Spare a drop?

This success led, in 1939, to the opening of the first milk bank in the country at Queen Charlotte’s. Now there are 13 across the UK, still supplying to special care baby units and still saving tiny lives.

Many new mums are completely unaware of the service, but others are put off by HIV screening, compulsory since health scares in the 80s.

‘We go through phases when we’re running extremely low, and it’s really hard when we have to turn down requests from other hospitals,’ says Carolyn Westcott, infant Feeding Advisor at the Princess Anne, who only has about 20 donors currently on her list.

‘It’s such precious stuff – it’s regarded as medicine rather than food on the neonatal units. A tiny baby’s gut is much better able to digest human milk than formula, and so get the nutrients it needs to grow and recover.

‘What I find really hard to accept is that there are only 13 milk banks in the UK – and if your premature baby happens to be born in Cornwall, its chances of survival aren’t as good as somewhere further up country with a milk bank within reach. No baby should be denied this medicine.’

Katherine Matthews from Salisbury knows exactly what she means. Her baby daughter Hannah was born nine weeks premature and depended on the pasteurised human milk she was fed.

‘I was expressing some milk for her, but it took a while for me to get going, and she needed it straight away. She was born at 31 weeks, weighing 3lb 1oz and unable to suck, so she was fed through a tube.

‘She had 10mls (two teaspoons) every hour. I was very happy that she was receiving it. She’s put weight on really quickly, and even though she’s now on formula, because I had problems with mastitis, I know she had the best start.’

If you think you may be able to donate, or know someone who might, get in touch with the United Kingdom Association For Milk Banking on 0208 383 3559.

Milk banks in the UK can be found at:
Birmingham Women's Hospital
Rosie Hospital, Cambridge
St Peter's Hospital, Chertsey
Farnborough Hospital, Kent
Medway Maritime Hospital, Gillingham, Kent
Yorkhill Hospital, Glasgow
Huddersfield Royal Infirmary
Kingston Hospital, Kingston, Surrey
Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital, London
St George's Hospital, London
John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford
Princess Anne Hospital, Southampton
Irvinestown Health Centre, Fermanagh, Northern Ireland