Breast Milk Donation for Kings Milk Bank - Worth Considering

[The Nappy Lady]

Hi all,

For those that don't know, you can donate breast milk to Kings for the Special Care Baby Unit.

It is very easy to do this - once baby is born you go along and have a blood test, then they give you 4oz sterilised plastic bottles which you pop your expressed milk into and keep in the freezer. You can top up the bottle until it is full, even if expressing over several days or weeks. When you feel you are running short of freezer space you just 'phone them and they come and collect at a time to suit you.

You can also donate milk you've got stored but don't think you are going to use yourself (still need to have the blood test done).

Please consider doing this if you can. Receiving breast milk can make the difference between life and death for the premature and seriously ill babies, generally they only need a tiny amount - about 6 drops an hour in some cases, so even a few ounces of milk will be greatly valued.

The ladies that run the milk bank are very friendly and would be delighted to chat on the telephone if you would like to know more. The contact number is 020 3299 3038. Just leave a message if no one is there and they will call you back.

Molly

[Judy2]

I just saw this message and would also encourage people to do this. I had a baby just before Christmas at Kings and although he was fine, I was very poorly and had to have major surgery within about 2 hours of giving birth. I was incredibly grateful that my midwife managed to get some donated breast milk for my baby rather than just giving him formula.

[east-of-the-Rye]

Hi All,

Just thought I'd second this - I donated some milk when my (now very skinny) 12 year old was a hugely fat baby. At the mid morming feed, I'd feed him on one side when pumping on the other side and managed to fill a few bottles before stopping to go on holiday and then back to work. I stored them in the freezer, and on one occasion that a nurse from the unit came to collect them, I asked her to come through to the kitchen. It did occur to me later, that having seen the state of the kitchen, she may have decided not to use the milk... but I hope not.

[The Nappy Lady]

Ha - it wouldn't worry them east-of-the-Rye - the milk gets pasteurised before they use it......and amazingly even after that it is STILL better for the babies than formula!

As long as you sterlised the pumping equipment, that's the important thing....didn't know the bank had been going for so long though - interesting.

Molly

[ClareC]

Hi all,

has anyone successfully contacted them recently?I've called 3 or 4 times during their open hours but always got ananswer phone. I have left two messages but nobody has called me back...

[The Nappy Lady]

ClareC,

They are there right now, but the answer machine is a bit dodgy at the moment so they need to get a new one. It is on order.

Do try phoning again, and leave a message very slowly and clearly if need be.

Thanks so much.

Molly

[pebbles]

My mother used to donate breast milk after all 3 of us (37,35 and 32 years ago) and wait for it..... she just left the bags of milk outside the door of kings and they would take it in from there - how hysterical is that - can you imagine donating milk now anonymously and leaving it outside for anyone to tamper with.

[apenn]

I also called Kings about this recently. I think it took them about 2 weeks, but they did eventually return my call. FYI, they don't accept milk if your baby is over 6 months (unless they are desparate!).

-A

[The Nappy Lady]

Yes, thanks for that - I think if you are already a donor they will take it, but not if you are just offering to start donating. Forgot to mention that.

Molly

[MrsP]

I donated over a litre of milk when my second child was born. I also spent time on the special care baby unit and saw the nurses feeding the tiniest babies I have ever seen. Well worth the effort if you can manage it.

[bee74]

Persevere with calling. They are very busy and only work on certain days. I've been donating milk for 14 months and I'm going to stop at some stage soon as my 15 months old is boobing less now... But the milk you give is invaluable!

Thank you

[The Nappy Lady]

MrsP, when you see the tiny babies in special care it is unbelievable isn't it...I thought I knew what to expect, but they were just so tiny it took my breath away.

I had a lovely moment when I went to one of the coffee mornings, chatting to a man on the way up in the lifts who had a newborn car seat with him so I asked if he was taking a baby home that day and he said yes and asked if I was there to visit someone (I had my youngest with me, but she was a beefy 7 month old at that point). I told him I was a milk donor and it turned out the baby he was taking home that day was one of twins - both had been in SCBU, but the stronger of the two was already back home. He was so appreciative of having had access to donated breast milk for the babies during the first few days and asked me to thank all other donor Mums on his behalf - which I did at the coffee morning, but will do again here now.

My donating days are over, but keep up the good work ladies.

Molly

x

[Fuschia]

I am hoping to do this but left a message and noone has called back yet...

[sandy_rose]

I was in hospital for 14 days when my baby was newborn. I was expressing for dear life to keep my milk production up as my baby was on an iv drip and not allowed to feed. I asked at scbu if they would take the milk as I was throwing away copious amounts but they said they don't do it anymore -?

[Au'Lait]

I'm doing it, it's a great excuse to eat more cake.

[ClareC]

I was going to, but when the info arrived you wasn't allowed any alcohol...... I meant to call to find out if that was never,or within a certain time period before but nevergit round to it :-(

Only had the odd glass of wine given I was feeding my baby, does anyone know whether it is total abstention?

[The Nappy Lady]

Hi ClareC,

I think unless you are drinking every single day it would be fine - just dont express/donate on the day after you've had a drink.

I will try to check for you. Best to speak to the ladies who run the unit.

[Fuschia]

I just rang and the phone was answered (7.30am!)

They will drop round some bottles to me today and I will do the forms and have blood taken next week when I am up at Kings anyway. Alcohol wasn't mentioned, questions were about prevoous blood transfusions, or if I am on medication.

[Ruth_Baldock]

Oh bums, can you not donate if you've had a blood transfusion? Had one with Seb, didn't get round to donating when he was still on the boob...but want to with next baby.

Am still producing milk, do you think they'd take it? Haven't BF Seb since November and am almost 17w pregnant...

[The Nappy Lady]

Hi Ruth,

I think you have to have a baby under 6 months to sign up.

Re blood transfusions, they do blood tests before you can be a donor, maybe just need to know for the record when you had transfusions & not recent etc??

[GinaG3]

Brilliant thing to do, well done to all those that do and will in the future! Makes a huge difference to most people.

I must say, when I had my daughter I saw the leaflet, but couldn't donate. I would of started donating at 6 months and would of donated for the last year and half if I could, but once again you cant.

Sad but true, the leaflet gave me a bit of a grin when I read one of the conditions of donating is you cant of been 'paid for sex'. Now this I believe is badly worded. Me and partner joked for weeks after birth that if he bribed sex out of me and bought me a takeaway after this could be seen as 'paying for sex'.

Cord blood banking available at Kings worth doing too, would be good if they just banked all 'safe' cord blood after each birth!!

[Fuschia]

I think you might be able to start to donate at 6m+ if you intend to bf/express for a long time. Nothing wrong with the older milk, just many mums stop bf soon after 6m so the life of the donor would be short

[Au'Lait]

When I signed up (about a month ago) I was asked how much tea and coffee and alcohol I consumed. I said about 3 or 4 cups of T or C per day and a glass of wine or beer about 3 nights a week. Apparently that's fine. With regard to donating after 6 months, I asked if it was the case that I wouldn't be able to donate after that and Liz said I still could, it's just that they find that many donors come to a natural end to their donating around that point (like Fuschia has said). I didn't ask about signing up post 6 months but I don't really see why it would be an issue.

[Fuschia]

Lesflet says below 2 units a day alcohol is ok

[ClareC]

Really? That's perfectly reasonable :-) I know the pack I received said no alcohol which was rather too restrictive. Will def do it this time round if that's the case :-)