B.C.’s Milk Bank hoping lactating mothers will step up and donate breast milk

B.C. resident Cindy Li was happily anticipating the birth of her child earlier this year.

With no complications throughout her pregnancy, Li thought she would carry the baby to term and begin their new journey together.

But her son had other ideas, entering the world at 32 weeks and six days, making him a premature baby.

“After delivery, even though he is smaller, he is actually doing quite well,” Li told Global News.

She was told by the doctors that breast milk is best for premature babies. She said she tried to produce her own milk but it didn’t come and that’s when she reached out to the Provincial Milk Bank for help.

When her milk did come in, that’s when Li decided to give back to the milk bank with her donations.

“My baby once benefited from someone else’s milk and now hopefully now someone will benefit from me,” she said.

4:19 Fraser Health appeals for breast milk donations

However, Li is hoping more mothers will hear her story and want to help as well.

Donations of breast milk are running low at B.C. Women’s Hospital where Li received her donor milk.

Lactating moms can donate their breast milk, which is then pasteurized and used to feed about 4,500 infants a year, usually premature babies.

The Provincial Milk Bank said breast milk provides babies with antibodies to fight disease and infection. Human milk is especially important for sick and very tiny babies.

Staff said many of their recent donors have now retired and retaining supplies has been a challenge.

“Right now, we do have some milk that we’re able to supply to NICUs but we know within a month, if we don’t up our supplies, we will be running out of milk,” Frances Jones with the BC Women’s Provincial Milk Bank told Global News Tuesday.

The majority of the milk is used to feed premature and sick babies in 14 neonatal intensive care units across B.C. and can protect babies from both long-term and short-term illnesses.

Here is more information on how to donate milk to the Provincial Milk Bank.