A new mum has shone a light on the importance of premature babies being given breast milk after giving birth to her son when she was 25 weeks pregnant.
Baby Wesley, pictured above, wasn’t due to come into the world until later this month, but he’s already three months old.
He’s spent the first 100 days of his life in neonatal care, but thanks to his mum Shaquille’s breastmilk and teams at Ipswich Hospital and the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, he’s thriving.
Shaquille and Kieran Margetson have spent 100 days in hospital with baby Wesley
Wesley was born on 23 April weighing just 800g. His arrival, albeit much earlier than expected, followed the devastation of two miscarriages for his parents, Shaquille and Kieran Margetson.
The pair, from Stowmarket, have seen first-hand how vital it is for premature babies to receive breastmilk as soon as possible after birth. Although they could only feed Wesley via a feeding tube to start with, it has helped him to gain weight and get stronger each day. They’ve even used it to bathe his eyes, mouth and skin.
Carer Shaquille, 31, has spoken out about their experience during World Breastfeeding Week (1 to 7 August) and as a new quality improvement (QI) project is in progress to promote the importance of babies receiving breastmilk within 24 hours when they are born prematurely.
The six-month project is running across Colchester and Ipswich hospitals, run by East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, and at West Suffolk Hospital into the autumn.
Shaquille feeding Wesley via a feeding tube
Shaquille said: “What the breastmilk has done for Wesley is just incredible. The goodness, proteins and vitamins he got from it kept him alive.
“When you say ‘breastfeeding’ you don’t think about how good expressing is and the importance of doing it. When your baby is born premature, they get taken away so you’re not having them latch on and that feeling, but you have kept them alive – it’s not just feeding them.
“You do feel like you have had that bit of motherhood taken away, in a way, but you are still doing exactly the same thing, even though it’s going through a tube. It’s given him everything he should have that he can’t make himself.”
Wesley was taken to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital shortly after he was born for specialist neonatal care. Shaquille joined him there within hours after giving birth via caesarean section and was immediately shown how to use a breast pump. From there her infant feeding journey began and she was expressing every three hours.
Shaquille successfully expressed enough breastmilk to fill a freezer at home. She also has a large supply stored at Ipswich Hospital so that she and Kieran can use it while they are staying on Framlingham Ward with Wesley.
Today, 1 August, marks their 100th day on the neonatal unit, but they are now “so close” to going home.
“We can now see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Shaquille added.
Baby Wesley after his feeding tube came out on 31 July and below with his dad Kieran earlier in his neonatal unit journey
Steph Roberson is infant feeding coordinator at Ipswich Hospital. She has been supporting Shaquille and Kieran since Wesley was born.
Although expressing is not advised until week 37 of pregnancy, Steph is keen for her colleagues and expectant parents to understand that conversations about it are key once early labour is identified.
Ipswich Hospital neonatal unit sister Emily Perrott and infant feeding coordinator Steph Roberson
Breast milk is known to help protect premature babies from infection and gut problems, as well as eye and lung disease and sepsis.
She said: “There are a lot of other things going on when babies are born early, but our aim is to educate staff so we can get babies fed earlier and raise awareness for expectant parents.
“The earlier they can express, the more it helps to get their milk supply going.
“It also helps parents to feel like they are doing something for their baby when they have been taken away and promotes bonding, too.”
Sandra Gosling is maternity and neonatal quality improvement lead for NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) and is leading the QI project, called Golden Drops.
She said: “We cannot underestimate the importance of early breastmilk for premature babies and the fact that Wesley is now a thriving baby is fantastic news.
“Golden Drops is a partnership involving maternity staff from the ICB and our local hospitals. Every member of the maternity staff is really supporting this initiative which aims to give each premature baby the best chance and a strong foundation for a long and healthy life.”
Infant feeding and neonatal unit team colleagues at Ipswich Hospital, above, and Colchester Hospital, below
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