New Dad Goes On All-Breast Milk Diet

[puffy_bottom]

Here is an article about a father of three who is drinking his wife's stored breast milk and blogging about it here: http://donthaveacowc...s.blogspot.com.

'Don't Have a Cow': Dad Goes on All-Breast-Milk Diet

http://abcnews.go.co...ory?id=14571860

By MIKAELA CONLEY

Sept. 22, 2011

A blogger named Curtis has created quite an unusual mission for himself: to see how long he can sustain a diet made up solely of his wife's breast milk.

Curtis plans to document his experimental diet on his blog, "Don't have a cow, man."

On the blog, Curtis wrote that he is a first-time father to a baby girl who was born nine months ago. Katie, Curtis' wife, has an extensive surplus of breast milk in the freezer.

Preferring the taste of breast milk over cow's milk, Curtis said he drinks breast milk to settle digestive problems.

"And yes, I know how weird this may sound, it is kind of weird to me as well but why not?" Curtis wrote on his first post. "I mean cow milk was made for baby cows, why not drink human breast milk that was made for baby humans."

Curtis did not return ABC News' request for comment.

The breast milk consumer said he's 6-foot-4 inches, weighs 185 pounds and estimates he needs about 2,000 calories per day, which he says equals about 66 ounces of breast milk each day.

After the first day, Curtis wrote that his hunger "is pretty much non existent and manifests itself mostly as thirst."

"I may even be sad when all this milk is gone from the freezer," he wrote.

But Martin Binks, clinical director of Binks Behavioral Health, questioned the logic behind the diet, since humans' needs change as they grow.

"While babies' digestive systems and nutritional needs are provided for in such a diet, as we develop into adulthood, our nutritional needs evolve in such a way that we need a balance of nutritional foods for good health, including fiber," said Binks. "Breast milk cannot provide all we, as adults, need nutritionally and, in fact, [breast milk] has very high levels of cholesterol."

Curtis's wife, Katie, also took to the blog, saying she is a doula and childbirth educator. While Katie donated her breast milk after giving birth to her other two children, she did not find a mother in need this time around, and shipping the milk and going through the necessary tests were too costly for the couple.

Binks argued that there are surely other children out there who could use Katie's milk surplus much more than Curtis.

"There are children in the USA and all over the world who would benefit from this couple donating their breast milk," said Binks. "The value of breast milk is well-documented in improving the health of babies and not all babies have access to sufficient breast milk."

"The practice of milk banking is encouraged by the World Health Organization and the CDC, who state it is an excellent alternative for those cannot be breastfed," Binks added.

Milk donors are "urgently needed," according to Human Milk Banking Association of North America.

Dr. David Katz, director of the Yale Prevention Center, had even harsher words for the couple, going so far as to call the stunt "truly asinine."

"The rapid growth and brain development of early childhood is best fueled by the high-fat, energy-dense elixir of breast milk," said Katz. "There is no basis in all of nature to infer that it therefore is optimal food for adult mammals of any species."

Katz noted that potential adverse effects include weight gain, nutrient deficiencies and hyperlipdemia.

Kim Henson, co-owner of the National Milk Bank, an organization that collects donated milk for the use of babies in the NICU, said she'd much rather see Katie's milk surplus go to babies in need than to Curtis' diet.

But Henson added, "There's nothing wrong with experimenting with breast milk and seeing how it goes. Who knows? Maybe this man will have a breakthrough and figure out it does something great for the human race."

[Diapered Jason]

lol, that guy is very foolish.

[puffy_bottom]

I just tried to visit the blog. Holy cow it was THAT unpopular? I hope it was taken down because somebody volunteered to take the milk, but even that could have problems (the milk was refused at some banks because the mother was on ibuprofen) that complicate giving it to a child.

[babykeiff]

Drinking breast milk may be an idea for some AB members here, but unless it is your own mothers / sisters etc, I strongly suggest that you refrain from drinking it. What is contained in breast milk is high amounts of cholesterol. Within this cholesterol is key enzymes that aid in building and growing an immune system. As a fully developed adult, we already have a healthy immune system, which breast milk can severely damage. Also within breast milk is digestive and excretory relaxation agents. A newborn baby needs this to allow it to be able to digest the milk, and also to allow it to void as needed. This relaxation agent can cause semi to permanent incontinence to a continent adult. This does not affect a baby in this way since it is still developing its nervous and muscular system.

If you wish to drink breast milk, I strongly suggest that you chose formula, and mix different brands with honey or other natural sugars to create the taste that you remember as a child.

[The Little Marcin]

This relaxation agent can cause semi to permanent incontinence to a continent adult. This does not affect a baby in this way since it is still developing its nervous and muscular system.

That's like another reason to drink it ;D

If you wish to drink breast milk, I strongly suggest that you chose formula, and mix different brands with honey or other natural sugars to create the taste that you remember as a child.

I would like to try something like this. Have you got any recipes?

[puffy_bottom]

i was impressed that this blog went down as quickly as it did. As people on here discussed, it really wasn't a good idea, fun as it might have been on a limited period of time. I hope that it ended because they found a good home for the milk.

[Yvhuce]

Drinking breast milk may be an idea for some AB members here, but unless it is your own mothers / sisters etc, I strongly suggest that you refrain from drinking it. What is contained in breast milk is high amounts of cholesterol. Within this cholesterol is key enzymes that aid in building and growing an immune system. As a fully developed adult, we already have a healthy immune system, which breast milk can severely damage. Also within breast milk is digestive and excretory relaxation agents. A newborn baby needs this to allow it to be able to digest the milk, and also to allow it to void as needed. This relaxation agent can cause semi to permanent incontinence to a continent adult. This does not affect a baby in this way since it is still developing its nervous and muscular system.

If you wish to drink breast milk, I strongly suggest that you chose formula, and mix different brands with honey or other natural sugars to create the taste that you remember as a child.

What if you weren't breastfed as a child, and thus have nothing to compare such a mixture to?