Interestingly, many breastfeeding mothers have never heard of a breast milk bank. However, these assistance organizations have been in existence for a long time. Chances are the idea came from ancient days when wet nurses were used. Regardless of its origin, a breast milk bank is a great way for nursing mothers to help other babies in addition to their own.
A breast milk bank is an organization that collects healthy mother’s milk to feed premature babies, sick babies, babies that cannot handle formula, and babies where their mother’s milk is not adequate. The benefit to giving to a milk bank is offering the best chance for life to another child. Of course, to donate to a milk bank, you would need to have enough milk to feed your own child first, be free of any drug or alcohol use, some diseases, and even be void of certain prescription and over-the-counter medications. When you talk to the milk bank representatives, they will provide you with all the criteria.
If you do qualify, representatives from the milk bank will bring you some type of container for storing the milk. Sometimes, this is a glass container and sometimes, sterile plastic bags, similar to a baby bottle liner. You will be required to use a Sharpie or some other permanent market to note the date. Then, the expressed milk can be stored in the refrigerator up to 72 hours or frozen for several months. To prepare your milk for the other baby or babies, the milk would be thawed, heated appropriately, and fed via bottle.
Keep in mind that most, breast milk banks prefer the milk be stored in the refrigerator or froze only a few weeks in that over time, some of the vital antibiotics in the milk are destroyed. However, when given a choice between formula and breast milk, fresh, clean breast milk will always be the preferred choice. Although donating to a breast milk bank is not for everyone, if you have an abundance of milk, it is an excellent way to give life.
Just imagine a baby who cannot keep formula down. Every time he or she is fed, vomiting follows. Perhaps a newborn breaks out in a horrific rash and sores due to allergy of formula. If that baby’s mother does not have adequate milk, or if she is a drug user, her milk would be no good. In this case, your extra milk could give these babies a wonderful start in life. I personally, donated to the milk bank for about a year. In fact, I stopped breastfeeding my daughter around 10 months and continued to express milk for two months for the bank.
Keep in mind that a baby receiving donated milk must have by law a doctor’s prescription. In addition, the donor is carefully monitored to ensure the milk meets the required guidelines. Even with a few challenges, the self-gratification of helping another baby is overwhelming.