Today is celebrated on World Breast Milk Donation Day, an initiative launched to protect and promote breastfeeding, and raise awareness in society about the importance of donating human milk.
In Spain there are 15 banks of breast milk where donor mothers can carry their milk. There they will collect, process, store and offer it with all health guarantees, to babies who need it, mainly premature babies, who are the biggest beneficiaries of this immense gift.
Premature babies, main recipients of donated milk
From the Spanish Association of Human Milk Banks report that in 2016 they were collected more than 7,400 liters of breast milk donated by 1,550 mothers, who helped with their altruistic gesture to the babies who needed it most.
In our country there are currently 13 breast milk banks, and just a year ago we told you about the start-up of one of these milk banks at the Central University Hospital of Asturias (HUCA).
Only 15 months after its inauguration, HUCA has managed to feed 98 babies, most of them premature, thanks to the 90 mothers who have decided to donate their milk for the little ones admitted there.
And, generally, the main beneficiaries of donated breast milk are usually premature and large premature babies who, for whatever reason, they cannot receive milk directly from their mothers, so they receive it from donor mothers.
Breast milk is always much more beneficial than formula milk since it acts protecting babies born before term against infections and serious diseases such as necrotizing enterocolitis, which affects 10 percent of premature babies and in some cases can be fatal.
Therefore, every drop taken and donated counts, and on a day like today it is important to remember and encourage all nursing mothers who can, to donate milk.Requirements to be a donor of breast milk
Any healthy mother who is breastfeeding her baby You can donate breast milk. It is a solidarity and precious gesture, which although it requires effort, has enormous value for babies who will benefit from it.
To be a donor of breast milk you must consider the following:
Only women who carry a healthy life style and do not consume alcohol, tobacco, drugs, certain medications or herbs that could harm the baby.
Women who carry diseases such as hepatitis B or C, HIV or syphilis cannot donate milk.
You can start donating at the moment you breastfeeding your baby is well established, at least 3 or 4 weeks after birth.
To donate you must go to your nearest milk bank with your ID and health card. There they will inform you about the process of storage and collection of milk, they will do an interview and a blood test to rule out infections.
The main questions that arise before donating
One of the most common concerns that usually appear before donating, is whether the fact of pumping for delivery to the hospital will cause our baby to receive less food.
Although in the milk bank you go to you will clarify this and other questions that arise, it is important that you know that your body will adjust milk production to demand Therefore, in this case, as there is greater stimulation, production will also increase.
Other mothers doubt their ability to be donors, because they affirm that the amount of milk that they are able to extract is very low. In this sense, it is worth highlighting the idea with which we opened the article at the beginning, and that is that Every drop of milk counts.
There is not a minimum of milk to donate, as any help that can be offered to babies who need it most will always be valuable and very well received.And finally, we also indicate that to be a donor of milk you do not have to have a breast pump or containers suitable for storing breast milk at home, because the hospital itself will provide you Everything you need to extract, store and transport donated milk.
Therefore, if you feel like helping other babies by donating your milk, contact the nearest milk bank and there they will inform you in detail about the process you should follow to become a donor of breast milk.
And if you are already or have been a donor of milk, from Babies and More we want to thank you for your enormous solidarity, and recognize your effort and dedication. Thank you for being a donor!
