Milk bank donations soar thanks to latest appeal
The human milk bank is thanking new donors for coming forward to help sick and premature babies.
After stock hit worrying levels, the milk bank issued an urgent plea for new donors and have since had over 50 women sign up.
Thousands saw and responded to the plea and many of them are now beginning to donate their excess breast milk.
The Milk Bank at Birmingham Women’s Hospital relies on donor breast milk , which is sterilised and used to help premature and sick babies in the hospital and others around the West Midlands and Wales.
Donna Hearnden, Milk Bank Manager, said: “We’re beyond grateful for every one of our donors.
“All donations are hugely appreciated and can make such a difference to the lives of sick and premature babies in our hospital and others across the region.
“We’re so thankful to everyone who has been in touch to sign up or who has donated and we couldn’t do it without the support of the volunteer blood bikers who collect the milk.”
The milk bank has been running at the hospital for 75 years and is one of 17 other units across the UK.
As the only unit in the West Midlands, the milk bank provides donor milk not only for our own neonatal babies, but also for hospitals across the region and parts of Wales.
Donna added: “ We’re always looking for new donors to come forward, it’s an ongoing appeal to any mums or women who have excess breast milk.”
If you are a breastfeeding mother with a baby less than six months old and you have excess milk, we would love to hear from you, you could be changing the lives of another baby and their family forever.
You can find out more about donating breast milk on the milk banks dedicated page on our website: https://bwc.nhs.uk/human-milk-bank