She gives birth to twins, manages to feed them with her milk even during hospitalization in intensive care and donates the surplus produced to the ‘Human milk bank’ of Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza. The donor is Antonia, mother of the twins Anna and Maria, born in the 32nd week of gestation, at the San Pio hospital.
Her story was told on the occasion of the World Day for the Donation of Human Milk, which is celebrated today, May 19, with the aim of making new mothers aware of the importance of a simple and generous gesture that can help many premature babies. Breast milk is the ideal food for newborns especially for the most fragile, as it provides nutrients and bioactive factors essential to the baby. In fact, it reduces the incidence of a series of pathological conditions linked to prematurity that can compromise the growth, development and survival of newborns who are born earlier.
In 2021, due to the pandemic, there was a decrease of about 12% in donated milk: this was announced by the Italian Society of Neonatology and the Italian Association of Donated Human Milk Banks. In the hardest period marked by Covid, the Donato Human Milk Bank (Blud) ‘Allattiamolavita’ of Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza has reported an increase of 3% compared to past years (in contrast with the rest of Italy and the world). At the same time, in 2021 there was a physiological decrease in donated milk, but a significant increase in donors compared to the previous year.
“It’s a gift, don’t waste it”
Among the many generous mothers who every year help the little warriors to grow in the first weeks of their fragile life in Neonatal Intensive Care (Tin) there is Antonia, mother of Anna and Maria, twins born on November 27 in Casa Sollievo della Suffering. “My girls were born in the 32nd week and due to their premature birth it was impossible to be able to breastfeed them” says Antonia, who in addition to being a virtuous mother is also a gynecologist in the San Pio hospital since 2020. “When I had the first ultrasound and I discovered I was waiting for twins I was very afraid – she confesses – as a gynecologist I feared preterm birth, of not being able to breastfeed them and when they were born eight weeks early the fear increased. When premature babies are born – she continues – the greatest suffering for a parent is seeing them fragile and distant: being alone in the room with the little ones in intensive care was really hard “.
Thanks to the support of midwives and neonatologists, her doctors, colleagues and friends, from the first day she stimulated the milk supply by trying to keep lactation constant. “For all 25 days of TIN – continues Antonia – both Anna and Maria ate less milk than I produced, so I agreed to freeze the unused and decided to donate it to the Milk Bank”. Returning home with her girls, Antonia never stopped breastfeeding them, managing to produce a sufficient quantity not only for the twins, but also for the donation: “Even for my first child, Michele, I tried to donate the milk, but I have not succeeded so the joy I still feel is inexplicable. Furthermore, to date I can say that the girls are growing only and exclusively thanks to my milk and I see this as a miracle “.
Overall, Antonia managed to donate over 16 litters of breast milk to ‘Allattiamolavita’. Donating milk is simpler than one might think: “Women receive the necessary kit for drawing and storing milk in the freezer – explains Pasqua Quitadamo, neonatologist and head of the Donato Human Milk Bank (BLUD) of Casa Sollievo, which since March has joined the technical-scientific committee of the National Association of Milk Banks – and after having collected a certain quantity, they notify the BLUD team and a driver leaves to collect the precious product at home “. It is important to know that the amount donated is not taken away from your child, but it is extra milk that should be wasted and that if collected it allows you to save other small lives.
“As a doctor I affirm that breastfeeding is fundamental – concludes Antonia – even if we mothers often see it as a sacrifice, but it is really a great gift that we can give to our children and I personally am grateful to be able to breastfeed everyone. my children and at the same time having donated my milk for many other children “.