Too sick to breastfeed
“I decided to share my breastmilk with other babies, because some have no one to breastfeed them because their mothers have passed on. On the other hand, some babies have mothers, but they are often too sick to breastfeed. That is why I find it necessary to step in,” said Mokone.
According to milk handler at the bank Tshidi Letsoalo, mothers who donate their breastmilk to the milk bank are carefully screened and the milk undergoes pasteurisation. It also goes through a laboratory and is subjected to microbiological processes.
“The support from donor mothers is good. Last month, six women donated a total of 1 600ml. It is also possible for babies to get breastmilk even if the mother is suffering from COVID-19. We have means to pump the milk from the mothers to babies,” said Letsoalo.
Health-e News earlier reported how the province’s two breastmilk banks at Mankweng and Philadelphia hospitals have not been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and that mothers should continue donating. – Health-e News