"I gave birth to a 13 week premature baby who weighed 905 grams and dropped to 750 grams. I was producing very little milk at the time and I was able to secure some donor milk through Milk Matters!
The service I received from Milk Matters was absolutely awesome and I believe that Gabe’s health benefitted tremendously from the donor milk.
I would urge any lady who has surplus breast milk to please donate it to Milk Matters.
The benefits to premature and all babies are really too many to put in words.
Please, please donate your extra breast milk!"
Angelique - recipient premature baby's mom
"No matter how much milk I managed to donate (which at times wasn't much) it was gratefully received by Milk Matters. They were also very helpful and organised, making the whole process really smooth and painless. I definitely plan to donate again in the future."
Leigh M (breastmik donor) - Kirstenhof
"I viewed a pamphlet about Milk Matters one day and I thought to myself wow can people actually do something like that.
My daughter was eight months old, I was breastfeeding and I thought to myself I have more than enough milk for my daughter so I might as well spare some for those small little angels."
Jacky R (breastmilk donor) - Claremont
"Fantastic! Super easy to donate."
Linda-Anne, breastmilk donor - Constantia
What can be done if a baby suddenly refuses the breast?
Breast rejection can occur in the first weeks - often for unknown reasons - but also in older babies and toddlers. The mother may want to try the following suggestions:
- Make sure the baby is healthy and well. His mouth may be sore due to teething or thrush, or his nose may be blocked or he might have earache.
- As baby gets older so he feeds for less time at the breast. He is stronger therefore he drinks quicker.
- Try different feeding positions. Holding your baby in an upright sitting position rather than lying down, often encourages feeding.
- Cuddle your baby before feeding and try to relax while feeding. Severe tiredness and tension may slow the release of milk and the baby may become frustrated. Try massaging the breasts before and during the feed.
- Don’t force baby to feed.
- Try feeding when baby is still drowsy after a nap or as he goes off to sleep.
- Express a few drops of milk onto the nipple before starting to feed or offer expressed breast milk from a spoon or dropper to whet his appetite.
- Feeding in the bath could also be helpful.