have heard of milk banks in the States. i've been pumping and freezing, but since my baby can't even finish the milk in the fridge, i've been throwing out frozen milk the past few months (quite a bit, about 100oz per month) and it really sucks to be throwing out 'liquid gold' like that. i've heard about friends who has donated breast milk (e.g. to infants who need it but couldn't get it otherwise). any ideas on if there are channels who would accept breast milk donations? any hospitals? LLL has any ideas?
(breast) milk bank
- Thread starter kellyst
- Start date
The main reason that there are no milk banks in Hong Kong is because there isn?t the political will amongst the doctors to do it. Milk banking is no more complicated that blood banking.
The doctors in Hong Kong see a huge need for human blood to save lives but unfortunately they don?t see the same need for human milk to save lives.
I went to a lecture given by Gillian Weaver, a founding member of the UK Association of Milk Banking, when she visited Hong Kong in 2003. Unfortunately there were no doctors in the audience only Lactation Consultants and LLL Leaders.
In the lecture she told us that the best way to convince doctors was for them to see the benefits with their own eyes. Visiting doctors to her hospital in London are amazed at how much better ill and premature babies do on human milk rather than formula (even though this is a very well researched topic) and they take the message back to their hospitals. Unfortunately this means we need a milk bank first to show the benefits.
A Leader who is now living in Shanghai wrote an article for our Asian Leaders Magazine a few years ago about milk banking. If you are interested in a copy please e-mail at [email protected]
Best wishes,
SARAH
The doctors in Hong Kong see a huge need for human blood to save lives but unfortunately they don?t see the same need for human milk to save lives.
I went to a lecture given by Gillian Weaver, a founding member of the UK Association of Milk Banking, when she visited Hong Kong in 2003. Unfortunately there were no doctors in the audience only Lactation Consultants and LLL Leaders.
In the lecture she told us that the best way to convince doctors was for them to see the benefits with their own eyes. Visiting doctors to her hospital in London are amazed at how much better ill and premature babies do on human milk rather than formula (even though this is a very well researched topic) and they take the message back to their hospitals. Unfortunately this means we need a milk bank first to show the benefits.
A Leader who is now living in Shanghai wrote an article for our Asian Leaders Magazine a few years ago about milk banking. If you are interested in a copy please e-mail at [email protected]
Best wishes,
SARAH
kellyst,
i have been throwing out bagfuls of my breastmilk too due to space limitation in my freezer. What a waste! let me know if you find some place that will take them in. I want to donate my milk too.
Incidentally, can babies take breastmilk that are not their mum's? any compatibility issues? I have friends who don't mind giving my milk to their babies but we are concerned of adverse reactions.
i have been throwing out bagfuls of my breastmilk too due to space limitation in my freezer. What a waste! let me know if you find some place that will take them in. I want to donate my milk too.
Incidentally, can babies take breastmilk that are not their mum's? any compatibility issues? I have friends who don't mind giving my milk to their babies but we are concerned of adverse reactions.
mummybee, still hasn't found anything. but i have heard that there should not be compatibility issues in normal cases. i knew of a friend, who has contact with a lactation consultant, who in turn knew of mothers who needed breast milk, and she donated some. and also have anecdotal stories from another mom who breastfed both her own and her brother-in-law's baby, who's around the same age.
so have heard of plenty of cases where it should be ok. i'm trying to cut down on the pumping now to reduce output, but it's taking forever!! any ideas to help with that much much welcome, have tried the Chinese 'dou see' way, doesn't seem to be helping too much... i'm just trying to pump less gradually, but it's a SLOOOW process.
so have heard of plenty of cases where it should be ok. i'm trying to cut down on the pumping now to reduce output, but it's taking forever!! any ideas to help with that much much welcome, have tried the Chinese 'dou see' way, doesn't seem to be helping too much... i'm just trying to pump less gradually, but it's a SLOOOW process.
do you still nurse your baby at night? i used to get up every night at midnight & 3am to pump from 1-3 mths. so i maintain quite a good supply.
then from 3-9mths, used to empty my breasts every midnight by hand-express (which i find drains the breast better) and i would end up having 15oz at night (so around 7oz each side), where my baby only drinks 5oz.
so i ended up having 2 big boxes of frozen milk in the freezer which i used when i started weaning her.
then from 3-9mths, used to empty my breasts every midnight by hand-express (which i find drains the breast better) and i would end up having 15oz at night (so around 7oz each side), where my baby only drinks 5oz.
so i ended up having 2 big boxes of frozen milk in the freezer which i used when i started weaning her.
parkviewmom
Registered User
there are no compatibility issues - all breastmilk is for human baby consumption. that's how wet nurses used to work in the olden days.
While it is true that any human milk is better for a baby than artificial milk. The best milk for a baby is the baby?s own mother?s milk. If this is not possible then the next best is milk from a mother with the same age baby and the same prematurity. This is why milk banks go to a lot of trouble to match donors and receivers, even though all names are kept confidential.
Best wishes,
SARAH
Best wishes,
SARAH
babi77, to get a good freezer stock, I pump right after baby has first feed in the morning when my breasts are the fullest and milk the creamiest and baby only empties one boob. I pump again after baby takes last bedtime feed at 9-10pm (ie baby feeds at 8pm, i wait 1-2 hours letting boobs "fill up"). IF I FEEL LIKE IT, I would pump 2am (not much milk) and/or 5am. Do be relaxed about the whole thing. I have tiny breasts (really) and can only pump 30-100mls total per session. Constantly worry that I don't have enough milk for my baby and look what happens - still have plenty to THROW away at the end of the day!?
If $ is not too big an issue, I recommend you getting the double Lactina Medela pump. I used to use the single electric pump which only draws out measly 20-30mls pooled from both breasts. The trick, i find, is the double pump. during a letdown, pumping both boobs at the same time can really extract far more milk than if you use single pump.
If I can do it with my teeny bitsy boobs, so can anyone! Good luck!!
If $ is not too big an issue, I recommend you getting the double Lactina Medela pump. I used to use the single electric pump which only draws out measly 20-30mls pooled from both breasts. The trick, i find, is the double pump. during a letdown, pumping both boobs at the same time can really extract far more milk than if you use single pump.
If I can do it with my teeny bitsy boobs, so can anyone! Good luck!!
Hi babi77, i'm a working mom too. the trick i think is basically to pump more frequently, which is tough in an office situation. but sticking to a schedule works. it's very true that the more you pump, the more you get. you might get less each time with less hours in between, but as your breast is stimulated more, the total output/day is definitely more.
with working, i try to structure the day so that i pumped 2X before i leave home for work, so one early morning, 5ish and then another just before i leave at 8am, 1-2 times at work, and then 2 times at home. i'm weaning her off breastmilk now so i do less now.
also, be sure to empty out your breast, i pumped until the breast is drained (to get more milk), if you don't want to increase supply, you can just pump until you get enough. At work with the manual pump, switching between the two breast helps too, let's say i start on the right breast, i pump until it slows down, then go to the left and then back to the right, so on and so forth for a couple of times until nothing comes out, i think that helps with really emptying the breast at each pump.
i use a combination of electric (double pump) at home and Avent Isis manual at work. for me, the Isis works just as well if not better than the electric, so i think it differs from person to person, you kind of have to 'mesh' with your pump.
fyi, if you want to consider the electric pump, i rented mine from Annerley Midwives. so you can 'try it out' without investing a bunch into it.
with working, i try to structure the day so that i pumped 2X before i leave home for work, so one early morning, 5ish and then another just before i leave at 8am, 1-2 times at work, and then 2 times at home. i'm weaning her off breastmilk now so i do less now.
also, be sure to empty out your breast, i pumped until the breast is drained (to get more milk), if you don't want to increase supply, you can just pump until you get enough. At work with the manual pump, switching between the two breast helps too, let's say i start on the right breast, i pump until it slows down, then go to the left and then back to the right, so on and so forth for a couple of times until nothing comes out, i think that helps with really emptying the breast at each pump.
i use a combination of electric (double pump) at home and Avent Isis manual at work. for me, the Isis works just as well if not better than the electric, so i think it differs from person to person, you kind of have to 'mesh' with your pump.
fyi, if you want to consider the electric pump, i rented mine from Annerley Midwives. so you can 'try it out' without investing a bunch into it.
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babi77
Registered User
kellyst,
thanks a lot, my pumping schedule is now like this
morning 6am - feed my baby directly
8am - feed him again
then 11am pump in office
2:30pm pump in office again
5:00pm pump in office again
then go home and then breastfeed and breastfeed.
then sleep at 12 midnight
wake up at 3am or 4 am to pump..
yes you're correct, everytime I pump the milk is just 2oz to 3.5 oz... but my baby is still 3 months old, so I hope later when he sucks more and needs more, I hope I can pump out more.
Give me comments and thanks a lot.
Regards
Babi
thanks a lot, my pumping schedule is now like this
morning 6am - feed my baby directly
8am - feed him again
then 11am pump in office
2:30pm pump in office again
5:00pm pump in office again
then go home and then breastfeed and breastfeed.
then sleep at 12 midnight
wake up at 3am or 4 am to pump..
yes you're correct, everytime I pump the milk is just 2oz to 3.5 oz... but my baby is still 3 months old, so I hope later when he sucks more and needs more, I hope I can pump out more.
Give me comments and thanks a lot.
Regards
Babi
babi,you are working very hard at maintaining your supply! well done!
I also notice that when a letdown happens, it happens on both sides, so in order not to waste any milk, i started pumping both breast at the same time (i used the avent ISIS, before i master hand expressing).
your schedule sounds pretty good. but i find it quite difficult to tell whether the breast have really been emptied. if you empty your breasts very frequently, your supply should go up in about 2 days.
I also notice that when a letdown happens, it happens on both sides, so in order not to waste any milk, i started pumping both breast at the same time (i used the avent ISIS, before i master hand expressing).
your schedule sounds pretty good. but i find it quite difficult to tell whether the breast have really been emptied. if you empty your breasts very frequently, your supply should go up in about 2 days.
Dear Babi,
You wrote, ?yes you're correct, every time I pump the milk is just 2oz to 3.5 oz... but my baby is still 3 months old, so I hope later when he sucks more and needs more, I hope I can pump out more.?
Please remember that a three month old fully breastfed baby drinks about 750 mls in 24 hours and that a six month old fully breastfed baby also drinks about 750 mls in 24 hours.
This is the biggest difference between breastfed babies and formula fed babies. Breast milk changes, it changes from the beginning of the feed to the end of the feed, from the beginning of the day to the end of the day and also as the baby grows. So at six months you will be feeding different milk to your baby than you are now ? but not a different quantity. If your baby was formula fed the quality of the milk would always be the same and so the only way to get more calories in to your baby is to give more and more milk.
So if you have enough milk for your baby now don?t worry about the future. Being able to express 2 to 3 oz each time is a reasonable amount. If you need more try pumping more often and adding the milk together.
If you get help with the let down you usually get more milk. So try direct breastfeeding on one side and pumping on the other. This way you baby makes the let down happen. You can also try a hand expression technique called the Marmet Technique, http://www.lactationinstitute.org/MANUALEX.html.
If you don?t like hand expressing you can use the pump instead as it is the massage, stroking and shaking which helps your let down
Best wishes,
SARAH
You wrote, ?yes you're correct, every time I pump the milk is just 2oz to 3.5 oz... but my baby is still 3 months old, so I hope later when he sucks more and needs more, I hope I can pump out more.?
Please remember that a three month old fully breastfed baby drinks about 750 mls in 24 hours and that a six month old fully breastfed baby also drinks about 750 mls in 24 hours.
This is the biggest difference between breastfed babies and formula fed babies. Breast milk changes, it changes from the beginning of the feed to the end of the feed, from the beginning of the day to the end of the day and also as the baby grows. So at six months you will be feeding different milk to your baby than you are now ? but not a different quantity. If your baby was formula fed the quality of the milk would always be the same and so the only way to get more calories in to your baby is to give more and more milk.
So if you have enough milk for your baby now don?t worry about the future. Being able to express 2 to 3 oz each time is a reasonable amount. If you need more try pumping more often and adding the milk together.
If you get help with the let down you usually get more milk. So try direct breastfeeding on one side and pumping on the other. This way you baby makes the let down happen. You can also try a hand expression technique called the Marmet Technique, http://www.lactationinstitute.org/MANUALEX.html.
If you don?t like hand expressing you can use the pump instead as it is the massage, stroking and shaking which helps your let down
Best wishes,
SARAH
sarah is totally right, my baby went up to 5oz per feed at 5 months, and even at 12 mths she only takes 5 oz. but the milk look a lot creamier when she's 12 mths.
in fact,for me the milk was creamiest around 5-7 pm, so usually save those for bedtime feeds. i the morning, it looks like there is more milk in the breast, but it's more watery. that how it was for me.
in fact,for me the milk was creamiest around 5-7 pm, so usually save those for bedtime feeds. i the morning, it looks like there is more milk in the breast, but it's more watery. that how it was for me.
Now that you have mentioned it, I started comparing my milk from different times, and do indeed find the morning milks more watery... Hmm, I shall try to feed the evening milks to my baby before bedtime instead, as it usually works out that I have been feeding the morning milks to my baby for bedtime...
Babi, keep at it! you're doing such a great job. i didn't nearly pump as many times at the office. your supply will still increase, i think mine jumped up at around 3-4mths and stayed there. keep with the excellent schedule, and don't worry too much, sounds like you're doing it all right already.
my lactation consultant taught me to mix the milk up. so the ones that i express at night is very creammy, and the morning ones are watery. so i mix them together & pour them in milk bags. (so i ended buying one biggest avent bottle so that there is enuf room very the milk). or if you have a choice, u give your baby the creamiest at the bedtime feed. what i usually did was i let daddy feed her 3 oz of creamy milk (while i hide outside of the room listening to the monitor for the cue for me to enter the room). then i go in the nurse her. lactation consultant said their sucking from the breast tired them out, give them the hormones they need to induce sleep (i forgot what it's called), and it's a way to let them say good nite to mommy & daddy. it worked wonderfully with my daughter. i think i started this routine since she was 5 mths. but mind you, i always had to hide before she knwos she's getting her milk. if she saw me in the room, she'd push the bottle & cry turning to me.
maybe we should start a new thread on how to nurse & bottle feed your baby....
maybe we should start a new thread on how to nurse & bottle feed your baby....