Pump Breast Milk to Pump Life Into a Premature Baby

(Photo Courtesy: Human Milk Bank Association of North America)

Dear Diary,

In part two of a three-part series on the Human Milk Bank Association of North America, Diary of a First Time caught up with Wendy, who pumps breast milk to possibly pump life into a premature baby.  The mother of three has a busy schedule, but she finds time to pump extra bags of breast milk and donate it to a local milk bank.    DFTM wanted to know why she became a donor and how others can also save lives.

Heather: Hi Wendy!  Thank you for taking time out to share your story. How did you become a donor?
Wendy:  I originally considered being a milk donor after my second child was born, because I had so much extra milk. My whole deep freezer was being taken over by frozen storage bags, and it seemed such a shame to throw them out. At that time the drop-off point for milk was 6 hours away and just didn’t seem feasible. However, by the time my third child was born there was a drop-off location in my home town. I found out about the program changes through the hospital and decided that if my milk supply was as ample as before I would love to help out. The milk donor program just seemed like the right thing to do to help out so many babies. It does take a little extra time to pump milk and label containers but it seems like such a minimal task in comparison to the good it can do!

Heather: Some mothers sell their breast milk online.  One mom recently featured on a television news program made $1,200 a month!  She met a family in a parking lot and sold her milk for a dollar an ounce.  Did you ever consider do the same thing?

Wendy: I honestly did not even know that mothers were selling milk online until I had enrolled in the program. But even if I had, I would not have sold milk privately. I am not in desperate need for the money for one thing. And I would not have wanted to risk a baby’s health with milk that may/may not be handled correctly by the recipient. I feel like donation, at least for my situation, is what God would want me to do. Maybe it will make even a little difference for some other baby.

Heather:  Thanks Wendy for joining us!  If you got (Breast) Milk and would like to donate, contact a milk bank near you.  Below, you’ll find a list of locations in Canada and the United Stated.  All costs of screening and shipping your donated breast milk are covered by the receiving bank.

All donors to HMBANA member milk banks undergo a screening process that begins with a short interview over the telephone. Donor mothers are women who are currently lactating and have surplus milk. Donor mothers must be:

***In good general health

***Willing to undergo a blood test (at the milk bank’s expense)

***Not regularly using medication or herbal supplements (with the exception of

progestin-only birth control pills or injections, Synthroid, insulin, pre-natal

vitamins; for other exceptions, please contact a milk bank for more information)

***Willing to donate at least 100 ounces of milk; some banks have a higher minimum

ALBERTA

Calgary Mothers’ Milk Bank
103-10333 Southport Rd. S.W.
Calgary, Alberta T2W 3X6
1 (403) 475-6455
Fax 1 (888) 334-4372
www.calgarymothersmilkbank.ca
contact@calgarymothersmilkbank.ca

BRITISH COLUMBIA

BC Women’s Milk Bank
C & W Lactation Services
4500 Oak Street, IU 30
Vancouver, BC V6H 3N1 Phone (604) 875-2282
FAX 604-875-2871
fjones@cw.bc.ca

CALIFORNIA

Mothers’ Milk Bank
751 South Bascom Ave
San Jose, CA 95128 Phone (408) 998-4550
FAX (408) 297-9208
http://www.sanjosemilkbank.com/
mothersmilkbank@hhs.sccgov.org
mothersmilkbank@hhs.co.santa-clara.ca.us

COLORADO

Mothers’ Milk Bank Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center and Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children
1719 E 19th Ave
Denver, CO 80218
Phone (303) 869-1888
Laraine.Lockhart-Borman@healthonecares.com

FLORIDA

Mothers’ Milk Bank of Florida (developing)
Orlando, FL
milkbankofflorida@gmail.com

INDIANA

Indiana Mothers’ Milk Bank, Inc.
4755 Kingsway Drive, Suite 120
Indianapolis, IN 46205
Phone (317) 536-1670
Toll-free 1 (877) 829-7470
FAX (317) 536-1676
info@immb.org

IOWA

Mother’s Milk Bank of Iowa
Department of Food and Nutrition Services
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
University of Iowa at Liberty Square
119 2nd Street, Suite 400
Coralville, IA 52241
Phone: (319)356-2652
FAX (319)384-9933
jean-drulis@uiowa.edu

MICHIGAN

Bronson Mothers’ Milk Bank

601 John Street
Suite N1300
Kalamazoo, MI 49007
Phone (269) 341-8849
FAX (269) 341-8918
Duffc@bronsonhg.org

MISSISSIPPI

Mothers’ Milk Bank of Mississippi (developing)
PO Box 1538
Madison, MS 39130-1538
MilkBankofMS@gmail.com

MISSOURI

Heart of America Mothers Milk Bank
At Saint Luke’s Hospital
4401 Wornail Rd.
Kansas City, Mo
kcmilkbank@saint-lukes.org
816.932.4888
NEW ENGLAND

Mothers’ Milk Bank of New England
PO Box 600091
Newtonville, MA 02460
or
225 Nevada Street Room 201
Newtonville, MA 02460
Phone: 617-527-6263
Fax: 617-527-1005
info@milkbankne.org

NORTH CAROLINA

WakeMed Mothers’ Milk Bank and Lactation Center
3000 New Bern Ave
Raleigh, NC 27610
Phone (919) 350-8599
FAX (919) 350-8923
Suevans@wakemed.org

OHIO

Mothers’ Milk Bank of Ohio
Grant Medical Center @
Victorian Village Health Center
1087 Dennison Avenue
Columbus, OH 43201
Phone (614) 544-0810
FAX (614) 544-0812
ffeehan@ohiohealth.com

ONTARIO

Ontario Human Milk Bank (developing)
Toronto, ON

OREGON

Northwest Mothers Milk Bank (developing)
3439 NE Sandy Blvd #130
Portland, OR 97232
info@nwmmb.org

TEXAS

Mothers’ Milk Bank at Austin
2911 Medical Arts St. Suite 12
Austin, TX 78705
Phone (512) 494-0800
Toll-free 1 (877) 813-MILK (6455)
FAX (512) 494-0880
info@milkbank.org

Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas
600 West Magnolia
Ft. Worth, TX 76104
Phone (817) 810-0071
Toll-free 1 (866) 810-0071
FAX (817) 810-0087
info@TexasMilkBank.org

DFTM Wants to hear from you!  Would you donate your abundance of breast milk to a milk bank or head to your bank and deposit the money you make selling  it online?