With Mother’s day fast approaching, BC Women’s Hospital wants to remind people how vital breast milk donation is for many mothers in B.C.
The Provincial Milk Bank, which has operated since 1974, has screened over 4,000 donors and processed 43,000 litres of milk, but the bank says the need for milk continues to rise so they are always looking for new donors.
WATCH: BC Women’s Hospital says breast milk bank is very low
An estimated 25,000 to 30,000 babies across Canada were born prior to the nine-month due date according to a 2015 study by the health care think tank CADTH. And because they were delivered prematurely, mothers had a difficult time producing enough milk for their baby.
The Milk Bank’s role is to supply that missing amount. The bank helps many babies, majority of those who are in Neo-Natal intensive care units and need more milk than their mothers can provide.
“It wasn’t even a second thought for me, it was like ‘I need to get rid of this milk, this is a great opportunity for me,’” said Amanda McCrimmon, mother of four and a four-time milk donor.
McCrimmon said when her first son was born, she realized she had more than enough for her baby, and after reading about the need for human donor milk, she felt compelled to reach out and help.
“As a first time mom I didn’t know if I would be able to, and I think most first time moms just wonder if they’re going to have enough of their own breast milk, let alone wondering if they can feed another child,” McCrimmon said.
Donors need to meet the following requirements:
- Be in good general health and able to breastfeed or pump milk
- Currently nursing a baby younger than 1 year old (bereaved or surrogate parents are also eligible to donate)
- Be willing to have a blood test to rule out certain diseases every 6 months
- Not using certain medications or herbal supplements
- Be able to donate a minimum of 150 oz of milk over a period of time.
Donor human milk, instead of formula, can at times be the difference between reducing the number of cases a severe neo-natal gastrointestinal disease could affect an infant, according to the CADTH study.
“They call breast milk ‘liquid gold,’ and it truly is liquid gold. I mean it feeds your child, it feeds other people’s children, and it’s so good for them,” McCrimmon said.
According to the research, about seven per cent of 491 babies died from gastrointestinal disease within 30 days of birth in Alberta between 2006 and 2011, 90 per cent of which had premature births or had a low birth weight.
“If you can do it, donate. It’s a little bit of time, a little bit of energy but it’s so worth it to know that other families are receiving such a great gift,” said McCrimmon.
Currently, the Lower Mainland has 19 locations throughout the area, outside of that there are only 3 locations in Chilliwack, one in Victoria, and one in Central B.C.
Frances Jones, Coordinator of the BC Women’s Milk Bank, said the demand outweighs the supply, adding that last year 300 people donated and there were over 3,000 recipients.