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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Donating breast milk

43 replies

Liz79 · 14/07/2010 18:04

I have just started doing this and would like to hear from other mums about their experiences of it. My baby is 3 months today and I started expressing for the Chester milk bank on Monday.

OP posts:
Lavitabella · 17/07/2010 22:54

Lovely to read this thread, my mum donated milk when I was born (30 years ago, it was enough to help 3 babies . She had told me the story many times which I always thought was so lovely.

I didn't realise this still happened and think more needs to be done to highlight the fact.

I am due to have identical twins mid Nov and have been told there is a chance they could end up in the SCBU. So I would like to say a big thank you in advance if I needed to use this service. Well done lovely ladies who donate

LilQueenie · 17/07/2010 23:40

I have a question. Do the hospital actually tell you if your child will be drinking donated breast milk?

JellyBabyLady · 18/07/2010 09:20

LilQ - I'm sure they would discuss feeding with the parents as its so important, they'd probably discuss whether the mum can express for the baby or not and if not what the other options are.
I think they probably need your consent to give donated breastmilk, but I doubt any parents refuse, maybe some on religious grounds????

hildathebuilder · 18/07/2010 10:15

yes if you need donated milk, not only do they tell you, they need consent. Often they only use donated milk for a few days before the mothers own milk comes in. sometimes they mix it with expressed milk if the mum doesn't have enough, some people need it for longer if the mother is on certain meds, or no longer around for whatever reason.

I was lucky when my ds was born at 29 weeks, i got milk within 24 hours. I was so grateful as it felt he could at least be fed up from his 3lb birthweight. A friend was less lucky when her dd came at 24 weeks weighing just over 500g. She was trying to get ml of milk up with a syringe, and prescribed domperidone to get even that! For mums like her the donor milk is crucial so please donate if you can. (Her dd is a fighter and doing well for her gestation).

all donors are screened (a bit like for giving blood) and they also ask lifestyle questions about alcohol, smoking and caffeine, but if you are bf anyway that's not a problem (the limits were quite high 1-2 units alcohol, 5 caffeinated drinks per day).

If you do have extra milk it's really appreciated and a lot less bother than giving blood (i've done both) and just as important when saving tiny lives.

MoonFaceMama · 18/07/2010 10:45

frozennorth sadly i don't think huffersfield collect, though i have emailed them so if i find out different i will let you know. Shame as i'd like to donate to them, as they are nearest to me (though still some distance) but chester may swing it as they will come collect.

FrozenNorth · 18/07/2010 12:58

Thank you MoonFaceMama - looking at the map of milk banks the North is pretty abysmally served by it. I wonder if any of the hospitals near me run a local donation programme - or are they not allowed to do that, and only the big milk banks can help? Hmm, I'll have to phone and see. I'd be willing to express milk, freeze it and drive it to Huddersfield once every couple of months - I wonder if that's possible.

mrsrupertpenryjones · 18/07/2010 23:25

Glad i saw this pins a great big reminder to head to call chester milk bank in morning to get ball rolling to become human cow!!

babyphat · 18/07/2010 23:59

does anyone know if any hospitals will lend a pump? dd too old for me to donate but would love to next time, but never expressed except in hospital at the beginning and never bought a pump - don't see that changing next time.
guess i could shell out for one but just wondered...

JellyBabyLady · 19/07/2010 12:58

babyphat - some do loan out pumps, depends on what they have free though I think. Worth asking though.

MoonFaceMama · 19/07/2010 16:20

Chester rang this morning and are sending the kit out (inc pump). Very excited and impressed by how on the ball they are.

MoonFaceMama · 19/07/2010 16:27

oh, and they take it up to a year! More cake please!

babyphat · 19/07/2010 23:05

oh brilliant, thanks jellybabylady, i'll look into it

sanfairyann · 19/07/2010 23:09

great stuff!

MoonFaceMama · 20/07/2010 11:00

Ok, so for anyone that is interested Hudds can collect from Leeds...but they only take till your baby is 6 months (chester will take till a year)...

Just incase that helps anyone who would like to donate.

sunshineday · 20/07/2010 12:01

I have donated to wirral milk bank which is based in clatterbridge hospital. they have just sent me a certificate to say I have donated 6490 mls of milk My little girl is 12 weeks old now but was born 8 wks early. Its nice to no I can help someone else give their baby a good start.

ohfuschia · 20/07/2010 12:14

I have been donating to the NICU at St Peter's Hospital in Chertsey since my son was a couple of months old - he is now almost a year and although they won't accept a first donation when your child is over six months, they have told me they are happy to accept my milk for as long as I am happy to express it for them. They are always so grateful and the thought of the help it could be giving makes the small amount of effort worthwhile.

babyphat · 20/07/2010 12:15

wow sunshineday, that's great!

JellyBabyLady · 21/07/2010 13:28

I went today for my blood test at the SCBU unit - so glad I'm donating, especially now that I've seen those little teeny babies.
The unit was so full that they are having to move some babies to other units in other hospitals, they are so overstretched and so very grateful for the milk.

If anyone reading this is thinking about donating, please do!

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