TV's Amanda: Help sick babies by giving breast milk

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Davies, daughter of former FA chief David, said her waters broke live on air and she spent 24 hours in intensive care. It left her too ill to feed Molly, who weighed only 3lb 10oz.

The presenter is now patron of the milk bank at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital after experiencing its benefits. She said: "It's a fabulous resource providing breast milk, with its valuable nutrients and antibodies, to tiny and potentially very sick babies when they most need it."

Ms Davies was presenting a bulletin for BBC World in May 2009 when she had to be rushed to Queen Charlotte's in Shepherd's Bush. Molly was born at 31 weeks and spent six weeks in the hospital's neonatal intensive care. She received donated breast milk for two weeks. Doctors had to give Davies a transfusion after she lost blood during the birth. She added that it was a "massive boost" knowing that Molly was receiving donor breast milk.

She said: "The feelings of inadequacy when your child is born prematurely are very difficult to describe. I felt that I'd failed as a mother at the first hurdle - not being able to carry Molly for as long as she needed to develop and grow."

Carina Johnstone-Ayliffe, 28, started donating breast milk when her son Oliver was three months old.

The junior doctor from Shepherd's Bush said: "I was expressing milk and it seemed a shame to waste it. When I heard about the milk bank, I thought what a wonderful way to help premature and sick babies."

Queen Charlotte's is one of five London hospitals that have a milk bank. Gillian Weaver, manager of Queen Charlotte's bank, said: "We hope Amanda's support will raise awareness of our service and help us raise funds so that we can help even more tiny and vulnerable babies."