This research provides insight into the process by which women became internet-facilitated peer-to-peer milk recipients. It identified that many peer milk recipients have medical histories that can make breastfeeding challenging or impossible. As a group they do not appear to be typical of the general population of breastfeeding women. It also indicated that determining a cause and possible solutions to the breastfeeding difficulties of milk recipients is often extremely problematic. Health workers dealing with breastfeeding women require greater training in the recognition and treatment of conditions that adversely affect breastfeeding, including a physiological incapacity to fully breastfeed. Although peer-to-peer milk recipients come to milk sharing because of necessity, they appear to be satisfied with the solution it provides to their problem of being unable to fully breastfeed their infants. Access Dr Gribble's paper here

Dr Gribble's paper explores the experiences of 107 Australian women who were breastfeeding a child two years or older, 87% of whom had not originally intended to breastfeed long-term, with many who had initially felt disgust for breastfeeding beyond infancy. Mothers changed their opinion about long-term breastfeeding as they saw their child enjoy breastfeeding, as their knowledge about breastfeeding increased and as they were exposed to long-term breastfeeding role models. Access Dr Gribble's paper here