Mothers delivering babies at Carle Health Methodist Hospital are tapping into a convenience that eases their minds as well as provides breast milk right away for their newborns.
A donor breast milk program that went live in March is ready to support, if needed, the nearly 1,500 babies born at the hospital each year. So far, families have purchased more than 370 ounces of breast milk to get their babies off to a good start.
Many mothers at Carle Health Methodist do not need to use donor milk, but for those who do and who still prefer breast milk over formula, this is a bridge until they can breastfeed on their own, Sarah Harbourn, BSN, RN, manager, Lactation and Neonatal, Carle Health Methodist Hospital, said.
“Breast milk provides additional nutrition for babies and it is easily digestible,” she said.
There are various situations when mothers need help through donor milk such as waiting for their milk to surge, challenges with the practice of nursing baby or even needing time to recover from mastitis, an inflammation of breast tissue. Carle Health Methodist Hospital provides personal support for mothers through its lactation counselors.
Mom Kelsey Shepherd said, “I am very thankful for the donor milk my baby received while in the hospital. It was a relief knowing that my baby received the nutrients and antibodies that I could not yet give him. There is so much going on during the hospital stay and so many people coming and going that it was just one less thing to worry about. I appreciated the fact that they had some available to take home from the hospital as well.”
Another mom, Lauren A. Thacker said access to the donor milk in July helped her stay on track with a goal of
breastfeeding. An unexpected C-section delivery five weeks before the due date resulted in her baby going immediately to the special care nursery and she could not see him for hours.
“We were grateful our baby was able to have the many benefits of breast milk to help his body heal and grow until I was able to provide it myself,” Thacker said.
While the baby receives breast milk exclusively now, she said the donor milk was a nice supplement for a few days. She and the baby’s father, Austin Thacker, purchased more donor milk a week after discharge as a precaution while Lauren Thacker received antibiotic treatment as a precaution against an infection.
Parents make donor milk purchases electronically through a point-of-service software device much like you see at restaurants. Each bottle contains 4 ounces of screened and pasteurized breast milk from Mothers Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes and local patients are eligible to donate breast milk through this company as well.
The bottle is $20 and comes with a cooler as well as contact information for lactation services at Carle Health Methodist Hospital. The maximum amount for purchase at one time is 10 bottles. Newborns in the first week consume no more than 1 to 2 ounces, or 12 teaspoons, per feeding.
To learn more about the donor milk program, reach out to Carle Health Methodist Hospital lactation consultants at (309) 672-4242. Consultants make every attempt to return calls within 24 hours.
Categories: Culture of Quality, Community
Tags: baby, baby friendly, breastfeeding, Carle Health Methodist Hospital, lactation