Being the mother of a premature baby and one that I am still partly breastfeeding at 19months I truly believe in breast milk.
When Airlie was born at 27weeks this was the only thing I could do for her and did all I could to keep up my milk supply. Luckily for me I was quite a good producer and could have in fact fed half of the nursery. For some though they are not as lucky due to medical reasons, being unable to produce and keep levels up or substance issues. I learned how precious breast milk is to a premature baby and truely believe in milk banks. Airlie was so slow to start and I produced quite large amounts which I had to freeze. When it was time to be transfered from the NICU to a small hospital I did all I could to get the Expressed Breast Milk home with me on the plane. Yes imagine me running around a Sydney suburb trying to find something suitable to take on the plane filled with ice but not an esky as that was too heavy and everything needed to be weighed to get onto the plane. I found a4 sized bags that looked like lunches boxes with a strap over you shoulder. I brought about 10 as it was the only thing I could find. I took them back to the hosptial and proceeded to fill them with ice and milk. One male nurse said “Fiona you know you can just throw it out” I know I could do that but I had worked so hard and it was so horrible to let it all go. I got as much in as i could and still left some behind that was thrown out as they were unable to use it for other babies due to regulations. I arrived at the next hospital only to find a freezer that was the smallest one I had seen in my life. My milk had also started to thaw out and therefore I had to throw it out. I didn’t keep much of it in the end but I did everything I could to save it. If there had of been a milk bank in Sydney I could have donated my milk to be used to help other premature babies and sick infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) and special care.
There needs to be a lot more screening and the Perron Rotary Express Milk Bank at the King Edward Memorial Hospital in Perth is paving the way in this vital area. The King Edward Hospital provided milk for 49 babies in the first year of being established but they could have given milk to alot more with around 90% of mothers giving their consent to be placed on the program. Over the past year 60 ladies have donated over 300 liters of Expressed Breast Milk (EBM). Donors are alway screened for substances such as alcohol, cigarettes, drugs and viruses just as you would be if you donated blood. EBM is used to help babies who are born premature and also have issues with their hearts, stomach, kidneys as well as burns.
It is reported that babies who have received the EBM at the King Edward Hospital have shorter stays and by as much as 2weeks which in turns saves around $18 000.There is also a small program running in Sdyney at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Camperdown.
For me I wouldn’t hesitate joining and support breast milk banks. A lot of people seem to be uneasy about this but my view is when you walk into a NICU and see your child struggling to live and your choice is to give them a better chance with less gut infections and shorter stays I know which choice I would make. As long as the milk is being screened I look at it as the same way blood is used to save someones life. We too used that service when Airlie was little and I came close to using it too when my plates became very low due to the HELLPS.
How do you feel about providing your breast milk to other babies and would you use someone else’s breast milk in this situation?
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