Bollywood director donates 42 litres of breastmilk, saves babies during COVID pandemic

Mumbai: A Bollywood film director has donated up to 40+ litres of breastmilk to a milk donation bank, saving the lives of babies during the pandemic.

In a country, where breast milk donation is still considered taboo, Nidhi Parmar Hiranandani has made her contribution towards a noble purpose which is absolutely praiseworthy.

Hiranandani is known for her film, 'Saand Ki Aankh', gave birth to a baby boy in February 2020.

While going through the different phases of motherhood, she was going through a problem a lot of mothers face during the initial months- an excess supply of breastmilk.

She began storing her breastmilk in the fridge for later use. However, she had reached a point where her fridge was full of breastmilk.

After reaching out to some of her friends and the internet for help, she found that breast milk donation was the best way to utilize her feed and help other babies.

In an interview, Nidhi said that "After nursing my child, I realised that I still had a lot of milk leftover. I had read on the internet that breast milk does have a shelf life of three to four months if properly stored in a refrigerator."

She also said that breastmilk could be used for other lucrative purposes too- making jewellery and face packs.

Nidhi got in touch with a breastmilk bank which was set up in Surya Hospital, Mumbai and luckily, it was in need of breastmilk donation in the lockdown.

According to doctors, Nidhi's donation helped a lot of babies who survive on exclusive breastfeed or are being taken care of in the NICU.

Breastmilk donation can also prove to be a boon for mothers who find it difficult to lactate. Parents who adopt babies, or make use of a surrogate also find the donation helpful.

While the noble cause is gradually gaining awareness in India, there are over 10 operational mother's milk banks present in our country.

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