The Milk Bank

When Jourdann delivered her son 2.5 weeks early through a c-section, it took 4 days for her milk to fully come in. "Luckily, I knew to ask about donor milk and he was able to have that in the hospital," she shared. For Jourdann, asking for donor milk in those first crucial moments made all the difference. It not only positively impacted her son's health, but their breastfeeding experience as well. "It led to a successful transition when my milk finally came in at home." We're happy to share that Atlas is now a thriving toddler keeping his mom Jourdann very busy! We're thankful for Jourdann sharing her donor milk recipient story to help others moms know donor milk can be a helpful feeding option in those very early days postpartum.

We are thrilled to welcome Mack Enlow to The Milk Bank team as our Production Specialist! You may get a glimpse of Mack from time to time in our lab-focused content as they are a core member of our milk lab team. Mack spends their day processing, analyzing, and pasteurizing the milk donations that come through our doors to ensure babies in the NICU have a stable and safe supply of pasteurized donor human milk. Please join us in giving Mack a warm welcome to The Milk Bank team!

We are looking forward to presenting our Lactation After Loss educational session during the upcoming Missouri Baby Friendly Hospital Collaborative webinar on March 25. This webinar is hosted by the Missouri Breastfeeding Coalition and sponsored by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS). Leaders from Missouri Baby Friendly hospitals, as well as national speakers, will share information on improving maternity care practices and mentor hospitals who are interested in improvement. Staff from?birthing hospitals in Missouri are welcome to participate, no matter where you are in the journey. This series will focus on evidence-based maternity care practices and will be suitable for: -Medical Directors in Pediatrics,Obstetrics and Family Practice -CEOs and Chief Operating Officers -Chief Nursing Officers -Labor & Delivery and Maternity Nurse Managers -Charge Nurses and Staff Nurses -Lactation Consultants -Nurse Midwives -Quality Improvement, Breastfeeding Committee/Council Members and other administrative leaders If you're a Missouri healthcare provider interested in this upcoming webinar, please signup here: https://lnkd.in/gbmKM6VQ

We love it when we're able to connect directly with our milk donor recipient families. We were able to hand deliver a copy of our 2024 Impact Report to cover baby Charlotte's mom Lindsey Davis recently. She hosted us at her employer Salesforce to give us a tour of their beautiful Ohana Floor at their Indianapolis location and discuss employee volunteer opportunities at The Milk Bank. Baby Charlotte was born at 34 weeks after Lindsey had been hospitalized for a month. During her hospital stay pre-birth, Lindsey's care team educated her on why she and Charlotte may need access to pasteurized donor human milk. Once Charlotte was born, Lindsey's milk did not come in. Thanks to her care team, she knew donor milk was a feeding option. "It was important to us to supplement Charlie with breast milk so that we could ensure she was receiving the proper nutrients, especially because she was born prematurely," says Lindsey. Charlotte spent 12 days in the NICU, and was able to access safe donor milk from The Milk Bank throughout her hospital stay. We were honored to be able to thank Lindsey in person for sharing her story and gift her a framed copy of this year's impact report. If you'd like a copy of our 2024 Impact Report, please comment below! We'd be happy to send you one.

Did you know you can support The Milk Bank while doing what you love? We’re celebrating some incredible supporters who have found creative ways to raise funds for fragile babies. ??♀???Kristen is running an?100-mile race?and has already inspired?17 people?to support her and The Milk Bank. Way to go! ???Sarah?teamed up with a talented photographer friend, Lauren Lewis, to offer unique photo sessions, raising?over $900?for fragile babies. ???Cynthia?hosts an annual walk in memory of her daughter, Miracle. In 2024, friends and family gathered at?Newfield's?and raised?over $1,000?in her honor. ???Brittany?designed a special T-shirt to commemorate her son Zeke and donated the proceeds to The Milk Bank—helping to spread her dedication for our mission even further. We are so thankful for these inspiring supporters who are fusing their support for The Milk Bank with their unique passions and interests. See the comments to learn more about each of these creative fundraisers, from photoshoots to runs. We're grateful for their time, effort, and dedication to saving infant lives through expanding access to pasteurized human donor milk. Want to join them with your own creative fundraising idea? Comment below or send us a message to get started. We would love to collaborate with you!

We're so thankful to the Share Your Genius team for taking the time to volunteer at The Milk Bank! They spent part of their team retreat at our headquarters in Indianapolis learning about the lifesaving impact of pasteurized donor human milk. After a tour of our milk lab, they spent time writing encouraging notes to NICU families, packing 20th birthday surprise bags, and organizing office materials. We're so grateful Share Your Genius chose The Milk Bank as their philanthropic partner during this team retreat. Your extra hands really made a difference for our team, and we know those notes will warm the hearts of many NICU families. Interested in setting up a volunteer experience for your team at The Milk Bank? Simply comment below or send us a DM to explore all the volunteer options available!

Did you know that Ascension just opened a brand new Women and Infants Hospital in Indianapolis? We were able to join our friends Cork Medical to tour the new Ascension St. Vincent's Women and Infants Hospital located at 2001 West 86th St in Indianapolis. A big thank you to Liz Lucas, Women's Program Manager - Lactation & Perinatal Services for giving us the tour! The new facility provides family-centered maternal care including high-risk neo-natal care. Combining advanced care for women and infants gives families the highest level of women's health and pediatric care throughout the state and region – all in one place. This location also houses their Milk Depot, which celebrates two years of service this March! We are so grateful to Ascension for their partnership and dedication to saving infant lives and advancing maternal healthcare. Fun fact: Jami, fourth from left, is holding cooler bags full of milk donations from Ascension's Milk Depot!

Thank you Club Pilates for your generous donation of 4 group Pilates classes and Club Pilates accessories for our Fund an Ounce fundraiser. Club Pilates provides reformer-based, full body Pilates workouts designed to increase mobility, balance, and strength. Their Mass Ave location is just down the highway from The Milk Bank's headquarters. We're currently looking for in-kind donations of gift cards, memberships, experiences, and other fun items to help build out our Fund an Ounce fundraising campaign. Your donation will help us raise crucial funds through Fund an Ounce, our yearly fundraiser that helps us continue to provide pasteurized donor human milk to the tiniest and most fragile infants. If you're interested in making a difference, consider joining us by donating an item or experience today. Please comment below or send us a message. Thank you, Club Pilates, for your incredible support!

Thank you Anna Getty of Firefly Children & Family Alliance for taking a tour and learning about the benefits of pasteurized donor human milk. Anna stopped by to grab some resources to share at the Firefly Children & Family Alliance's Newborn Baby Care Event last weekend. During the tour, Anna learned about how The Milk Bank provides a safe and stable supply of pasteurized donor human milk throughout Indiana, Missouri, and Kentucky. Want to learn more about milk banking, our processes, and the impact? We'd be happy to give you a tour of our headquarters in Indianapolis! Simply drop a comment or email us at [email protected] with the subject line tour.

Save infant lives and improve health outcomes across Indiana, Missouri, and Kentucky by partnering with The Milk Bank! We have many ways to get involved, from sponsorships and co-marketing opportunities to employee volunteer days and matching gift drives. This short video gives you a look into just a few of the programs your org could partner with us on to meet your employee engagement and philanthropic needs. Interested in collaborating? Send an email to Amy Thornburg, our Director of Advancement, at [email protected] to start discussing today!