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 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.
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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 info@milkbankwgl.org.
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] |
