Northwest Health – La Porte Opens New Donation and Dispensation Site in Partnership with The Milk Bank

5/31/2023

Northwest Health – La Porte announced on Tuesday, May 30, that it is now a breast milk donation site and dispensation site for pasteurized, donor, human milk (PDHM), in partnership with The Milk Bank.

“As we take care of babies, we know parents are looking to us to provide trusted guidance and healthy options to ensure their babies grow to become strong and healthy,” said Kristin Wroblewski, director of the Birthing & Family Care Center at Northwest Health – La Porte. “This new service will offer babies in our communities access to the highly-nutritional benefits of human breast milk, while providing an opportunity for local mothers to donate their excess breast milk for our tiniest infants in need,” she said.

Human breast milk provides optimal nutrition and unique health benefits that last beyond infancy. It is also the standard food for all infants, including premature or sick infants, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The new donation site at Northwest Health – La Porte offers a convenient place for women who have been approved to donate their extra or unneeded breast milk. All milk is sent to The Milk Bank in Indiana to test, analyze and pasteurize before dispensing to hospitals and outpatient families.

Additionally, the new dispensation site has the unique ability to provide families in the La Porte communities with a readily available source of PDHM offered from The Milk Bank. Access to PDHM allows parents of healthy newborns to supplement with human milk instead of formula, providing babies with a healthy start and parents with peace of mind. PDHM can bridge a small gap for things like illness, between delivery and a successful breastfeeding routine or supplementing when medically necessary. A processing fee is charged to help offset the layers of safety involved in providing this safe medical intervention. The Milk Bank has financial assistance available for families with a medical need.

Freedom Kolb, CEO of The Milk Bank, shares, “We couldn’t be more thrilled to partner with Northwest Health – La Porte to make this incredible investment in the community and make a safe source of nutrition readily available for families.”

For more information, clarification on donor eligibility or how to place an order for PDHM, please contact The Milk Bank at (317) 536-1670 or visit themilkbank.org.

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