Breastfeeding moms invited to donate breastmilk via ‘Mommy Milkshare’
August is known as the “Breastfeeding Month” here in the Philippines mainly because of two reasons: (1) the first week of August has been dubbed internationally as “World Breastfeeding Week;” and (2) the Philippine Senate designated August as the “National Breastfeeding Awareness Month” in 2010 “in order to protect, promote and support breastfeeding in the Philippines as the normal, natural and preferred method of feeding infants and young children.” Thus, more people can become aware of the importance of breastfeeding and the numerous benefits of breastfeeding to both babies and mothers.
As a breastfeeding mom myself, I am fully aware that breast is best for babies, which is why I chose to breastfeed all four of our kids – even if there were challenges along the way. Our youngest child actually needed donor breastmilk when he was smaller, as a supplement to my own milk supply. This was when he became sick after birth. That’s why I am so grateful to mothers who willingly share their excess breastmilk with other moms and babies – they are really such a blessing, especially to sick babies.
If you are a breastfeeding mom who has excess breastmilk to spare, or know someone who is, you might want to be a blessing to other babies as well – specifically through the “Mommy Milkshare” event happening on Aug. 13, 2016 at The Parenting Emporium (TPE) in New Manila. Set to take place between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., “Mommy Milkshare” is a project of Honeysuckle Philippines and TPE, aimed at providing breastmilk to needy babies. This is actually its second run, with the first “Mommy Milkshare” held in September last year.
Here is some more information about the event, via an exclusive interview with Honeysuckle Philippines’ co-founder Geraldyn Perez:
Philstar.com: This is the second time you will be holding the Mommy Milkshare -- how was it the first time around? Would you consider it a successful event? Why (or why not)?
Ms. Perez: The first event was very successful – we collected the highest amount of breastmilk ever donated to Fabella Hospital in one day. Roughly 50 moms donated and we got an astonishing amount of 55 liters (1866 ounces) of breastmilk. The success is really rooted by partnering with breastfeeding experts from The Parenting Emporium who oversaw the collection process and in turn tapped really good speakers for mommy donors. We were also helped by generous sponsors so we could give back to mommy donors. And finally, by the overwhelming enthusiasm of our friends from Fabella Hospital who spent the entire day with us to ensure that the breastmilk donated is transported properly back to their facilities to avoid spoilage.
Philstar: Who are the beneficiaries of the Mommy Milkshare this year?
Ms. Perez: As with last year, all breastmilk donations will be turned over to Fabella Hospital, which has the most number of births per day in the country.
Philstar: What are your reasons for holding the Mommy Milkshare?
Ms. Perez: We realized that there are very few formal breastmilk collection events, while there are a lot of moms who really want to help but just don't know how or where. This is an avenue to bridge mommy donors and mommy recipients through a structured and very clean collection process that is overseen by breastmilk experts from The Parenting Emporium and Fabella Hospital.
Philstar: Who can participate in the Mommy Milkshare? Is it open to everyone?
Ms. Perez: The event is open to all breastfeeding moms who wish to donate a portion of their breastmilk to help other moms, who for some medical reason, are not able to provide breastmilk to their own babies.
As a show of gratitude, several brands that support milksharing will be treating participants of “Mommy Milkshare” to discounts on selected items, particularly VPharma’s Mega Malunggay, Mommy Treats and Honeysuckle. Mom donors will also be given lootbags as a token of gratitude for their generosity. Of course, over and beyond these “physical” rewards, breastmilk donors will be happy to know they are helping those who are in need of their precious “liquid gold.”
Important: Frozen breastmilk donations should have been expressed between June to August 2016. Moms can also choose to donate breastmilk onsite at The Parenting Emporium, No. 29, 1st Street, New Manila, Quezon City. If you would like to donate your breastmilk but you cannot make it to the Mommy Milkshare event on August 13, you can contact The Parenting Emporium’s Milksharing Hub directly. The Hub dedicates itself not only to collecting and screening breastmilk for the families that approach TPE directly for help but also to supporting each milk-letting activity that TPE is invited to, by providing manpower and hospital-grade pumps free of cost. To learn more about donating breastmilk to the TPE Milksharing Hub, you may contact Nurse Katrina at 7253723 or 7386272.
