National Breastfeeding Awareness Month

A milk donor with her baby.Photo byMother's Milk Bank Colorado

Mothers’ Milk Bank Celebrates National Breastfeeding Awareness Month, Encouraging New Parents to Donate Excess Milk to Save Babies

Mothers’ Milk Bank (MMB), a nonprofit milk bank dedicated to the collection, processing, testing, and distribution of donor human milk, is proud to celebrate National Breastfeeding Awareness Month this August. During this month, MMB aims to highlight the impactful contribution that breastfeeding parents can make by donating their excess milk. The demand for donor human milk is on the rise, and these milk donations are crucial in providing life-saving nutritional benefits to premature infants and babies facing serious medical challenges.

As part of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA), MMB partners with lactating parents nationwide who have more milk than their own baby needs to collect donated human milk. They then work with medical providers and families to ensure the donated milk makes its way to babies in need of its life-saving nutritional benefits.

Human milk is a cornerstone of a healthy future, offering babies essential health benefits, such as immune factors, vitamins, minerals, hormones, and enzymes. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recognizes breastfeeding and donor human milk as the gold standard for infant feeding and nutrition, recommending exclusively breastfeeding for at least six months after birth. If a parent’s own milk is unavailable, donated milk from a nonprofit milk bank like MMB serves as the next best choice for all infant feedings.

“For a pre-term or high-risk infant in the NICU, donor human milk can make a significant difference in their ability to grow and thrive,” says Rebecca Heinrich, Director of MMB. “For every ounce of milk, we can feed a micro-preemie in the NICU for a day, meaning every donation we receive has a profound impact on the families we serve.” In addition to providing hundreds of critical vitamins and nutrients, donor human milk is evidenced to dramatically reduce the occurrence of necrotizing enterocolitis, a life-threatening disease that affects premature infants. “Simply put,” Rebecca adds, “donor human milk saves lives.”

The majority of donor human milk provided by MMB is distributed to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) across the country to help support premature and fragile babies. Donor human milk also provides initial supplementation for infants at home while their parent’s milk comes in. The milk acts a “bridge” for these babies, helping protect them from illness and infection while keeping their bellies full.

Bags of donor human milk ready to be sent to Mothers’ Milk Bank.Photo byMother's Milk Bank Colorado

HMBANA milk banks nationwide have seen an increase in need for donor human milk, as more hospitals, doctors, and perinatal professionals are learning about and seeing the benefits of donor human milk for their patients. These milk banks are asking for lactating parents who have milk in excess of their own babies’ needs to consider donating.

Heinrich emphasizes the constant need for donor human milk. "Babies are born every single day who need donor human milk to help them grow, thrive, and avoid life-threatening illnesses, and milk donors are only able to donate until their baby is 24 months old." Heinrich says, "With such a limited timeframe for milk donation, it is crucial for us to continuously bring in new donors."

For more information about donating your excess breast milk, please contact Mothers’ Milk Bank at 303.869.1888 or visit milkbankcolorado.org