A hospital is pleading with expectant mothers to help replenish its milk bank stock because its supplies are getting critically low.
Breast milk is obtained from donors and collected by University Hospital Southampton for use in feeding premature infants and patients who have undergone abdominal surgery.
The hospital is looking for non-smoking women who are expecting a child under six months old to donate.
Its milk bank serves as the regional financial hub for the south and supplies donor milk to six other hospitals and trusts.
One of the most priceless gifts anyone could give is donating milk, according to Tania Gane, a member of the hospital's milk bank team.
"This milk helps premature and ill babies across the South save their lives. Additionally, it helps some mothers fill the void while they are starting to produce milk.
"More donors would be great to help us increase our stocks. ".
After giving birth to her son Teddy at 32 weeks, new mother Jennifer Blandford wants to emphasize the value of donated milk.
After Teddy's birth, while we waited for my milk to arrive, he had to drink donor milk, she explained.
After I began nursing, I began to produce a lot of extra milk, but I wasn't aware of how much I had until Tania showed it to me.
"We were so grateful that Teddy was given someone else's milk for those first few days; it just seemed right to pass it on.".
Donors are required to submit to a blood test and limit their weekly alcohol consumption to two units or less.
A courier bike picks up the milk at the donor's house and delivers it to the hospital.
