I am confused and need my fellow lactation consultants to help me understand
the reasoning that would be behind not accepting milk from a Spanish
speaking mother.  We called the milk bank for our area to offer to send the
milk from a mother whose 24 week baby died.  The mother had been pumping for
one month and had lots of milk stored.  She was not on any medications and
had no history of any diseases that would prevent the use of the milk.  When
we called at first the person who answered the phone was very excited and
encouraging, then when they asked to speak to the mother we said that she
would prefer to speak in Spanish as her English was limited and that we had
a medical interpretor with her. They said it didn't matter if we had an
interpretor, it had to be a member of their staff.  They said "oh no, we
can't take milk from a Spanish speaking woman, she has to speak English" and
then added, as we expressed shock and dismay, "if it makes you feel any
better, we don't take milk from anyone who doesn't speak English, not just
Spanish."  We were shocked and after calling around were able to find a milk
bank that would accept the milk even though we were out of their area.  I
have to say this kind of discrimination amazed me and saddened me, as this
poor mother already had enough to deal with without her milk being rejected
based on her inability to speak English. 

Libby Rosen, RN, IBCLC
Topeka, Kansas 

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