Donating human milk saves lives: insights from women donors and recipients of milk at a human milk bank in Colombia

Abstract

Objective: To learn about the experiences of women who are milk donors and users of the human milk bank, who are mothers of pre-term infants, low birth weight infants and sick newborns hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Method Descriptive, qualitative, micro ethnographic study following the method proposed by James Spradley, focused semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 human milk donor/receiver mothers. Results: six categories were established: human milk for humans, motivation and maintenance of human milk donation, recognition of Human Milk Banks (HMLB) as a suitable place for donation, donating human milk requires commitment and technique, feelings of women donors and recipients, barriers to donation, from these categories emerged the central category "Donating human milk saves lives" Conclusions Donating and receiving human milk is an experience in which biological, cultural, emotional and political aspects are linked. Women demand social recognition of the work of Human Milk Banks in the promotion, protection, support of breastfeeding, nutrition and protection of premature and sick newborns in neonatal units.