When I had my first baby, milk donation was something I knew nothing about. By the time I came across the idea of milk donation, it was sadly too late in my first feeding journey to even consider becoming a milk donor.
Discovering My Brother Had Received Donor Milk
One day my mum and I were talking about breastfeeding and for the first time ever my Mum mentioned how my own brother had received donor milk while on NICU. He was born at 26 weeks and spent a long time in hospital very poorly. My mum was really unwell during this time and the kindness of a stranger donating their own milk meant my brother could still receive breastmilk – natures first medicine.
My Mum was able to meet the other Mother and thank her, as her own twins were on the same NICU. This story really inspired me to become a milk donor. I very much wanted to breastfeed again when I had my second baby and so I hoped that donating my milk would be an option for me.
How I Became A Milk Donor
Once my second was born and feeding was established, I started to research how to become a donor. The Milk Bank at Chester was my nearest milk bank. They supply breastmilk to over 70 hospitals across England, Wales and Ireland, one of the biggest in the UK. Which still blows my mind! They were amazing at going through the process of milk donation – from blood tests at my GP to how the milk is collected by the Blood Bikers.
I started my donation when my son was 4 or 5 months and aimed to donate 2 litres using the Ardo Melia breast pump. However, before he turned one, I managed to donate over 20 litres!
Donor Milk Really Is Life-Saving
Feeding both my children has been my proudest achievement but thinking about my milk going to NICU and being life saving is just unreal. As the milk goes to vulnerable babies there are strict guidelines about sterlising pump parts, monitoring freezer temperatures and your overall health while expressing. The staff at the Milk Bank were amazing with regular check ins and support.
I was lucky enough to be invited to the Countess of Chester to celebrate the milk bank turning 21 years. It was incredible to learn about the history of milk donation and what a difference it makes.
Milk Donation – One of My Proudest Achievements
I ended up stopping my donation efforts before returning to work as wanted a break from expressing daily. I knew that once I was back at work I’d be expressing milk during the day for my son to have the following day. However, I still managed to donate after this to local families through the Human Milk 4 Human Babies Facebook page which was really rewarding especially as it went to someone in need near me.
Like many breastfeeding topics there is huge controversy around donor milk but it can be safe, life saving and hugely benefical. It has been one of the most empowering things I have done. I can’t wait to tell my youngest that he was able to share his milk with poorly babies.
You can find your nearest milk bank on UK Milk Banking website
