Can a human live on breastmilk their entire life? I asked my health teacher and he told me he didn’t know but you probably would and I should ask you and then tell him.”

I laughed. And told her it would depend before launching into an info dump on the different factors (such as how long is this person living?) and considerations.

My 7th grader came home from school the other day excited to tell me about her health class. They are currently learning about nutrition and that day she said they watched a video and discussed human milk.

She was thrilled. “Mom, IT WAS SO COOL! We learned about human milk in health today! He just talked about it like it is normal and we learned how much of breastmilk is protein, fat, and carbohydrates and some of the other vitamins and minerals. And he said that there are things in breastmilk that can’t be found in any other foods.! I think he got it all right. But he didn’t know the answer to my question.”

You bet I emailed her teacher and thanked him for including education on human milk in their class on nutrition and for being a part of education that normalizes human lactation. I also asked for the link to the video he shared (it was a clip from Food: Delicious Science, from 5/31/17- would share but I can’t find it publicly available without a subscription). And I gave him the answer to the question she asked him.

He responded and shared how cool the whole class was, asking questions and being curious about the composition of other milk as well. Kids sharing that they were breastfed like it’s no big deal and nobody was embarrassed. There was even conversation about what human milk would taste like (they determined sweet because of the carbohydrates) and when my child said she’s tasted it recently and thinks it’s kind of weird and really sweet, they all thought that was neat. Nobody thought it was gross.

And my little lactation educator heart cheered that an entire class of 7th graders just had the chance to learn about human milk and have breastfeeding normalized. ❤️

And my mama heart cheered that my own 7th grader thought it was cool.

Wellness Lactation helped us out with a detailed answer to her question:

What a great question & learning experience for everyone in that class! Here are my thoughts as an IBCLC.

1. There have been stories throughout history of adults surviving on human milk for various reasons (short term).

2. It is a complete food, has all the foundational nutrients needed for infants/children to grow and thrive.

3. It would take a lot of milk to equal the daily protein & carbohydrate needs for an adult. It would be low on iron – although the form in human milk is more easily used and absorbed, but still wouldn’t be enough for an adult.

• • • To get enough protein it looks like it might take about 166 ounces of human milk.
    • To get enough carbohydrates the average adult would need about 150 ounces/day.
    • That range of milk would be double the intake of fat an adult needs (rough calculations, don’t hold me to them, lol).

4. The immunological & HMO’s in human milk would be hugely beneficial for all ages.

It would likely be better for adults than the milk of another species though!

Thanks to Rachelle Markham, IBCLC from Wellness Lactation for that breakdown!

I would add that the iron concern would be pretty significant. If a person’s only source of nutrition into adulthood was human milk, they would be anemic so probably very weak and tired and at risk of other health complications. Vitamin D would depend on the level present in the milk (which comes from the body of the person lactating) and sun exposure.

If you’d like to not be breastfeeding your child for their entire life (🤣 – that doesn’t happen!) and want to know your options for gently drawing lactation to a close, we have the perfect resource for you. Joined by IBCLC, Dominique Gallo, the on demand Weaning Gently Workshop gives participants step by step processes that fit your needs and circumstances to gently end breastfeeding while protecting the relationship. Take this workshop long before you’re ready to stop lactation and set you and your nursling up for a successful transition when the time comes.