Got Breast Milk?

Milk for Wishes is looking for breastfeeding mothers with extra milk who want to do a good deed for premature babies.

Qualified mothers can donate to the virtual milk bank that works with Prolacta Bioscience, a company that processes human milk to create a breast milk fortifier to give to critically ill, premature babies in neonatal intensive care units across the country. The fortifier is used to reduce necrotizing enterocolitis, a leading killer of premature babies.

In return, Prolacta donates one dollar for every ounce of qualified milk received through Milk for Wishes to the Make a Wish Foundation, which grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.

Almost any healthy, nursing mother can donate. Milk for Wishes requires donors to complete a medical survey and get approval from their obstetricians and their babies' pediatricians to have blood tests and cheek cells samples taken at no cost.

The milk bank wants only excess milk, so donors should make sure their own babies' needs are met before making donations.

Qualified donors should pump their milk into clean bottles connected to the pump, then transfer the milk into breast milk storage bags for freezing. Milk for Wishes provides cold shipping containers for the milk to be sent directly to Prolacta Bioscience. Milk for Wishes pays all testing and shipping costs.

Support breastfeeding now

Because breastfeeding is a key to improving infant mortality rates and child health, N.C. health officials have created a special designation to recognize hospitals and birthing centers that do a good job of supporting mothers who breastfeed their infants.

Don't they all do that, I asked. Apparently not.

The state's Nutrition Services website lists 10 steps each maternity center should follow to win the five-star "breastfeeding-friendly designation."

The steps include giving newborns no food or drink other than breastmilk (unless medically indicated) and allowing mothers and infants to remain together (rooming-in) all day long.

“We know that infants who are breastfed benefit in many ways – through improved immunity to disease, reduced likelihood of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and in lower rates of childhood obesity,” said State Health Director Dr. Jeff Engel. “Our goal is to create a climate where nursing mothers are supported in their choice to breastfeed their children.”

State policy requires all government agencies to provide space, privacy and time for nursing mothers to pump breast milk. For example, at the N.C. Division of Public Health’s main Raleigh campus, a room has been furnished specifically for nursing mother’ use.

For ideas on becoming a breastfeeding friendly workplace or applying for the breastfeeding-friendly designation, see http://www.nutritionnc.com/breastfeeding/index.htm.