麻豆约拍

Warning: Some viewers may find the content of this post upsetting.

Claire-Michelle Pearson鈥檚 life changed in October 2021 when she was told that her son, Rupert, had died during labour at 41 weeks.

Instead of using medication to stop her breast milk, Claire-Michelle decided to express it and become what is known as a 鈥榮nowdrop鈥� donor.

Over the course of nine months, she donated more than 300 litres of her breast milk, mostly to her local milk bank, Hearts Milk Bank.

Claire-Michelle explained that it went to 鈥減eople in the community鈥�, such as mothers who were struggling with own lactation journey, mothers who couldn鈥檛 breastfeed due to cancer and children in NICU (neonatal intensive care units).

A painting of Claire-Michelle has now been included in a new immersive art exhibition in Wales exploring the stories of people that have received donor breast milk for their baby and those that have donated. It鈥檚 called Connecting Hearts, and it is a collaboration by Swansea University, the Human Milk Foundation and artist Leanne Pearce.

Joining Nuala McGovern on 麻豆约拍 Radio 4's Woman's Hour, Claire-Michelle explained why she wanted to donate her breast milk and what it meant to her to be able to do it.

You can listen to the whole interview with on 麻豆约拍 Sounds - it鈥檚 the Woman鈥檚 Hour episode from 3 June.

If you have experienced baby loss, you can find information and support links on our website.

The exhibition is on at Swansea University, before moving around the country. And you can find more information about donating milk by visiting the Human Milk Foundation website.

Image credit: Leanne Pearce Artist

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