Tasmanian mum finds breastmilk donors on social media to help feed triplets
She has sourced the milk privately, relying on a network of donors like Jess O'Dwyer, who has supplied Ms Walsh with breastmilk for about six months.
Ms Walsh said using donated milk required trust.
Ahead of accepting an offer, she has met with potential donors to build rapport and ask screening questions about their diet, habits and overall health.
The Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) is not involved in private breastmilk sharing but is aware of informal agreements often formed through social media.
ABA lactation and breastfeeding information advisor Jennifer Hocking said the association strongly encouraged mothers to ensure they were well-informed about potential risks and benefits of donated breastmilk.
Ms Walsh learned of donor breastmilk from a lactation consultant when the triplets, Aurora, Niara and Moana, were newborns.
Donor breastmilk can be accessed in a healthcare setting if a hospital has access to a milk bank.
It can be offered if a baby is premature, sick, born by surrogate, adopted or fostered, or if there is an insufficient milk supply.
Donors are screened, and the milk is tested and pasteurised to ensure it cannot cause harm to a baby.
Ms Walsh said she felt there was stigma attached to using donor breastmilk, but strong support from her family, friends and partner helped her accept it as an option for her three girls.
Since leaving the hospital, Ms Walsh has relied on a private network of donors, found mostly through social media.
She supplements her own supply, which is impacted by her history of polycystic ovary syndrome.
Ms Walsh asks each donor to commit to supplying at least 10 litres of milk.
She said she experienced "relief" at the positive response to her requests for donor milk for her identical triplets.
"Most mums are over the moon to be sharing breastmilk and helping to feed our identical triplet girls," Ms Walsh said.
Ms Walsh was not aware of a milk bank in Tasmania from which she could purchase or be given donor breastmilk.
But she said the cost of ordering freeze-dried human milk from interstate that had been screened and pasteurised was prohibitive.
"The reality is it's a huge cost to purchase freeze-dried human breastmilk," Ms Walsh said.
"I can't afford that [and] you can screen your own donors for free on Facebook."
ABA shares informal network details online that could connect donors to parents and carers seeking breastmilk, but does not directly facilitate private milk sharing or take responsibility for breastmilk donated by members.
Dr Hocking said the Australian College of Midwives provided guidance about donor screening and testing through its position statement on the use of donor human milk.
In the statement, the college said the manner in which a community donor collected and stored milk was important.
ABA offers guidelines for storing and transporting expressed breastmilk online.
Hospital milk banks only provide donor milk for babies in hospital, and there are limited options available to families once outside a healthcare setting.
Non-profit Mothers Milk Bank Charity offers donor breastmilk for a fee to cover the cost of donor screening, milk pasteurisation, cold storage and staffing.
The ABA acknowledged that access to breastmilk followed a social gradient and said it encouraged milk-sharing initiatives that improved donor milk access for everyone who needed it.
A 24-hour breastfeeding helpline staffed by qualified breastfeeding counsellors is available through ABA to assist with breastfeeding queries.
Ms O'Dwyer, a breastmilk donor to Ms Walsh, started donating milk to the mum of triplets after birthing as a surrogate for a single parent in Tasmania.
Ms O'Dwyer is a mum of eight kids, with six biological children of her own.
She had previously seen a request on social media by Ms Walsh for milk and knew she would have an oversupply after birthing her surrogate baby, Mason.
When her milk supply came in, Ms O'Dwyer donated 14 litres of milk to Ms Walsh, but has donated many more litres since.
She has organised for other mothers to donate milk to Ms Walsh through a social media page she administers called Launceston Mums Network Chat.
Ms O'Dwyer will soon stop supplying milk to prepare for an egg donation to a couple in Victoria, to meet ovulation requirements for the donation.
"My older kids, they see that I'm a giver, that I like to help others," Ms O'Dwyer said.
She said her younger kids were used to her pumping and saw it as normal.
"Some people make a funny face about it … but it's such a natural thing," Ms O'Dwyer said.
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