To Pump or Not To Pump?

The national baby formula shortage is impacting families all over the country. Babies require a specific set of nutrients to thrive and grow into healthy children, nutrients that they obtain from drinking breast milk and formula. However, for many with lactation issues or families who went through the surrogacy process, formula is the only way babies eat and grow.

For those that grew their families using surrogacy, the gestational carrier can continue to help their families thrive. Since the surrogate’s body has recently gone through pregnancy, it is producing breast milk as if the carrier was keeping the child and needed to feed it.

So, to pump for your intended parents or not to pump?

Reasons to Pump

Pumping milk has proven health benefits for the carrier similar to breastfeeding in a traditional pregnancy. It is said that your physical recovery is tied to the production of breastmilk, and there is data to support that. Pumping repairs uterine lining and sizing, burns calories, and supports hormone production in the body. By continuing to help the parents after the birth, surrogates will see a physical benefit that will encourage their own healing. 

Studies have shown that breast milk is essentially liquid gold for babies. It is full of nutrients, hormones, and antibodies that help a newborn grow. While formula simulates all of these nutrients, there are many studies showing the overall benefits of breastmilk for a child.

In addition to providing additional help to families, surrogates can be additionally compensated for pumping breast milk for their intended family, with the current rate being $1/ounce pumped, plus all expenses. In the reproductive contract, the surrogate and intended parents can agree to have breast milk pumped for the newborn for a fee as long as the child needs it and both parties want to continue.

Reasons Not To Pump

While there are a lot of benefits to pumping breast milk for yourself and the newborn, that milk only makes an impact if it makes it to the baby. Safely transporting and shipping breast milk can be difficult, especially if surrogates live some distance from the intended parents. Breast milk is perishable, and since it is locally sourced and not processed, it also has to undergo additional inspection from the mail service.

Pumping is also a lot of work. It can distract from your day, interrupt your sleep schedule, and impact how you act post-pregnancy. When someone is pumping, they need to be conscious of their diet and drinking habits to make sure appropriate nutrients go to the child, which a surrogate may not want to do after nine months of controlling their diet.

Medically induced lactation is also another option for intended parents. There are new procedures and hormone treatments that mirrors post-pregnancy, allowing women to produce their own breast milk. This option allows families to still provide breast milk to their child without continuing to build upon the relationship with their surrogate.  

There are many reasons to pump and not to pump for your intended parents – all worth considering. Having surrogates send breast milk is becoming more commonplace, as the formula shortage grows and parents worry about the health and safety of their children.

If you have questions about pumping for your intended parents, reach out to us here.