Mum expresses gratitude for Glasgow’s Royal Hospital's milk tracker

The Royal Hospital for Children (RHC) Glasgow Neonatal Unit has launched a new digital support system to help mums who are expressing breastmilk for their babies.

Using the multi-language vCreate app  - which is already familiar to staff and families for sharing reassuring videos and photos of babies in care - mums can now access a milk tracker function. 

This allows users to log expressing sessions, volumes of milk produced, and any challenges they face.

If a mum reports difficulty, the system alerts the Infant Feeding Team, who can then offer targeted support.

The milk tracker function is available on the multi-language vCreate app (Image: NHSGGC)

Fiona McMinn, 38, from Dumfries and Galloway, is among the first to benefit from the new milk tracker, which was launched in December.

Fiona's son Douglas was born early on November 17, 2025, weighing just 3lb 10oz, and was later diagnosed with congenital heart block, holes in his heart, and Down syndrome.

Fiona said: "Douglas arrived at 33 weeks.

"I have a five‑year‑old son, Wallace, and I couldn’t breastfeed him, so I hadn’t planned to breastfeed Douglas either.

"But given his condition, I was told how valuable my milk could be, so I decided to try.

"It hasn’t been easy.

"My supply would be strong and then drop suddenly.

"Each time, I logged it on the app, and someone from the Infant Feeding Team came to support me.

"It gave me the confidence to keep going.

"I also had mastitis twice, which was painful, but again I logged it, and the team helped me with techniques to continue.

"I’m so grateful for their support."

Douglas was born at just 33 weeks (Image: NHSGGC)

The Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, which has supported vCreate since its introduction, also funds expressing equipment, support packs, and volunteers who help transport breastmilk from homes to the hospital.

Kate Brown, operations director at vCreate, said: "It’s fantastic to hear how this technology is already making a meaningful difference for Fiona and other families.

"We’ve partnered with the Royal Hospital for Children on several digital initiatives designed to enhance patient and family experience.

"The clinical teams are innovative and forward-thinking, and it’s a privilege to collaborate with them to help shape the future of children’s care both nationally and across the UK.”

The Royal Hospital for Children’s neonatal unit is the first in Scotland to use vCreate in this way, with the feature set to be offered to other health boards from March 2026.

The Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity also funds expressing equipment (Image: NHSGGC)

"We wanted an easy‑to‑access tool that gives mums clear information about expressing while also creating a direct link to our Infant Feeding Team so we can review progress and offer timely support.

“Overall, we aimed to provide a resource that builds confidence and encourages mums to keep going.

"vCreate does exactly that. Its simplicity and accessibility have made it a hugely popular way for mums in our neonatal unit to stay connected with us.”