Richmond moms: got milk?
Enough to fill four kitchen sinks. That’s the amount of breast milk that Richmond resident and new mom Alexandra Allen has pumped and donated to the BC Women’s Provincial Milk Bank since January.
“As a new parent you spend a lot of time at home,” said Allen, mother to eight-month-old Malena. “Being able to say, ‘I helped some babies. That’s what I did today,’ feels really good, like an accomplishment.”
Previously Allen travelled into Vancouver — to BC Women’s and Children’s Hospital — to drop off her monthly donation. Now she can drop it off at the new Richmond Milk Bank Depot, located at 8100 Granville Avenue. It opened August 2.
“Donating milk is the easy part, but driving into Vancouver was not,” said Allen. “That trip takes up a huge chunk of my day. Now that we have a depot in Richmond, maybe others will donate as well.”
Since January, Allen has pumped 95 litres of breast milk. She freezes the milk in small, specialized collection bags, and delivers them to the milk bank monthly. Now that the Richmond depot is open, Allen’s drop-off schedule will be more frequent.
“I’ll now be able to put other things in my freezer besides breast milk,” she said. “My husband’s going to be really happy about that!”
Donations made at the new Richmond depot will be delivered to the BC Women’s Provincial Milk Bank where it will be screened and pasteurized, then distributed to the babies most in need at neonatal intensive care units.
New locations across VCH
In addition to the Richmond location, three other depots opened on August 2 – in Squamish, West Van and in Vancouver. A fifth, located at Evergreen Community Health Centre, in East Vancouver, will open in the fall.
“It is wonderful that Vancouver Coastal Health is opening five depots,” said Frances Jones, coordinator, BC Women’s Provincial Milk Bank. “This will help increase the number of donors to the BC Women’s Provincial Milk Bank, as it will make it easier for mothers to donate their extra milk. With more donors we will be able to help more of B.C.’s most fragile infants.”
Donors always needed
The demand for donor human milk continuously exceeds supply, and the BC Women’s Provincial Milk Bank and VCH is always looking for healthy mothers who have more breast milk than they need for their own baby.
“We know human milk is the best food for babies, but some new mothers face challenges that prevent them from breastfeeding,” says Maureen Lister, Public Health Nurse, VCH Richmond. “Donor milk has active beneficial properties and is similar to mother’s own milk. It provides babies with antibodies to fight disease and infection, which is especially vital for premature or babies battling medical conditions.”
To learn more about the drop off locations and donating milk (including the screening process to become a donor), please visit http://www.vch.ca/locations-and-services/find-health-services/?program_id=14973