The mum does not understand why parents weren't happy their children ate brownies made with her breastmilk. Photo / Getty
The mum does not understand why parents weren't happy their children ate brownies made with her breastmilk. Photo / Getty
If a Facebook post by an anonymous mother is to be believed, it's time to start asking more aggressive questions about the ingredients of the cakes you're buying at the next school fete.
After making breastmilk brownies and selling them at her child's school, the mother came across some resistance to her recipe, according to news.com.au.
"I made brownies for my school bake sale that had breastmilk in them. I didn't have time to run to the store, and didn't think it was a big deal (some of those kids could use the nutrition to be honest)," the post says.
"One of the other moms found out and are blowing it way out of proportion. Idk what to do!"
The post drew 246 comments in just 34 minutes, and was picked up by the popular page 'Sanctimommy' which took a screenshot and obscured the woman's identity before posting it.
People's responses to the idea of surreptitiously feeding your breastmilk to unsuspecting brownie lovers ranged from appalled to bemused.
"Let us spare a moment of silence for the children of Booby Crocker," wrote one commenter.
"Clearly the other moms are upset because you baked brownies with sugar and flour. Next time try a sugar-free, gluten-free recipe and you should be fine. Pro-tip: make them soy-free as well. And obviously, sneak in some spinach and quinoa," quipped another.
But some people were angry the mother thought stealth breastmilk was acceptable.
"Honestly this is actually a damn near criminal offence! Breast milk, like blood or semen, can carry diseases, which is why legit donation services screen the milk before passing it along to moms and their babies. Secretly feeding children that aren't yours baked goods with your bodily fluids in them in gross, shady and borderline psychotic. Wait, not borderline, it's full-blown psychotic," another mother wrote.
The post earned the mother a share on the popular Sanctimommy page. Photo / Facebook
That comment was echoed by many others saying they were concerned the milk was not safe for people to eat.
The US Food and Drug Administration's guidelines for using other people's breast milk to feed your baby explicitly advises not to use unscreened breastmilk obtained through strangers or the internet.
"If you are considering feeding a baby with human milk from a source other than the baby's mother, you should know that there are possible health and safety risks for the baby. Risks for the baby include exposure to infectious diseases, including HIV, to chemical contaminants, such as some illegal drugs, and to a limited number of prescription drugs that might be in the human milk, if the donor has not been adequately screened. In addition, if human milk is not handled and stored properly, it could, like any type of milk, become contaminated and unsafe to drink," The FDA says.
And while the agency's advice doesn't extend to stealth feeding through chocolate baked goods, the general principle, that other people's milk should be screened before you consume it, stands.
Whether this particular batch of breastmilk brownies was safe or not, plenty of people were just grossed out, but one mum had a very similar story to tell.
"This is hilarious. My son was sick when he was a newborn and was in the NICU for 6 weeks. I brought the nurses goodies occasionally, but they informed me they couldn't accept baked goods because a mom fed them all brownies made with her breast milk without their consent or knowledge ... So gross."
The question we're all asking now is: Are there two breast milk Nigellas out there? Or is this cake stall mum a repeat offender?
