B.C. Women’s Hospital running low on breast milk donations

The Provincial Milk Bank at B.C. Women’s Hospital in Vancouver is running critically low on breast milk donations.

According to the program coordinator, France Jones, shelves are almost empty as demand increases every year.

“Last year we had about 170,000 ounces processed and we provided [milk] to about 4,500 children,” she explained.

“The children that receive our milk, the majority of them are in NICUs — neonatal intensive care units — and they’re born prematurely. And in most cases, their mothers are trying to breastfeed or at least establish a milk supply, but that can take some time.”

Jones notes the bank supplies milk to 14 NICUs across the province.

Currently, she says there’s only enough supply to last for about a month. Ideally, she says three to four months’ worth of milk is optimal to meet demand.

“What we like to do is get to the three months’ worth of milk so that as demand increases dramatically, we can meet that demand,” she said.

B.C. mother gives back after support from breast milk bank

Some mothers say they’ve started freezing any extra milk they produce to donate.

Cindy Li says when she gave birth to a premature baby she was among the new parents in need of breast milk for her child.

She’s now trying to give back, freezing whatever extra milk she has to donate.

“Just that I have enough for my own baby, but I have excess that I am able to give to others, which I’m very happy to do since my baby once benefited from donors’ milk himself. So it would be great to give back to the community and help others with my breast milk,” she said.

Li is encouraging others who may have breast milk to donate to do so.

“There is no extra work that needs to be done because they are already pumping for their own baby. So if they could donate it to help someone in need, it would be very beneficial for babies like mine.”

There are three other milk banks in Canada — in Toronto, Montreal, and Calgary — that ship breast milk to provinces without their own program.

B.C. Women’s says while milk from a baby’s mother is always the first choice, donor milk is the next best thing if that’s not an option.

“Donor milk has active beneficial properties and is similar to mother’s own milk. It provides babies with antibodies to fight disease and infection,” the hospital’s website reads.

It notes that milk donors are screened and that milk is collected and pasteurized before it is distributed to hospitals.

Find more information on the B.C. Women’s Hospital website.

-With files from The Canadian Press