"When Milk Matters told me that preemies needed just 50ml a day to survive and I was feeding my son breastmilk all day long, I wanted to help and knew I could."
Helen (breastmilk donor) - University Estate
"It felt wonderful to be able to help other moms and babies in the same way that I had been helped. It has been very special to be both a donor and recipient of breastmilk through the milk bank."
Debbie K. (donor and recipient)
"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)
"Being able to donate breast milk to those little precious premies is something I hope to be able to do for as long as possible."
Helene (breastmilk donor) Moullie Point
What is baby led or demand feeding?
Baby led feeding implies that we learn to read our baby's cues and feed our baby accordingly i.e. as often and for as long as our babies want to, and not according to the clock.
Learning about your baby's cues.
An example of a baby's cues:
When your baby starts to wake up after a good sleep, she tends to wriggle and squirm.
If left alone she tends to become more restless and may turn her head from side to side and put her fingers or fists into her mouth.
If left alone for longer she begins to make little noises, which if ignored become louder and louder and develop into a full bellowed cry.
The best time to feed your baby is when she indicates to you that she is hungry by turning her head from side to side and/or putting her fingers or fists into her mouth.
Leaving her to cry loudly may be too late, as she would need to be settled before you could feed her. This statement must also be taken in the right context; there will obviously be times when you are unable to immediately tend to your baby's needs. As parents we can only strive do our best and no more.
The so called quiet alert time, when your baby has just woken or, after her feed when she is still awake but very calm, is a good time to massage, bath or just spend time communicating with your baby.