Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, May 19: Many lactating mothers quickly responded to the appeal of a wailing mom, who could not breast feed her newborn due to some health complications and helped the baby gain weight.

Anusha, resident of Car Street in the city, had given birth to a baby two months ago. When she was pregnant, she suffered with Preeclampsia, which posed grave danger both to mother and child. That is why the baby was delivered through surgical procedure.

The baby, which was supposed to weigh 2.5 kg, weighed just 900 grams. Two days ago, when the baby was discharged from the hospital the weight rose to 1.4kg. However, the baby needed breast milk in order to sustain life. The mother could not feed baby as she delivered in seven months.

The doctors had conveyed to the mother that the baby should be given 30 ml of breast milk every two hours in order for it to grow healthily. Anusha and family approached breast milk bank that has opened in Lady Goschen hospital recently. But there also they could not get help as they did not have additional breast milk. The only option was to go to Bengaluru. But as the hospital bills of Anusha were high, they could not afford to go to Bengaluru.

As a last resort, mother Anusha and her family members placed an appeal on social media. Within 24 hours, mother Anusha received nearly 25 calls from lactating mothers of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. Many mothers were ready to share their additional milk.

The first phase of breast milk was received from Puttur and Karkala. At present, five mothers are collecting additional breast milk and supplying the same to Anusha. Her husband goes to their houses and collects the milk. It is checked before feeding the same to the baby.

Anusha, her husband and all family members are elated at the quick response of other lactating mothers, who could hear the cry of the baby, though it was not their offspring.