Milk bank opening

Breast milk goes beyond simply feeding a baby.

The “liquid gold” contains antibodies to help fight off illness, lowers the risk of asthma and allergies, and has been linked to other positive outcomes for children.

In Jay County, mothers interested in donating milk have had no local option.

That changes this week.

IU Health Jay is becoming a milk bank site this week in conjunction with the opening of the new location for its Healthy Beginnings program.

The milk bank is operating in collaboration with the Indianapolis-based Indiana Milk Bank, the only breast milk bank in Indiana. It is a member of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America, an organization that accredits not-for-profit milk banks and sets guidelines for pasteurized donor human milk.

IU Health Jay was the first hospital in the IU Health system to receive approval to open a donation site.

The project was initially proposed by nurse Ashley Corwin, who co-chairs the IU Health system’s lactation council. She knows firsthand the impact donor milk can make.

The 2006 Jay County High School graduate gave birth to her first child, Tanner, at 35 weeks. He went directly to the neonatal intensive care unit.

He was first fed through a nasogastric tube. When he was ready to drink on his own, Corwin still was not yet producing breast milk because of the early delivery and initial separation. So he began on formula, which did not go well.

“He wasn’t tolerating his feeds,” said Corwin, recalling projectile vomiting. “He was throwing up, he was losing weight.”

Then a neonatologist presented her with the option of using donor milk.

She agreed.

“From the moment he switched to donor milk, he never threw up again, he started gaining weight,” said Corwin. “The moment they switched his feeds, he never got sick again.”

As her own milk started coming in, she was able to start feeding Tanner. (Donor milk continued to be used as a supplement until her volumes were sufficient.)

He was discharged after nine days and is now headed toward his ninth birthday, the eldest of Corwin’s three children.

“My passion came from knowing that sometimes baby needs milk and sometimes I need another mom’s help in order for my baby to thrive,” she said. “And so that drove my passion to offer the donor milk … I knew how critical it was. …

“It’s very passionate and personal to me.”

Feeding with breast milk lowers the infant mortality rate, which is one of the key goals of Healthy Beginnings. (Jay County had an infant mortality rate of 12.3% last year, more than five percentage points above state average).

Breast milk is unique for the plethora of positive impacts on the baby and mother. If a baby is lacking in any area, or possibly getting sick, the mother’s body responds and adjusts the milk to tend to the baby’s needs. Mothers’ bodies produce antibodies to supplement the baby’s immune system, acting as a “first line of vaccines.” Breast milk decreases chances of respiratory and ear infections, necrotizing enterocolitis (a potentially lethal condition in which bacteria invades the walls of the intestines) and post-partum depression in mothers.

“It’s like magic elixir,” said Jon Vanator, president of IU Health Jay.

“Education is extremely important,” said Corwin, who is currently pursuing a master’s degree in nursing leadership and management. “Because a lot of moms don’t even know it’s an option.”

Until now, mothers from Jay County and the surrounding area have not had a convenient site for donating milk. (The closest site was in Anderson.)

Sara Hough, one of three donors who have committed to donating to the milk bank at IU Health Jay, donated breast milk with all three of her children.

With her first two children, Hough used her excess supply of breast milk to help her friends, also new mothers, who were struggling to supply milk while going back to work.

Milk banks, unlike personal donations or sales, have an extensive process to ensure the donated breast milk is healthy and of good quality. Donated milk is bundled together by term or pre-term milk. The bundles are heat pasteurized then frozen, and cultures are run to ensure only safe bacteria is in the milk.

Hough has roughly 852 ounces (about 6.6 gallons) of frozen breast milk waiting for the IU Health Jay milk bank to open.

“If I can donate my oversupply to help other mothers succeed in their own breastfeeding journey, or give a preemie the benefits of breast milk, I 100% want to do that,” said Hough.

Other new mothers or mothers going through bereavement who are interested in becoming a donor are encouraged to contact Corwin at (260) 726-1934. After a quick health screening over the phone, new donors will receive application packets which include blood testing to ensure donors are free from blood-borne illnesses such as HIV or syphilis. Once approved, donors will schedule an appointment to drop off their milk.

Donors are only required to donate 100 ounces of milk by their child’s second birthday, an average of less than an ounce per week.

“I’m so thankful for the women who helped and supported me to get me through my struggles so that I was able to succeed and not give up breastfeeding,” said Hough. “To know I’ve helped in that way is a wonderful feeling.”