Lions take pride in maternity delivery

New mothers can rest assured their post-natal care at Bunbury Hospital is second to none after two state-of-the-art breast pumps were donated to the maternity ward by five of the region’s Lions clubs.

They may look small, but the pumps, which were scientifically designed to mimic the sucking action of a newborn, will be invaluable to new mothers who are having difficulty establishing the milk supply for their baby.

Bunbury Hospital’s maternity ward nurse unit manager Kate Reynolds said due to the rate of complications at birth, mothers were sometimes separated from their babies or unable to feed them naturally, but the breast pumps would allow babies to quickly and easily be fed with breast milk.

‘‘With 10 to 15 per cent of women having complications in their pregnancies and 10 to 15 per cent of babies having complications, pumps have become very important in midwifery,’’ Mrs Reynolds said.

‘‘If women need to go home early because of toddlers at home or if they need to return to a business, they can take a pump home with them.’’

Lions clubs of Binningup Waters, Eaton, Brunswick, Dardanup and Millbridge raised money for the breast pumps, which cost more than $1150 each, during December after midwife Susan Krachler and Binningup Lions Club member Margaret Powell discussed the need when MrsPowell’s daughterwas unable to access a pump at the hospital last year.

‘‘My daughter had a baby here at the end of October and she was one of that percentage,’’ Mrs Powell said

‘‘She would have benefited from a pump had it been available to her.’’

Mrs Reynolds said she was grateful for the two new pumps because the hospital cared for up to five women per week who would benefit greatly from using them.

‘‘It’s a long, drawn out, hard work process, but these pumps make it easier,’’ she said.

‘‘One of our old pumps went missing soweare really grateful to have these two new pumps.’’