whilst Katelyn enjoys some breakfast in the background.
Many took to the comments to praise her for the “generous” act, with a number saying they had also breastfed other people’s babies.
One person wrote: “I absolutely love this.”
Another said: “I nursed my sister’s baby when she couldn’t.”
“Wet nursing is normal. It’s part of the whole takes a village, we used to all be together,” a third added.
Not everyone agreed though, with others labelling it “weird.”
“My jealousy would never allow this. that type bond is really special,” one said, with another commenting: “Weird AF to me I would never let someone nurse my baby.”
Speaking to FEMAIL, Emily explained why she posted the video, saying: “I share these videos in hopes that it will help re-normalise breastfeeding other people’s babies.
“It was such a common practice for so many years and it shouldn’t be looked down upon.”
She added that she thinks it’s “so special” to be able to feed her niece and questioned why it’s considered “weird” nowadays despite having been a “normal part of culture” in the past.
In another video, she revealed that her sister has C.diff, a germ that can cause diarrhoea and colitis, and that Katelyn had an “awful” breastfeeding experience when she had twins because she didn’t make milk.
The Australian Breastfeeding Association says that if a baby needs extra milk then breastmilk from another mother is the “best next option.”
Their website says: “In Australia, donor breastmilk may be offered to premature or very sick babies in hospitals that are connected with a milk bank.
“Donor milk is offered to premature and very sick babies in hospitals that have a milk bank, if the mother is unable to produce enough of her own breastmilk.
“In other situations, parents may source donor milk informally, sometimes through milk-sharing groups on social media.
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