Jankee Mehta Donates Breast Milk - Why Is It Important For Babies' Health?

Television actor Nakuul Mehta’s wife, Jankee, recently moved social media users after opening up about the emotional experience of donating 90 packets of stored breast milk to a milk bank. “Yesterday, I gave away 90 packets of my stored breast milk as my first donation to the milk bank, and I genuinely wasn’t prepared for how emotional that would make me feel,” she shared on Instagram. “Ever since Rumi was born, I’ve pumped every single day. Multiple times. Half asleep, exhausted… And a part of me always felt maybe my baby would need it someday.” Her post has sparked widespread conversations online about breast milk donation, human milk banks, and how donated breast milk can help save the lives of premature and critically ill newborns.

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Why does donated breast milk matter?

According to doctors, donor human milk is especially important for preterm babies, low birth weight infants, and newborns recovering from surgery. Breast milk contains antibodies, proteins, enzymes, and nutrients that help strengthen immunity and support healthy growth. Expets say many donor mothers are women whose babies remain hospitalized for long periods due to prematurity. Donor milk is often preferred over infant formula in high-risk newborns because it reduces the risk of infections and serious intestinal complications.

How does breast milk donation work?

Doctors emphasize that donating breast milk follows strict medical and hygiene protocols to ensure safety. Before becoming donors, mothers are screened for infections, including hepatitis B and HIV. Only mothers with a surplus milk supply after feeding their own babies are allowed to donate. Donor mothers are also instructed to maintain strict hygiene practices while pumping milk. This includes washing hands thoroughly, sterilizing pumping equipment, using special breast milk storage pouches, and freezing the milk immediately after pumping. The frozen milk is then collected while maintaining a proper cold chain and transported safely to the milk bank.

What happens inside a human milk bank?

At the milk bank, the donated milk undergoes several safety checks before reaching infants. The milk is first pasteurized in a specialized processing unit to kill harmful bacteria while preserving important nutrients. It is then microscopically tested for sterility and cultured again to ensure there is no bacterial contamination. After testing, the milk is frozen again and stored safely until needed. Hospitals usually prioritize donor milk for premature babies, small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants, critically ill newborns, and babies recovering from surgery. Doctors also note that outside hospitals, donor milk may be provided to institutions that do not have their own milk banking facilities, but only with a doctor’s prescription.

Why do mothers feel emotionally attached to stored milk?

Jankee’s emotional post resonated with many mothers because breast milk often represents months of physical effort, sleepless nights, recovery, and caregiving. “I had no idea these little milk bags held so much emotion for me. Because for me, it was never just milk. It was discipline. Effort. Love,” she wrote. Health experts say this emotional connection is extremely common among lactating mothers, especially those who pump milk daily while balancing exhaustion and postpartum recovery.

How to donate breast milk?

Women interested in donating breast milk can contact certified human milk banks or hospitals with neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Doctors recommend speaking with a lactation consultant or pediatrician first to understand eligibility, storage guidelines, and screening requirements.