LONG-AWAITED BABY Jessa Finnsson, who waited five years to get pregnant, feeds her baby some expressed milk. After trying everything to establish a steady breast milk, Finnsson was elated to find that she now has enough milk to donate to other mothers.
Miraya Isobel was born premature at just 31 weeks. Delivered by emergency caesarean section, she was small and fragile, with a still undeveloped digestive system.
“Our pediatrician advised us to feed her breast milk. She said it’s safer than formula,” said her mother, Marinelle Tan.
But Tan wasn’t lactating enough and 1-week-old Miraya, who would spend two months at the newborn intensive care unit (NICU) of Antipolo Doctors Hospital, needed to be fed.
Tan turned to the Facebook page of the Philippine chapter of Human Milk 4 Human Babies (HM4HB) and asked for help.
HM4HB is a global network that facilitates informal milk sharing through its social network pages. Founded in 2010, it is present in over 52 countries, including Finland, Italy, Costa Rica, Jamaica and the Philippines.
The HM4HB system of sharing is surprisingly simple. Those in need of breast milk post their request directly to the group’s Facebook page in their area, while mothers with an abundance of milk announce its availability for donation in the same way.
Connections are made through comments and private messages and, if the donor and recipient agree, arrangements for pickup or delivery are made. These are called “milky matches.”
But selling breast milk is not allowed on the HM4HB pages. Some mothers may request for milk bags in exchange for their milk, but only so they could use these for future donations.
Recalled Tan: “The response was overwhelming. We didn’t have a hard time finding donations as long as we could pick them up. My baby thrived for four months with donated breast milk alone.”
FEEDING TIME Despite breastfeeding two babies, Joanne Cayco-Jiao still has enough milk to share with other infants in need through the global movement Human Milk 4 Human Babies. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
Rewarding experience
By the time Miraya was 6 months old, her weight had increased from 1.19 kilograms to almost 5. “Your boobies rock!” her thankful mother posted on the HM4HB Philippines page, listing the many moms who had helped her daughter.
The post had “before” and “after” photos of her baby, and the difference was dramatic. Miraya’s tiny wrinkly face was now round, her cheeks full and her eyes bright.
No wonder the moms on HM4HB call breast milk liquid gold.
Today, Miraya is almost 3 and thriving.
“I think her immune system is much stronger because of different antibodies coming from different moms,” Tan said.
For milk donors, the experience can be as rewarding, said Jacqueline Loto, who volunteers as moderator for the HM4HB page.
The stay-at-home mother of two who once worked in marketing and now tutors students started donating her milk in 2015 when she first gave birth. She hasn’t stopped, tandem-feeding her 2-year-old and almost 4-year-old while sharing her milk regularly with other babies.
“I think God will always give you talent, skills or, in my case, the ability to produce a lot of milk to share with others,” Loto said. “For me, donating milk and facilitating the page is really fruitful, a way of responding to God’s call for us to do something good.”
‘MILK OF HUMAN KINDNESS’ Stored inside a refrigerator and sorted based on expiry dates, Jessa Finnsson’s excess breast milk await pickup by mothers who had asked for donations of this “liquid gold.”
Economical
Joanne Cayco-Jiao, a nurse who is currently a stay-at-home mom to two daughters, started donating milk after her first child was born and continues to do so now that her eldest is 4 years old. “I was inspired by my sister-in-law to donate. During her time, the ambulance would even come to pick up her milk because she was giving to the hospitals,” she said. “But I wanted to go directly to the mothers so I’d know where my milk would go.”
Antonette Jao-Estanislao, an administrative officer from Makati and a mother of two, said, “I donate because I am blessed with so much milk. My baby is getting enough supply from my daily pumped milk and direct latch.”
Ricanel Leneses Huntley, a freelance photographer, and Jessa Finnsson, who owns and runs Jessa’s Gowns in Cavite province, are new to donating milk. But in less than a week, Huntley has already shared her milk with two babies. “It feels really good to help without asking anything in return,” she said.
Finnsson, who waited five years to get pregnant, said it was her own struggle with breastfeeding that inspired her to share her milk.
“I did not have enough breast milk to give to my baby, and I was sad, stressed, tired and sleepless,” she said.
“I tried so many ways to have enough milk. I called hospitals, searched for people selling breast milk, and prayed to God, promising that once I got my milk supply, I would donate some,” she went on.
“I tried everything: vitamins, special milk-producing supplements, onions, coconut milk, breast massage, Milo, eating sea shells … My husband even bought me a hospital-grade breast pump until my milk supply became regular. I was super happy because my baby can now drink milk from me and I can share my extra milk with other babies.”
Despite the hurt
Rose Gildore-Serrano, a manager for a telecommunications company in Pasig, had a seizure after her emergency caesarean and could not give her preemie baby, Rie, her milk because of the hypertension medication she was taking.
She came across HM4HB and discovered lactating mothers whose babies did not survive their stay at the NICU and who were offering their breast milk to other mothers. “They were willing to do it despite the hurt. This group has mommies who look after other mommies and babies in need.”
After posting her request, she received overwhelming response. “I was able to meet awesome moms through this group. I’m still friends with them on Facebook so they get to see how Rie has grown. I hope they feel proud of the girl they helped me raise, especially during her critical stage.”
Like any other online community, however, HM4HB has its share of drama, with one woman posing as a mother with a baby in need, only to sell the donations she received to other mothers desperate for milk.
But the members of the group are vigilant in reporting suspicious activities and have remained committed to helping out. They just make sure to screen their recipients carefully.
As Jiao vowed: “Nothing can stop me from sharing our liquid gold with sick babies.”