Milk app to aid of nursing mothers

Technology allows mums to share breast milk, but the trading comes with a warning, writes Craig Hoyle.

A new mobile app will connect breastfeeding mothers and allow them to share their milk.

It means women with too much milk will be able to donate it to others in their area, instead of letting it go to waste.

Christchurch mother Kendall Green is among those welcoming the app after struggling to provide enough milk herself following the birth of her daughter Lola, who is now five months old.

‘‘It was really important for me for her to be breastfed as opposed to formula-fed,’’ she said.

‘‘Not that there’s anything wrong with formula, but that was just a personal desire.’’

The idea of a milk-sharing app has been greeted with caution by one prominent health boss.

Dr Pat Tuohy, chief adviser for child and youth health at the Ministry of Health, said women considering using milk from other mothers should discuss it with with their midwife, nurse, lactation consultant or GP.

‘‘It is important to recognise that donated human milk may not be free from bacteria, viruses, chemicals or drugs,’’ he said.

Rata Midwives supported Green in her search for alternative milk supplies, and suggested she consider a donor.

That led her to Facebook – where she found Dunedin mother Sally Craw.

Craw had the opposite problem; producing too much milk after the birth of her son Albert, who is now six months old.

‘‘I was having to pump off milk and tip it down the drain to relieve pressure, and my husband joked ‘you should be giving that to another baby’,’’ she said.

She was inundated with requests after posting on Facebook that she had spare milk, and subsequently chose to give it to Green.

Theresa Yaroshevich, a lactation consultant with the Milford Family Medical Centre in Auckland, said the arrangement between Craw and Green was nothing new.

‘‘Women have been sharing human milk for all of history,’’ she said.

Although there is a huge demand for donated breast milk, many mothers find it tough to connect in today’s busy and disjointed world.

Unitec student Vlad Sadovenko noticed the problem after following the struggles of two friends.

Sadovenko, originally from Russia, came to New Zealand to study towards a postgraduate diploma in creative practice.

The course promotes social innovation to help solve daily problems – a brief that led him to develop an app, YouMilk, to connect breastfeeding mothers.

‘‘The app matches women who donate milk with those who need milk by different criteria, such as location, diet, and medications,’’ he said.

The app only connects women whose profiles match, saving them the potential embarrassment of having to ask strangers personal questions via Facebook.

Yaroshevich said it was important for mothers who shared milk with each other to build a relationship on trust and informed consent.

Green said she was happy to accept Craw’s milk after the pair got to know each other well.

‘‘I definitely wouldn’t recommend someone blindly feeding their baby someone else’s milk, but if you go through the process and you’re comfortable, then it’s fine,’’ she said.

Tuohy said at this stage the ministry did not see any need for national oversight of milk sharing initiatives such as human milk banks.

Sadovenko hoped the app would make life easier for breastfeeding mothers.

An outside investor is now backing YouMilk, and the app should be ready for release around April.

It was really important for me for her to be breastfed as opposed to formula-fed Kendall Green