Memorial Medical Center Becomes First Milk Bank Donation Station in Southern New Mexico
March 19, 2020
Memorial is proud to partner with Human Milk Repository of New Mexico to become southern New Mexico’s first Milk Bank Donation Station. Serving as a Human Milk Donation Station and outreach center, Memorial will collect frozen breastmilk from verified donors and ship it to the Albuquerque Milk Bank for testing, pasteurization and re-distributions to NICU hospitals. The Human Milk Repository of New Mexico (HMRNM) was founded as a local option for mothers to donate their breastmilk, and to ensure that breastmilk reached the babies who are most in need.
The HMRNM is currently in the process of establishing human milk donation stations throughout the state, Memorial being the first one. HMRNM has provided Memorial with a freezer, thermometer, lock, and materials. Additionally, HMRNM covers the cost of shipping the milk to their lab in Albuquerque for further testing.
“Human milk donated by nursing mothers who are not biologically related to the recipient infant is one of the biggest gifts someone could give to one of our tiniest patients.” Tracy Alsup, one of Memorials Internationally board-certified lactation consultant states.
According to studies the optimum nutrition for newborn infants is breastfeeding, if possible, for the first year. Human milk banks offer a solution to the mothers that cannot supply their own breast milk to their child, for reasons such as a baby being at risk of getting diseases and infections from a mother with certain diseases, or when a child is hospitalized at birth due to very low birth weight and the mother cannot provide her own milk during the extended stay for reasons such as living far from the hospital.
Memorial already uses a human milk bank based out of Austin, TX providing pasteurized donor human milk to all their neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) babies in need. Andrea Cathey, one of Memorials Internationally board-certified lactation consultant states, “I have had numerous mothers contact me in the past wanting a place to donate their milk and I would refer to the Austin Milk Bank. Now, our local repository will serve as a great and convenient resource for so many in our community.”
Donors at the milk bank must go through screening before they can donate their milk. Rainbeaux Trujillo, Director of Labor and Delivery at Memorial, states “We are excited for this new partnership with HMRNM to not only be the first to support this bank but also to keep milk donation local.”
Memorial Medical Center is designated as a Baby-Friendly Hospital. The Baby-Friendly initiative, by the World Health Organization and UNICEF, encourages and recognizes hospitals and birthing centers that offer a high level of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies. Memorial supports new mothers in breastfeeding and bonding with their babies. Their team is specially trained in breastfeeding support and newborn care, with board-certified lactation consultants on staff to assist new mothers with breastfeeding. Babies are immediately given skin-to-skin contact with mom. Plus, baby and mother stay together for their entire visit at Memorial.
If interested in becoming a donor please call 575.521.5393 at Memorial Medical Center to schedule an appointment between 9am-3pm, Monday- Friday.
About Human Milk Repository of New Mexico-The Mission of the Human Milk Repository of New Mexico (HMRNM) is to collect, screen, pasteurize and distribute Human Donor Milk to preterm and medically fragile infants and increase access to and availability of Human Donor Milk. As an accredited member bank of the Human Milk Bank Association of North America (HMBANA), we help to increase the availability and visibility of Human Donor Milk as well as ensure stringent protocols are followed for infant safety. More information can be found at: https://sharenm.org/human-milk-repository-of-new-mexico
Group pictured in front of donated freezer from HMRNM to store donated breast milk. Pictured left to right: Memorial International Board-certified Lactation Consultant Andrea Cathy, Memorial Director of Labor and Delivery/PICU Rainbeaux Trujillo and Memorial International Board-certified Lactation Consultant Tracy Alsup.