New app for speedy sharing of breast milk A recently launched application, created by Unitec postgraduate student Vlad Sadovenko, is playing a crucial role in allowing mothers to easily and confidently share breast milk.
HEALTH
The app – called YouMilk – enables mothers without sufficient milk supplies to be matched to donors in their area through an process that is akin to Tinder.
milk supply with donors. However, Sadovenko says the existing forums are clunky.
“The idea for the project came about a year ago, when two of my friends became parents and they were having trouble providing their babies with enough milk. I suggested they look for an app and was surprised to find there were none for informal breast milk sharing,” says Sadovenko, who created the application as part of his postgraduate diploma in creative practice.
“Breast milk is shared largely though Facebook groups and these do not geo-locate the user. It is hard to publicly ask difficult questions of the donor, about their diet and lifestyle choices, so this platform allows the mothers to easily get the information they need,” Sadovenko says.
Mothers have shared milk for centuries, and in the last decade social-media platforms have helped to link mothers who have a low
22
unitec.ac.nz
“Some mothers may be looking for breast milk that comes from a smoke-free, medicationfree, vegetarian mother. Through this app they can do just that.”