First SF General mothers’ milk drive raises hospital supply twelvefold

Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital officials said the facility collected more than 1,500 ounces of donated breast milk — or nearly 12 times the hospital’s typical supply — from new mothers in its first-ever milk drive.

“We have 1,100 babies born here every year and having a mother's milk available for them is really the most important thing we can do to ensure a healthy start to their lives,” Dr. Susan Ehrlich, the CEO of San Francisco General, said of Wednesday’s event.

The hospital always accepts donations through Mother’s Milk Bank of San Jose, the partner organization for the milk drive. But the one-day event intended to provide a convenient place for people to drop off donations, as well as to promote San Francisco General’s role in providing safe care for mothers and their newborns.

San Francisco General is the first “Baby Friendly” hospital in The City, Ehrlich said, referring to a World Health Organization designation stemming from an initiative designed to encourage best practices around breastfeeding . Breast milk is more gentle on newborn babies’ systems than formula and can help prevent newborn babies from developing severe illnesses like necrotizing enterocolitis , an intestinal disease occurring primarily in premature babies that can be fatal.

“If you have a baby under 35 weeks of gestation, they cannot receive formula,” said Catalina Perez, a lactation consultant and registered nurse with San Francisco General. “It can really cause a lot of problems for the gut that can be devastating.”

The hospital typically keeps at least 128 ounces — or one gallon — of breast milk in its supply any given time. Perez said milk is used in a variety of cases, such as when new mothers are unable to breastfeed initially due to blockages or consistency, or if the baby has health concerns that may require extra nutrients, like unstable sugars or difficulty breathing.

The milk is especially vital for the babies who wind up in the 12-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, as these newborns might need more nutrients or, in some rare cases, their mothers are unable to feed them, such as patients who are struggling with opioid-use disorder.

“We give that baby our donor milk until she passes a [urine test] and it's clean,” Perez said. “Then, she can start.”

The hospital encouraged donors to drop off their frozen surplus milk, labeled with the date and time when it was pumped. Each had to complete a health screening and blood test to ensure that their milk would be safe.

Stephanie Ma, who lives in Concord and gave birth to her son, Kai, just 11 weeks ago, dropped off 189 ounces of milk after she said she heard about the drive on a local television news channel. Previously, she had researched online how she could donate. .

“I've had an oversupply,” she said. “I was just saving it for when he goes to daycare, but then I was thinking — I have a lot.”

Lauren Morgan, whose baby Marie Morgan-Miner was born around 5 months ago, said she heard about the drive through social media related to her moms’ fitness class.

“I have 70 ounces [of milk] with me today,” she said, carrying a cloth cooler over one shoulder and bouncing Marie against the other. “I have enough, I might as well share.”

The duo drove out from Emeryville to drop off Wednesday, although Morgan added that she’d already donated another 100 ounces to the hospital last week separately from the drive.

She said she was initially worried that her milk might not be accepted, as she’d been on blood-pressure medications after giving birth due to a high blood-pressure condition that can occur during pregnancy. But after getting the green light, she said she plans on donating again.

“I probably have 5 extra ounces available every day,” Morgan said. “I have my storage in my freezer, and once it’s full, I’ll donate more.”

Ehrlich said the hospital is considering another drive, although no concrete plans have been made.

“A lot of what this is about is about ensuring that people who have babies are providing human milk for them,” she said. “We know that human milk is one of the best things we can do to ensure a healthy life for that child overall.”