Fans are praising Serena Williams for generously donating her “super soldier” breast milk.
In an Instagram video posted on 20 December, the 42-year-old mother shared footage of a freezer full of milk packets from a recent trip to New York. The tennis pro explained how many families needed breast milk, which she also recently admitted to using for sunburn treatment, and a doctor had cleared her to donate some to those in need.
“On a recent trip to NY I had left over breast milk. After going through a screening I was able to donate it instead of taking the milk home,” Willams captioned her post. “I know so many amazing women that adopt or are unable to make milk. It felt amazing. BTW someone out there is getting some super soldier milk.”
Though the athlete proudly revealed her contribution, the mothers receiving the breast milk wouldn’t be made aware that it was hers. “It’ll be anonymous, but super excited to just help in some way,” she added in the video.
Williams’ followers flocked to the comments section to honour her kind gesture. A few mothers who had dealt with breast milk issues spoke up, further commending Williams for her donation. One woman wrote: “Thank you. For us mamas that have to deliver early by C-section, milk can take a while to come in. Donor milk was such a blessing for us.”
“Always grateful for donor milk, when my littlest was just a few days old I could tell he wasn’t thriving and loosing weight fast. I struggled also with my first,” another mother confessed. “I was pumping but just not getting enough and both pumping and breastfeeding were extremely painful. A local donor helped me feed my baby during this incredibly difficult time.”
Someone else added: “This is amazing!! I relied on donor milk for my twins and it was a godsend!”
Some viewers noted how certain lucky babies will be receiving the breast milk of a tennis champion. “Somebody’s newborn is about to do handstands in their bassinet,” an Instagram user quipped.
“I can only imagine what some athletes and body builders would be willing to pay for that milk,” one individual commented.
A third person joked: “Can I have some? My 17-year-old will have it with her cornflakes (she’s a tennis player and needs this extra Serena Push Power Milk).”
“We about to have 20 Serena Williams walking around out here. Lol,” one man proclaimed.
In August, Williams and her husband Alexis Ohanian were pleased to welcome their daughter, Adira River. Adira, now four months old, is the couple’s second-born child following their six-year-old daughter, Alexis Olympia.
Ahead of her pregnancy announcement, Williams revealed her tennis career was coming to an end in conversation with Vogue for its September 2022 issue. She discussed how Olympia has been praying for a little sister, and she understood what it was like to crave that bond.
“I’m the youngest of five sisters myself, and my sisters are my heroes, so this has felt like a moment I need to listen very carefully to,” Williams remarked. “Believe me, I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family.”
“I don’t think it’s fair. If I were a guy, I wouldn’t be writing this because I’d be out there playing and winning while my wife was doing the physical labor of expanding our family,” she continued.
