Somerset journalist Alev Scott embarked on an unusual investigation into the growing market for selling breast milk online after discovering she was producing more milk than her newborn needed. Her curiosity led her to uncover a little-known digital marketplace where mothers sell their surplus breast milk directly to buyers.
“When I stumbled upon this commercial market online, it forced me to question my feelings about selling my milk or others selling theirs,” Alev explained. In the UK, while hospital-run milk banks accept donations, the process is often slow and demanding, with strict screening that not all mothers pass. This bottleneck pushes some women to seek alternative avenues, such as websites like ONLYTHEBREAST.com—a platform connecting milk sellers with buyers in the UK and US.
By creating a seller profile on the site, Alev gained firsthand insight into this niche trade, which occupies a complicated legal space. Despite breast milk being classified as a food and thus legally sold, the trade is largely unregulated. Prices vary widely, influenced by factors such as milk freshness, the mother’s diet, and even age—fetching between £30 and £50 per litre.
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Surprisingly, Alev found that most buyers were men rather than parents seeking milk for their children. Some customers came from wellness circles promoting breast milk’s alleged healing powers. “Bodybuilders, cancer survivors, and people with digestive issues like IBS buy colostrum and breast milk, believing in its restorative qualities,” she noted. However, scientific support for these benefits in adults remains scant.
Although not intending to sell her milk, Alev agreed to provide a portion to a buyer named Steve, a 60-year-old haulage driver who claimed breast milk eased his severe IBS symptoms. Yet, she soon realized, “IBS seemed like an excuse for a lonely man seeking emotional nourishment.” When she delivered the frozen milk, the experience overwhelmed her emotionally. “I felt like crying. I was giving away my child’s milk, my life force.”
This poignant exchange highlighted the urgent need for greater transparency and regulation in the breast milk market. Alev argues, “Governments tend to either ignore or ban this trade, but without open discussion and oversight, necessary change will remain out of reach.”