A WOMAN was left shocked and anxious after another mum’s breast milk was given to her baby.

Isabella Gamble gave birth to her baby boy at St Mary’s Maternity Unit in Poole Hospital in 2019.

Isabella was getting an iron transfusion when the incident occurred.

Her sister noticed that the syringe feeding milk to her son had the wrong name on it.

Dorset Echo:

Speaking on the experience, Isabella said: “When I found out my baby had been given somebody else’s breast milk I felt shocked and anxious that it may be somehow harmful to my delicate newborn.

“It was a big relief when staff confirmed it didn’t contain anything infectious or that could be dangerous for him.

 “Even though it wasn’t my fault, at the time I also felt guilty that I wasn’t able to breastfeed my baby myself at the time as I was having an iron transfusion, but if I'd been able to feed him myself this wouldn’t have happened.”

This news comes after the report that a newborn baby was handed to the wrong mother at the same hospital.

In light of the incident, Isabella added: “Maternity staff do an incredible job at such an important time in parents lives and I am so grateful to them for the job they do.

“They are likely juggling a lot of conflicting prioritise on a busy ward, so don’t be afraid to ask questions, check things out and raise concerns if you need to.

“Although it can be challenging when you’ve just had a baby and are recovering, I want parents to feel empowered to speak up for themselves and their babies to help them get the best quality care they can.

“Reading the story earlier this week about the mum who was handed the wrong baby at the same maternity unit, I felt like I wanted to share my experience about the mistake that was made with my baby.

“I want to highlight how important it is for Poole Maternity Hospital to listen to any concerns raised by parents and take action to do better for families.”

Lorraine Tonge, UHDs director of midwifery said: "We want to reassure all women, birthing individuals, and families that St Mary’s maternity unit is dedicated to providing safe care for all mothers and babies.

"We conducted a thorough review of Ms Gamble’s case at the time and implemented changes based on our findings.

"Our maternity unit, and the entire trust, embrace a culture of continuous learning and improvement, leading to tangible improvements over the last 18 months, as highlighted in recent Care Quality Commission (CQC) maternity patient surveys, staff surveys, and actions taken in response to our CQC visit.

"The safety of parents and babies is our utmost priority and we are fully committed to providing safe care. We encourage anyone with concerns to reach out to us directly."