To drive home the message on breast milk donation, this Mother’s Day, members of Coimbatore Parenting Network (CPN), a support group of new mothers on Facebook, will donate breast milk to the milk bank at the Government Hospital. Says Swati Aravindh, lactation counsellor and active CPN member. “I take pre-natal classes at the hospital. That is when I learnt about the facility. We want to encourage more donors and spread awareness among new mothers. For orphaned babies, and babies fighting infections, breast milk is a saviour. And, it’s a great opportunity to play mother to other babies. Three ounces can feed three premature babies.”
“Donating one’s breast milk is something that existed right from the pre-christian era. Women who nursed others’ babies were called wet nurses. In India, Dr. Amida Fernandes started the first milk bank in Mumbai in the 1980s. Even now in villages, when a new mom falls sick, another lactating mother feeds the baby. But, in an urban set up, the options are cow’s milk or formula milk,” says Dr. V. Booma, nodal officer, special neo-natal care unit at the GH.
Dr. Booma says “Bottle-fed babies are bigger babies but not necessarily the best. Breast milk packs a lot of nutrients. In the first few days after childbirth, mothers produce colostrum which is high on immunoglobins that help ward off diarrhoea, respiratory infections, and other problems in the baby. It is the first vaccination. Breast milk also helps prevent diabetes, hypertension, and heart diseases in children. Besides breast feeding leads to an emotional bond between mother and child which in turn helps in the baby’s mental and physical well being.”
Sharanya Sargunan says it was a donor’s breast milk that helped save her cousin’s baby. “I put up a post on CPN asking for donors as the mother couldn’t feed the baby. More than two moms came forward to donate. It not only helped her baby but also so many other babies in the intensive care unit of the GH,” she says. She has now formed a whatsapp group of donor mothers. “For Mother’s Day, 15 new moms have agreed to donate milk ,” says Sharanya. Any mother who is willing to donate can approach the milk bank directly at the GH . “We counsel them. Then, we collect the milk, pasteurise, and store it at optimum temperature after doing a biological test for microbes. We repeat the test before dispensing the milk to a recipient. This ensures that the milk is germ-free. As breast milk is high on protein, sugars, and fat, we always double-check,” says Booma.
Neonatologist C. Kathick Annamalai who is also on CPN says such support groups are playing a big role in building awareness. “Couples who have babies through infertility treatment often have twins or triplets. These babies are born pre-term and underweight. And, the breast milk supply of such mothers is not sufficient too. This is where donors’ milk helps immensely. Recipient mothers should use the facility without any trepidations.” Dr. Booma says the development of pre-term babies is better when they are fed with breast milk. She adds, “It is liquid gold. Every drop counts.”
Good to know
Any lactating mother can become a donor even if she is nursing her own baby. It will not decrease the flow if she donates
Mothers who have excess milk can donate it to the bank instead of wasting it
There are collection points at Ramanthaupruam, Saibaba Colony, Thudiyalur and Peelamedu
To know more, call 9994087465/ 7708965892
Breast milk banks are located at General Hospital in Coimbatore, Chennai, Tiruchy, Tirunelveli, Salem, Theni, and Madurai
