Our Sam and Memory Milk Gift Podcast

On World Human Milk Donation Day 19th May 2022, Memory Milk Gift has partnered with Our Sam, baby loss charity, (oursam.org.uk)  to record a very special podcast to discuss the difficult but important subjects of lactation management and the options, including milk donation, following the death of a baby in later pregnancy or early life.

This is a subject that is rarely talked about, and an option for bereaved parents, that is virtually unknown to the general public. It is also an area that we appreciate, in a similar way to organ donation in its early years, can be challenging for healthcare professionals who are supporting bereaved parents at the point of loss.

The aim of this podcast is to raise awareness of the subject, and highlight the importance of the provision of choices for mums, parents and families at this difficult time. Often overlooked in care pathways, with the provision of a single choice of lactation management in many cases, through the voices of six people, we hope that we can help to open the conversation and, in some cases, reduce the fear of discussion. Whilst we know that milk donation isn’t for everyone, we feel that providing all options available, at a time when control and many choices have been taken away, provides bereaved parents, who have not only lost their baby, but also their role as a parent, an option to take some control back, in their care provision.

This four-part groundbreaking podcast covers the full journey of milk production in pregnancy, lactation management options following loss, milk donation as an option and the processes involved, the personal experiences of three bereaved mums, who lost their babies in late pregnancy and early life, and chose milk donation as an option and a legacy for the babies they lost, and the onward journey and use of donated milk.

The speakers involved are:

· Sharon Breward MBE QN, IBCLC Lactation consultant, Infant Feeding Co-ordinator for Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board and the Chair of Wales Infant Feeding Network.

· Laura Atherton – Bereavement Lead at Memory Milk Gift, and Coordinator at the Milk Bank at Chester (MBAC)

· Amy Younger – Lucie Mae’s mum

· Abby Blackmore – Francis’ mum

· Holly Snook – Bodhi’s mum

· Professor Nick Embleton – Professor of Neonatal Medicine (Newcastle University) Consultant Neonatal Paediatrician (Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust) Chair of the UK Neonatal Nutrition Network (N3) The Butterfly

All four parts of the podcast, and the supporting blog, created by Memory Milk Gift, can be accessed  through the following link https://oursam.org.uk/memory-milk-lactation-milk-donation-after-loss/