Unfortunately, this is a subject that is seldom mentioned to breastfeeding mums. Nevertheless, it is of paramount importance because breast milk is vital for premature babies.
The most beautiful form of support between mums
We cannot stress this enough: thanks to its nutritional and immunological qualities, it is ESSENTIAL to give breast milk to a premature baby, whether or not it comes from the mother.
Initiating your lactation and nursing a pre-term baby is not always easy. Maternal stress, lack of support from the medical profession and the mother being separated from Baby can complicate things. This is why donating milk is so important because the magical properties of breast milk, which also benefit the development of vision and the brain, can be rapidly assimilated by a pre-term baby’s digestive system, despite the fact it is not yet fully developed.
According to WHO, pre-term births represent 11.1% of « living » births around the world. That’s a lot of mothers to support!
Also useful for healing ill infants
Breast milk can also be prescribed when Baby suffers from a digestive condition, cow’s milk intolerance, kidney failure or certain heart diseases.
How to donate
It’s extremely simple if your milk production is stable and you have a freezer. Don’t worry about the amount you provide, all donations are welcome. Each country has its own policy regarding breast milk donations, but this is how it usually works:
1. Contact your local milk bank
Ask your lactation consultant, doctor, or simply look on the Internet for information on which milk bank to contact. Then contact them and ask how you can donate your milk. Certain conditions, such as not taking any medication, usually need to be met.
2. Go to the doctor’s and have a blood test
You will probably need to check with your GP if you have enough energy to donate milk. And make a quick trip to the lab for a check-up before you get started.
3. Express your milk
You’re almost done! Now you just need to start expressing milk to donate.
These excerpts are from My completely illustrated Breastfeeding Book.
