Maternal Markets: Selling Milk, Eggs, and Wombs

The hidden world of trading biological materials, including breast milk and eggs, is brought to light. Recently giving birth in Amsterdam during lockdown, the author discovered an overwhelming milk supply, leading her to explore donation and subsequently, a bewildering online marketplace. This industry commodifies various aspects of the maternal body, from milk and eggs to surrogacy services.

The fertility industry uniquely leverages biological luck for profit. Women can earn money by carrying pregnancies, selling breast milk or eggs. This trade is fundamental and largely legal, distinct from illicit human organ trafficking. These commercial and sometimes altruistic transactions are driven by the enduring human desire to have children, creating powerful, intimate, and disturbing markets.