: To Fight Taboos Around Breastfeeding, Single Mom Encourages 300+ Mothers To Donate Milk #IndiaNEWS #Lede After delivering her second born, Coimbatore-based Dr M Aishwarya slipped into postpartum depression.

To Fight Taboos Around Breastfeeding, Single Mom Encourages 300+ Mothers To Donate Milk #IndiaNEWS #Lede
After delivering her second born, Coimbatore-based Dr M Aishwarya slipped into postpartum depression. Having recently separated from her husband, she was now a single parent to a 3. 5-year-old daughter and her newborn son. Reeling under the financial, emotional and social responsibilities of her new role, she reached out to a mothers’ group that, along with her family’s support, helped her overcome her anxieties gradually.
However, this incident instilled in her a drive to give back to society by spreading awareness on maternity topics such as breastfeeding, milk donation and the mental health of new mothers.
Meanwhile, since 2016, Dr Aishwarya had been part of the Coimbatore Parenting Network (CPN), an organisation that spreads awareness on correct breastfeed techniques, postpartum depression, and presence of breast milk banks. “But I wanted to do more. Like many new mothers, I was also unaware of the significance of breastfeeding, something that is often shamed in our conservative society. People warned me against my child’s dependency on it, which could lead to him asking for milk in public. Lack of designated nursing rooms available in public for women would invite stares and objectification, I was told. I failed to understand why an infant’s food source was considered to be promiscuous behaviour,??? she tells The Better India.
Dr M Aishwarya
So with an aim to bridge the knowledge gap, Dr Aishwarya has been spearheading a breastmilk donation drive called ‘Uyirthuli’. In the last 4-5 years, she has encouraged more than 300 mothers to donate excess milk and help infants without mothers. The organisation donates to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital and other banks in the city.
We speak to Dr Aishwarya about the benefits of breastmilk, as well as the ways of donation, especially at a time when many mothers are dying due to COVID-19 complications.
Benefits of breast milk donation
If given within an hour of birth, breast milk can reduce the infant mortality rate by 22%. The milk is rich in antibodies that help develop the infant’s immunity.
“Breast milk should be given compulsorily for six months. Beyond this, it should ideally be given for a year or till the baby’s weaning period begins. It can reduce risks of respiratory illness, allergies, and bacterial infections in the baby. I often see adults shaming women for being ‘indecent’ if they breastfeed in public but the very same people don’t mind giving an aerated drink to an infant. These accusations are precisely why women are shy to come forward to donate milk. Ultimately, abandoned, premature babies and ones who have lost their mothers suffer,??? says Dr Aishwarya.

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