WADENA — Tri-County Health Care has partnered with the Minnesota Milk Bank for Babies to open a local milk depot, making it possible for mothers with extra breast milk to safely share their gift with infants in need.
It is the 15th Minnesota Milk Bank for Babies affiliated milk depot in the state and first in the Tri-County area.
Human milk is vitally important for premature and sick babies, who are more vulnerable to infections if they are fed formula. However, sometimes a mother can’t produce enough milk to feed her baby. There are a number of reasons why this might be, but when it happens, donor milk can provide the necessary benefits to help babies grow and thrive, a news release stated. It often helps to bridge the gap until the mother is capable of producing enough on her own.
Mothers with an excess of milk can sign up to be a donor by contacting the Minnesota Milk Bank for Babies at mnmilkbank.org , email at info@mnmilkbank.org or by phone at 763-546-8051. Safety comes first, organizers stated, which is why every donating mother is screened by a phone interview, written application and blood tests prior to donation. All blood tests are free for the mother and can be completed at Tri-County Health Care. Once approved, mothers will receive donor identification and are ready to donate.
Donors are invited to contact Tri-County Health Care’s lactation consultant Sarah Riedel at 218-632-8741 to set up an appointment to drop off frozen milk.
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“Tri-County Health Care is excited to provide mothers in the area with a convenient way to make a donation,” Riedel stated in the release. “Their donor milk will be crucial toward helping babies in need.”
To learn more about becoming a milk donor or the new milk depot, visit TCHC.org/milkdepot .
