Lee Zheng-yi has become somewhat of a legend for having donated the most milk to the Taipei City Hospital's human milk bank since it was established five years ago.
The 35-year-old Lee gave birth in May of last year, and while breastfeeding her baby she decided to begin donating excess milk to the milk bank. Over this period she has donated slightly over 98 liters of milk.
Lee, who is a nurse, said she sees how her own baby has enjoyed a healthy diet and decided to help other babies have access to the same level of health, pointing out that mother's milk is the most natural health food. Others have expressed their curiosity as to what Lee eats that enables her to produce so much milk, with Lee simply saying that she relies on a balanced diet and a high amount of self-confidence.
Lee explained that many people mistakenly believe that women who produce a large amount of breast milk are able to extract the milk from their breasts with little effort. In fact, she said when she first began feeding her baby, she produced very little milk and had trouble even filling one bottle, but in about a week things went more smoothly after she massaged her breasts and her baby suckled. Now she can fill two bottles in one session.
Lee encouraged new mothers not to give up even if they do not produce enough milk initially, saying that it is important to determine whether there is a reason that one’s child is never full. Mothers, she added, also need to examine their method of feeding. Regardless, she stressed that mothers should not put too much pressure on themselves, as they can always add some formula to their milk to boost volume.
Some 97 percent of the enormous amount of milk Lee donates passes the screening process, meaning that it is top quality milk. Lee stressed that she always washes and dries her hands before milking, and she sterilizes all of the containers and utensils she uses. She also stores her milk in the refrigerator to prevent it from breeding bacteria.
In 2009, the hospital's breast milk bank became the first such Asian facility, winning a UK Association for Milk Banking certification. Over 1,000 women have donated a total of over 10,000 liters of breast milk over the past five years, with the milk having been distributed to over 1,000 high-risk infants, 738 of which were premature babies. The milk has also been provided to infants whose mothers died during or after childbirth, as well as to HIV-positive babies.
(This article originally appeared in The Liberty Times Oct. 19.)