Denver breast-milk bank faces shortage of deposits

[ccharles000]

The freezers are almost empty at a Denver milk bank that collects breast milk from mothers across the country and delivers it to sick and premature babies, a shortage attributed in part to a rough flu season.

Three of four giant freezers at Mother's Milk Bank at Presbyterian St. Luke's hospital, one of only 10 milk banks in the country, are bare. The fourth has just four small grocery sacks of frozen milk.

It's the lowest the supply has been in the bank's 25-year history, said Laraine Lockhart Borman, manager of the milk bank.

Several mothers who wanted to pump breast milk for the bank this fall and winter could not because they had the flu, their husband or child had the flu, or they got the nasal mist vaccine to prevent H1N1 swine flu. A woman who receives the nasal-spray vaccine must wait three months before donating milk to the hospital.

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14169850

[Brickbat]

1. Despite the tee-hee factor, this is a hugely important service.

I wish this had been around when I was still lactating. I was a freaking miracle cow, and I made it good, too -- my doctor asked me once if I just sat around and ate Haagen-Dazs all day and then turned it all into breastmilk, because my babies were so fat and happy. :rofl:

[cyberswede]

2. I agree, it is important

I donated when I was breast feeding my daughter. My son ate like a hog, and I couldn't keep up, but his little sister had the appetite of a bird, so I had plenty extra. I was happy to donate.

My mom donated in the 50s after one of my older brothers was born. I didn't know that had the storage capability back then...

[Brickbat]

3. I lived in a rural area and it would have been prohibitive to get the milk to a center that could

use it. How awesome you got to donate! What a great feeling. :)

[cyberswede]

6. That's an important factor

I work at the hospital where the Mile Bank is located. I don't know that I would have been as quick to sign up if it were necessary to travel any distance in order to donate. I just carried a small cooler to the office every couple days & dropped the containers off.

[LeftyMom]

4. I wish I could have donated when my son was small.

Unfortunately the closest pickup point at the time was an hour away by car and I didn't drive, so that was right out. But I always had tons extra, even though he was a gigantic baby (35 lbs at his first birthday!) and a spectacularly enthusiastic eater.

[liberal N proud]

5. I didn't know there was a bank for breast milk