A Bank For Breast Milk: How Amaara Saves Lives

A breast milk bank in Delhi provides milk to preterm and underweight babies.

A breast milk bank in Delhi-NCR is helping pre-term and under-weight babies survive. (Photo Courtesy: Puneet Bhatia/The Quint)

When I had twins, I did not have a normal delivery. Because of the operation, my body was not able to produce enough milk for my babies.  

Ashima Bansal, Recipient mother

Ashima Bansal with one of her babies. (Photo: The Quint/Abhay Sharma)

Bansal was in a fix. Her children were born preterm and her milk production was insufficient to suffice two babies’ appetite.

Her lactation consultant introduced her to Amaara, a breast milk bank, that provides breast milk to preterm and under-weight babies.

I was skeptical to begin with. I wasn’t sure about the safety levels of the bank and the milk that they were providing. My options too were limited: It was either this or formula milk.

Bansal’s skepticism was met with Arushi Shanker’s optimism.

Shanker is the mother of a five-month-old baby girl, Aaria. When she delivered her baby, she had excess milk. Instead of bottling it up and throwing it away, she decided to donate it.

When my lactation consultant Dr Anita told me about the breast milk bank, I was very excited. 

Arushi Shanker, Donor mother

(Photo: The Quint/Abhay Sharma)

Every mother, according to Shanker, goes through myriad issues after giving birth to a baby, and if the baby is underweight or preterm, the issues spiral up even further.

Shanker jumped on the opportunity to save a baby’s life by donating her milk. It has now become a habit for her.

My daughter is so small but every time I give her a bottle of expressed breast milk I constantly tell her “don’t waste it”, there are babies who need it!

Arushi

Shanker, like many other mothers, have helped save many a life by donating their precious breast milk to Amaara.

Amaara is housed in Fortis’ La Femme centre in New Delhi. This is their only branch in the country and they hope to expand their services to other parts of India as well.

Each 130ml bottle of breast milk costs Rs 200.

Cameraperson: Abhay Sharma
Editor: Puneet Bhatia