Jill Duggar tells fans to "just chill" after feeding her own breast milk to her dog.
Jill Duggar, 30, from Arkansas, is probably best known for her time on 19 Kids and Counting and hit TLC reality show about her family's rather large numbers and unconventional (and sometimes charming) ways, but she's back in the news now for what some fans are calling "creative" ways to use up her old breast milk.
She took to her Instagram page on Sunday to show her followers her "last teeny bottle of breast milk" which had apparently been frozen for "nearly a couple years" and how it ended up landing in the stomach of the household's pet dog.
I’ve had my last teeny bottle of breast milk in the freezer for nearly a couple years now (both my boys stopped breastfeeding around 2 years old and Sam is almost 4 now!). I know I know...it’s probably a freezer-burnt nutrition-less substance now...🙃 Well, Sam randomly asked to try it recently and it didn’t look or smell bad when I thawed it out so i let him try it. As expected, he didn’t like it after trying a couple sips. Needless to say, now all 3 of my children have now had breast milk 🙊 🐾 🍼Anyone else feel sentimental about their “liquid gold”? 🤷♀️ Whoever coined the phrase, “no use crying over spilled milk” certainly never pumped!
Also, before any of you jump on me for feeding it to the dog, she’s fine. She’s totally fine. I wouldn’t have given it to her if i thought it would make her sick. So just chill mkay?!✌🏻"
Duggar's fans were more than supportive, with one quipping, "Waste not, want not. Healthiest dog on your block," in the comments section, and another one adding, "Seriously if anyone jumped on you about this, I would point out how humans drink cow milk so how would that be any different than a dog drinking human milk??"
Not everyone was as enthusiastic though, with additional comments being added to the thread with downright concern for the pup. One, a registered nurse, chimed in to remind everyone of human breast milk's shelf life.
"When I worked in the maternity ward we always told new mothers that breast milk had a shelf life of just about four to six hours if pumped and sitting at room temperature, twenty-four hours or so in the fridge, and about 10 to 12 months in the freezer," Marie Carle, a registered nurse from Arkansas shared. Marie added that she lives, "Near," the Duggar family in Arkansas and thinks they're "great people, but need to share the safety issues with breast milk."
Jill Duggar, however, has been a Certified Professional Midwife since 2015 after several years of study and apprenticeship, although some online sources state her license was rescinded after her mentor's ability to practice was ended after an error with a patient.
"Jill has more experience with babies and breast milk than most," added a commenter. "I don't care if she wants to feed her own to her dog. That's up to her and her family, and I bet she's not the only one in Arkansas or Oklahoma doing it. It's not our problem," followed by, "There are companies that encase it in resin jewelry for parents who want a sentimental piece! I always think that's a beautiful thing to do with the last of it too. And dogs will eat and drink puddles with urine in them, I'm sure a bit of breast milk is the very least of their worries, lol."
What do you think about Jill Duggar feeding this unconventional milk to her pet dog? We'd love to hear your thoughts and feedback in the comments section below.