Table 2.

Maternal and child health characteristics of the study participants (n = 168), stratified by HMS donor/recipient status

	Recipients (n = 70)		Donors (n = 98)		Total (n = 168)
Maternal and child health characteristic	N	%	N	%	N	%
Singleton child*	66	94.3	98	100	164	97.6
Primiparous	37	53.6	51	52.0	88	52.7
Maternal age at the youngest child's birth*
Less than 18 years old	4	5.7	3	3.1	7	4.2
18–29 years	7	10.0	12	12.2	19	11.3
30–34 years	29	41.4	62	63.3	91	54.2
35–39 years	25	35.7	21	21.4	46	27.4
40 years or older	5	7.1	0	0.0	5	3.0
Maternal health complications
Had complications during pregnancy	17	24.3	15	15.3	32	19.0
Had complications during labour/delivery**	26	37.1	11	11.2	37	22.0
Considered the birth traumatic*	24	35.3	18	18.6	42	25.5
Ever experienced PP depression**	26	38.2	13	13.4	39	23.6
Ever experienced PP anxiety	28	41.2	39	40.2	67	40.6
Gestational age at birth
28–31 weeks	2	2.9	3	3.1	5	3.0
32–36 weeks	5	7.1	7	7.1	12	7.1
37+ weeks	63	90.0	88	89.8	151	89.9
Caesarean delivery	23	32.9	21	21.4	44	26.2
Employed at the time of child's birth	60	85.7	84	85.7	144	85.7
Parental leave situation
I reduced my hours or took unpaid leave	6	10.0	15	17.9	21	14.6
I took partial or fully paid leave	49	81.7	61	72.6	110	76.4
I stopped working	4	6.7	5	6.0	9	6.3
Parental leave duration
1–7 weeks	5	8.6	5	6.2	10	7.2
8–11 weeks	8	13.8	13	16.0	21	15.1
12–15 weeks	27	46.6	34	42.0	61	43.9
16–23 weeks	15	25.9	20	24.7	35	25.2
24+ weeks	3	5.2	9	11.1	12	8.6
Recipient child health characteristics
Child had a health issue (currently or in the past)	11	16.0	‐	‐	‐	‐
Child had a dietary allergy, sensitivity or intolerance (currently or in the past)	12	17.4	‐	‐	‐	‐
Child was diagnosed with tongue and/or lip tie	23	33.3	‐	‐	‐	‐

Abbreviations: HMS, Human milk sharing; PP, post‐partum.

^* p < 0.05

^** p < 0.0001.