WATCH: Amy Bormann explains how she was able to donate two deep freezers full of breast milk. Karolina Buczek reports.
The old adage “breast is best” is still said among doctors and mothers old and young alike, but sometimes, breast milk can be hard to come by.
Not every mother is able to breast feed and some just don’t produce enough to feed their hungry babies.
READ MORE: Calgary breast milk helps premature babies in Saskatoon
That’s when breast milk donors come in handy. Milk banks collect breast milk from mothers with milk to spare and distribute it to tiny patients in need.
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Wisconsin mother of two Amy Bormann was one mother who had more than enough breast milk to spare – about 110 litres worth.
“I, with my second child, was blessed with a very abundant supply of milk,” Bormann told NBC affiliate WJFW. “I had two entire deep freezers packed full of milk.”
Bormann donated the milk to Aspirus Wausau Hospital, which collects donors’ milk and sends it to the Indiana Mothers’ Milk Bank. The organization then distributes it back to hospitals and clinics throughout the U.S.
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Human milk donors are strictly screened and are required to be tested before being able to donate. They must also be able to produce more milk than their own babies need.
In Canada, there are milk banks operating in Calgary, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. In addition, the International Breastfeeding Centre operates out of Toronto and has plenty of resources for those with questions about breastfeeding and breast milk.
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