L to R:  Nicole Robbins, Sara Notto, Dana Oltmans

Logan County Department of Public Health receives first Mother’s Milk Depository donation

[April 27, 2019]  On Thursday afternoon the Logan County Department of Public Health recorded its first ever donation to the new Breast Milk Depository from one of their own. WIC Clerk Sara Notto donated 340 ounces that were placed in storage to be sent to the Mothers Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes.

To mark the occasion Nicole Robbins of the MMB was on hand, along with Dana Oltmans with the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program at LCDPH and Notto to speak with the public about the depository and the donation process.

Oltmans and Notto brought the MMB to Lincoln and Logan County in response to a desire by Notto to donate extra milk she has produced since giving birth to her daughter 11 months ago. Notto and Oltmans said that breast feeding is important for an infant especially in the first 12 months. Mothers may choose to stop breast feeding at that one-year mark or they may continue for up to 24 months, that is their choice. However, for moms who do choose to stop nursing at one year, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they stop producing milk. That extra milk can be collected and frozen and given to the MMB for mothers and children who are lacking in sufficient supplies after birth.

Oltmans said that at work one day, Notto was talking about how to go about donating. Oltmans and Notto began doing some quick research and found out about MMB. Oltman’s contacted MMB and within one week they were well on their way to having a depository in Lincoln.

Robbins talked about the MMB specifically. The organization is currently servicing Wisconsin and Illinois. There are a number of depositories in northern Illinois as well as Wisconsin. The new depository in Lincoln is their first downstate facility, but the organization is working to expand in Illinois. For Robbins the Lincoln depository is a huge step toward reaching their goal to cover the majority of this state.

The milk collected is immediately stored in a freezer at the LCDPH. The containers are identified by their “pump date.” Each container must be shipped within so many days of that pump date, so when the time is right, the LCDPH contacts the MMB with the quantity to ship and are assisted by the MMB in making shipping arrangements.

The milk, once received by MBB in their northern Illinois facility goes through a purification and pasteurization process to assure its safety and extend the life of the product. Robbins explained that the process includes testing for bacteria and treated accordingly. The product is then pasteurized and re-tested for bacteria before it is made available to customers.

Robbins said that 80 percent of the milk processed by MMB is sold to hospitals for use in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units. She said that in those NICU’s the babies are ill or at high risk and having the benefits of real mothers milk versus formula is very important and sometimes vital to their healthy recovery.

In addition to use in the hospitals, pediatricians and other medical doctors can actually write a prescription for mother’s milk and then parents can purchase the milk for their infants through MMB. The MMB currently has five dispensary facilities for shipping out milk to hospitals as well as individuals.

The women also talked briefly about the emotional rewards for women when they have the ability to give to others in this way. For moms there is an emotional attachment to the nursing process. When that process is completed for good, being able to harvest and share with those who are in need is rewarding and helps the mom’s as they deal with the end of one chapter in the lives of their own children.

In addition, Oltmans said that being able to donate can be very, very helpful for mothers who are grieving the loss of an infant. Oltmans said that this helps through the emotional grieving process, but it is also physically beneficial for the mother to be able to go through the natural process of generating and releasing breast milk.

The MMB has a special wall designed as a memorial to those mothers and the babies they have lost. Poppy’s Dream is a wall donated by the family of Poppy Delphine Babinski honoring all those babies. The wall is a mural depicting a field of poppies at twilight. The stars are coming out in the late evening sky. Each star has written on it the name of the baby who has ascended into the heavens.

Both Oltmans and Notto are giddy excited about having this program in Lincoln. Notto noted something that not many will think about until today. The environment and geographical location has an impact on the composition of breast milk. Notto noted that this it is of great value to have a depository in downstate Illinois for this reason. The natural antibodies found in mother’s milk in this region will be different than those found for example in Wisconsin. For infants in this area needing this service, having a product that originates from this area will be helpful.

Finally, the women talked about the donation process. They needed to stress that in spite of the desire to help, a mother cannot just arrive at the LCDPH with her collection and donate it to the bank. There is a screening process that must be completed and the donor has to be approved for deposit.

The screening process is done by the MBB, but for those wanting to get started, they can contact Oltmans or Notto at the local health department about how to get started.

The Mothers Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes is located in Elk Grove Village in Illinois. Those looking for more information about donating may contact MMB directly by phone at 847-262-5134 or via email at [e-mail].

The Logan County Department of Public Health is located at 109 Third Street in Lincoln. Office hours are Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. To reach them via telephone call 217-735-2317. Ask to speak with Dana Oltmans or Sara Notto about getting started as a mother’s milk donor.

[Nila Smith]