"I wanted to donate milk as I work in a hospital with a neonatal ICU and have hands on expereince with prem babies. I have seen how expressed breastmilk really makes a difference to them. I was only too thrilled to be able to make that difference to other babies."
Chloe - Wynberg (breastmilk donor)
"I never knew the babies I donated to, but I am very happy in the knowledge that my body was able to provide for sickly newborns whose mothers were unable to breastfeed."
Nwabisa (breastmilk donor) - Pinelands
Candice - doctor in a neonatal ICU & breastmilk donor - Mowbray
"Being a Milk Donor was something that had never crossed my mind pre motherhood.
I learned that my excess milk could save premature babies lives. Babies not as fortunate as mine could have an abundant supply of breast milk.
I just thought: what a blessing, what an opportunity. I could help save a life."
Terri (breastmilk donor) Green Point
Your Newborn Baby Breastfeeding Tips
General Breastfeeding Tips
Preparing for your Baby's Birth
Potential Breastfeeding Problems
Where to go for support
Your Newborn Baby
- Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC)
- Skin to Skin Care
- Self Attachment
- Dr Nils Bergman
- Kangaroo Father Care (KFC)
- Trusting your instincts
Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC)
The outdated practice of separating mothers and their babies has changed in many hospitals. Rooming-in, even bedding-in is now practiced in many hospitals eager to encourage and support breastfeeding. If your instinct says "I want to keep my baby with me" ensure that you find a hospital that is up to date with proven best practice. Research indicates that spending the first few hours with your baby skin to skin (in KMC) has numerous advantages for both you and your baby:
Skin to Skin Care (KMC)
Skin to Skin Care offers a gentle welcome into this world, minimising the stress for your baby (separation is hugely stressful for a newborn baby), encourages his suckling instincts which are strongest in the first few hours, bonding, temperature control, stable respiration and heart rate, more successful breastfeeding and the list goes on and on. It is how we were meant to be.
Self Attachment
On the other hand, the vast majority of these children are not breastfed. The conclusion being that more babies are dying when not breastfed than those dying due to HIV/ AIDS. It is true that a baby can contract HIV through breastmilk but he can also contract HIV before and during birth.
Healthy newborn babies, who have not been separated and whose mothers have not had pain relief during labour, are able to crawl to the breast from the mother's abdomen and start breastfeeding all by themselves. This process may take 50 min or longer, but for mothers and babies this is a precious time where they start to learn about each other. Babies who "self-attach" run into far fewer breastfeeding problems. This skin to skin contact will also help keep your baby warm.
Dr Nils Bergman
Dr Bergman who specializes in and researches Kangaroo Mother Care in South Africa says:
"The very best environment for a baby to grow and thrive, is the mother's body". "When placed skin-to-skin on the mother's chest, the baby receives warmth, protection and food, and its brain can develop optimally. Not feeding the baby often enough and leaving it to sleep alone after a feed can result in the baby getting colic", he adds. "The mother's skin is the baby's natural environment, and both physically and emotionally the healthiest place for the baby to be".
Kangaroo Father Care (KFC):
Remember to also allow Dad the opportunity to enjoy that special skin to skin connection with his newborn baby. Dad's too are able offer there babies warmth, security and safety. KFC offers a unique opportunity to foster the special relationship between a father and his newborn baby.
Trusting Your Instincts
In some hospitals, it is not unusual to have a doctor or nurse tells you that you must rest and want to put your baby in the nursery while you do so. If your instinct says "no", don't be bullied into doing it.
