You can probably get donor milk for her, but it depends on how much is
available from the milk banks closest to you. You can look up the numbers
of the milk banks on www.hmbana.org and call the one closest to you and ask.
The reason I can't give a definite answer is that milk banks will provide
milk to the sickest babies first (preemies and other hospitalized babies),
esp. in times of shortage. Several of us are having a periodic shortage
right now, but in Austin we're hoping that today's press release about it
will send some new donors our way. I don't know how things are in the
Northeast, but if they are short, I think Raleigh has some good supplies
right now.
Also, the milk banks charge a processing fee that partially offsets our
costs. In Austin it is $2.50 per ounce. I don't know what the one nearest
you charges, or if they also charge for shipping. The milk is
cost-effective short-term therapy for a preemie who would otherwise run big
risks of illness, infection, and surgery, but it makes most parents of term
babies swallow hard. Not many insurance companies will reimburse for it.
Unfortunately, it is very expensive to screen, process, store, and
distribute such a carefully handled and perishable product. It's great
that it exists for those babies who desperately need it. But, Mom's own is
almost always best! We have to keep up the herculean effort of
safeguarding each woman's own supply, so she has it for her own baby until
the baby doesn't need it any more.
Good luck -
Andrea Morgan
Mothers' Milk Bank at Austin
At 08:23 AM 3/28/00 -0500, you wrote:
>If a mom was interested in obtaining donor milk, how easy is it and what is
>the process? I recently spoke to a mom who asked about relactating after 4
>weeks of stopping breastfeeding. Her baby at 2 months was hospitalized with
>RSV and she also had bronchitis. She experienced a reduction in her supply
>so her baby got formula which didn't agree with him. They of course tried
>every different kind and now the baby has reflux and is miserable . Mom
>wanted to try to relactate because he did so well on breast milk which is no
>surprise. When I asked if she would consider donor milk, she said she
>hadn't even given that a thought. I even asked if any close friends or
>family were breastfeeding and had extra. But I wondered how difficult it
>was to get donor milk from a milk bank for someone like her.
>
>Laura Walker, RNC,IBCLC
>Johnson City, NY
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>
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