Donna's breast milk has fed 4,000 babies. On World Prematurity Day, this is what she wants you to know.

For a woman who has donated over 500 litres of breastmilk to feed more than 4,000 premature babies around Australia, it's surprising that mum-of-two Donna initially struggled with breastfeeding. 

"It was excruciating," Donna, an early educator based in Adelaide, tells Mamamia about feeding her son Zander in 2018.

"After the first week, the pain did settle down a bit, but not enough because I had such a big milk supply. I would breastfeed Zander for as long as he would take, and then I'd have to pump because my boobs were still rock hard! I would fill several bottles in just a few minutes."

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Once at home with Zander, Donna made the decision to keep pumping. It was only when her freezer began filling up with more milk than Zander would ever need that Donna looked into donation.

"I had a huge milk supply so if a baby cried while I was out and about, I would immediately start lactating. I did a Google search and discovered Lifeblood in Adelaide were desperate for breastmilk for premature babies. I rang and left a message saying 'please come!' and a lovely lady called me back. She came over and gave me the paperwork to complete and took a lot of frozen breastmilk with her that day."

As Donna kept breastfeeding and pumping, she invested in an electric double pump that was both fast and effective.

"I began by pumping every two to three hours and then slowly I brought it back to about three, four, or five times a day which was nice. I cut out the midnight pump first and started weaning back a bit. I think I was still doing four or five pumps a day when Zander turned one. By this stage, he was on the bottle full time (of breast milk), so I was just pumping to add stock to freeze for Zander."

Lifeblood visited Donna to collect her breast milk every four to six weeks, with a one year maximum limit for every donor.

"By the time they came to pick up the milk each visit, there wasn't much room left in our freezer! I would get a message after they had gone and tallied my total up. It was pretty exciting and a bit of a shock because I always played the guessing game and I was wrong every time! 

"Knowing I was helping other babies and families is such an incredible feeling."

In just under 12 months, Donna donated an incredible 229 litres and 130ml of breast milk. It was nearly 18 months before she completely stopped pumping.

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"I took about three months to fully wind it down and even then there was still so much breast milk stored that Zander drank it until he was over two years old. I realised when I stopped just how many hours I had spent attached to the pump! I felt sad to be closing that door and moving on to the next phase. But it was nice too, and it felt like the right time."

When Donna had her second son Lucas in 2021, there was no hesitation about whether she would do it all again. 

"I was blessed and fortunate enough to be in the same situation with a good milk supply with Lucas, so I dusted off my pump and it worked a treat! While the pumping was the same, it was harder the second time around because I had a toddler to deal with. But my partner Kym and mum Jan were amazing and on hand to provide plenty of support when needed."

The other major change to Donna's life in between the birth of her two sons was the global pandemic.

"Zander was two when COVID first started and Lucas was born at the end of 2021 so I missed most of the major restrictions. I washed and sanitised my pump between each use anyway for hygiene reasons and so the only real difference was the person collecting the milk had to wear a mask."

With Donna's second round as a milk donor soon to end, she feels incredibly lucky to have had this incredible experience.

"When Lifeblood told me I was coming up for my 'retirement' after 12 months, I admit I had a bit of a cry! Ending the first time was very emotional and it will be this time as well. The people who have been visiting to collect the milk become part of the family. You get to see them so regularly and they know our family and the boys.

"If we have any more children, I would absolutely donate again. Knowing that my milk has gone to all those hospitals to feed so many premature babies. It's been so fulfilling and so rewarding to give something back."

Image: Supplied.

At the same time that 'super donor' Donna is retiring, Lifeblood is calling for more breastmilk donors as demand for breastmilk across the country rises. Rachel Wells, Senior Media Manager for Lifeblood, says that demands from hospitals have risen by 15 per cent. 

"In the past 12 months, Lifeblood has collected approximately 5,800 litres of milk," Rachel says.

"Over the next 12 months, we estimate needing approximately 6,000 litres of donated breastmilk for premature babies."

While they have recruited 1,206 breastmilk donors since 2018, Lifeblood still need more. 

If you are a breastfeeding mum living in Sydney, Adelaide, or Brisbane, you might be able to help Australia’s smallest and most vulnerable patients. 

Find out if you are eligible to help by visiting the Lifeblood website and completing a short milk eligibility quiz. 

Laura Jackel is Mamamia's Family Writer. For links to her articles and to see photos of her outfits and kids, follow her on Instagram and TikTok.

Feature Image: Supplied.