Kesusuan

I was doing a little digging online about breastfeeding and wet nurses online. Why? Because there is a bit of paranoia and mystery about ‘kesusuan’

Breastfeeding is a big deal in Islam. In Al Baqarah, it is stated that a woman should breast feed ‘for two whole years’. This is what I am trying to do. Alhamdulillah its something I still can do with Aydin coming close to 13 months old.

About kesusuan, this is basically how in Islam children who are nursed by another person who is not their mother becomes in effect her child, her husband becomes their father, the children who also fed from her are in effect siblings through breastfeeding. And then the family rules apply, as in you may not marry from within that family, etc, etc.

So when hospitals accidentally feed breast milk to the wrong baby, is it a big deal? If a colleague accidentally brings home the wrong bottle of milk, should we panic?

It depends.

It turns out for a child under the age of two years, they would have to breastfeed 5 times to become ‘your’ child.

Interesting isn’t it? 5 times is a lot. I’ve known people to meltdown after one ‘accidental’ feeding of their milk to another baby. Me included here. I’m the one with the colleague who wandered off with my milk by accident. A bit of a hazard when we both use Avent bottles.

Now I know to tell myself, its ok… you’ll be more careful. For it to happen another 4 times, it has to be on purpose kan? hehe