Caring Causes: Mothers' Milk Bank

The Mothers’ Milk Bank urgently seeks donations of breast milk from lactating moms. Supplies have been chronically short this year and the bank urges breast feeding moms to call 877-375-6645 in order to find out if they are eligible to give. New donors are needed daily to keep pace with increased demand as new hospitals continue to sign up to receive milk.

This week a grandma called seeking milk for her prematurely born grandson whose mom is unable to feed him. Her request arrived along with hospital orders for 6,300 ounces that day alone. The milk bank needs twenty new donors each day in order to supply milk for her grandson and for numerous other babies also struggling to grow. The milk bank’s mission is to enhance the availability and use of breast milk for all babies. Currently it provides milk only to critically ill patients but with more donors, the bank would provide for every baby who could benefit.

 “Too many times, moms tell me that they’ve thrown away surplus milk because they found out too late that they could donate to the milk bank. Our aim is to ensure that every nursing mom in North America learns that her milk can mean survival for a tiny baby whose sensitive stomach rejects anything but breast milk,” appealed Pauline Sakamoto, executive director of the California-based Mothers’ Milk Bank, which serves 13 states.

Major donor awareness is needed among medical professionals, breastfeeding advocates and parenting-groups to bridge the gap between the milk that’s available from generous moms and the milk that’s needed each day.

The nonprofit Mothers’ Milk Bank is supported by donors from many states who ship milk to the facility where it is tested and pasteurized for the most vulnerable infants. Most moms who are eligible to donate blood are also eligible to donate milk. To find out more call the Mothers’ Milk Bank at 877-375-6645 or visit online www.mothersmilk.org and at facebook.com/freshestmilk.