After Shané Swanepoel’s twins, Emley and Juley, were born prematurely at 34 weeks, their mother was recovering in high care and could not yet breastfeed them. Through the Netcare Ncelisa human milk banks, donated breast milk from other mothers provided the premature babies with vital nourishment and immune protection during their vulnerable first days.
| Shané Swanepoel has donated 48 litres of excess breast milk, so far benefiting 46 babies in public and private hospitals through the Netcare Ncelisa human milk banks. |
|
“After my first pregnancy, I had to express milk to mix in medication for my eldest, Lily, and, like many moms, I started freezing the excess. When Lily was three months old, we had to switch to formula, and my paediatrician asked what I was going to do with my excess milk,” says Shané.
“She explained that the antibodies in frozen breast milk only remain viable for a few months and told me about the option to donate my milk to help underweight or newborn babies whose mothers can’t breastfeed. I never knew there was such a need for it, and that is when I started donating,” she says.
“As I spoke to other new moms, I realised very few people are aware that their excess milk can be donated. At the time, I never imagined that I would one day be on the receiving end of another mother’s donation.
“For the first five days after Emley and Juley were born, they were nourished by breast milk donated by other mothers. Having been a donor myself, experiencing breast milk donation from the other side gave me a whole new appreciation of just how meaningful that gift can be to another mother.”
“The twins remained in Netcare Pretoria East Hospital for a month, and during that time I had to express. When they came home, I had more than enough milk, so I kept expressing and donating what the twins didn’t need.”
To date, Shané has donated 48 litres of milk, of which 40 litres have been dispatched to benefit 46 babies so far through Netcare Ncelisa human milk banks. An initiative of the Netcare Foundation, the milk banks pasteurise, store, and distribute safe, age-appropriate donated breast milk to eligible babies in hospitals in both the public and private sectors, at no charge.
“I love giving back in this way. Through sharing my experience, I’m hoping to reach other women who are able to breastfeed and may also wish to get involved,” says Shané, who recently shared her Netcare Ncelisa human milk banks donation journey in a social media video.
|
“A mother’s milk changes as her baby grows, and contains the best possible combination of nutrients and antibodies to meet the needs of the developing infant, just as nature intended,” says Verena Bolton, national coordinator of Netcare Ncelisa human milk banks.
“Breast milk from eligible donors must be carefully processed in accordance with strict protocols and regulations to ensure the safety of the premature and newborn babies who receive it.”
She explains that women with excess milk who wish to become donors must undergo screening and blood tests, at no charge to the prospective donor.
“We use a digital system to track and trace breast milk donations every step of the way, from donor to recipient. All details required are recorded on the system to ensure that donor milk is supplied to babies of the appropriate age,” Bolton explains.
“To me, donated breast milk represents the love and hope that one mother can give another, while helping a vulnerable baby get a healthier start. I hope other mothers who are able to breastfeed will realise that they, too, can give this precious gift,” Shané says.
For more information on donating breast milk, please contact your nearest Netcare hospital’s maternity unit or register online to become a donor at https://milkbank.co.za/milkbank/onlinedonor.php.
“We thank all the mothers who have, or are, donating breast milk, for their generosity of spirit and we would like to encourage others to consider getting involved, so that more babies can benefit from the priceless advantages of donor breast milk,” Bolton concludes.
Ends
For media enquiries, please contact MNA at the contact details listed below:
Issued by: MNA on behalf of Netcare Ncelisa human milk banks
For media enquiries Martina Nicholson, Meggan Saville, Estene Lotriet-Vorster,
contact: Clementine Forsthofer or Natasha Burger
Telephone: 011 469 3016
Email: [email protected]