A mother’s donated milk helps other babies through hospital care

When Emma’s son Bert spent his first weeks in intensive care, he could not drink the milk she was expressing. She began donating the surplus. Ten months on, the Shropshire mother has supplied 90 litres for other sick and premature babies.

Her donations go to Birmingham Women’s Hospital’s Human Milk Bank. Milk is frozen at home, collected by Blood Bikes volunteers, then checked and pasteurised before it reaches babies who need it.

The hospital’s donor guidance asks mothers to establish feeding their own baby first and donate only surplus milk. Donors undergo health checks and blood tests; they must enrol before their baby is six months old.

The bank supports families while a mother’s milk supply develops, or when illness or separation prevents her providing milk. Demand frequently exceeds supply, so donations cannot meet every need.

Emma hopes to reach 100 litres by Bert’s first birthday in November. That milestone is still ahead, but 90 litres have already been shared with other families.

Sources

• BBC News — Emma’s donations and the milk bank’s work
• Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust — donor checks and eligibility