RESOURCES

FOR FAMILIES

We’re here for you. Whether you’re a new mom with a surplus of milk and ready to share it, or a bereaved parent experiencing the tragic loss of your baby, our resources and staff are here to guide you and support you in your journey.

Here’s how we can help:

Get information on donating or receiving milk
Find support in your breastfeeding and pumping journey
Download a toolkit that’s packed with helpful information about milk donation
Call our office with questions on everything from storing milk to navigating the insurance process
Be informed about our safety protocols and procedures
Connect with other families we serve by sharing your story or reading others

FOR THE BEREAVED

Giving the gift of life after the loss of your own baby is a truly selfless and altruistic act of kindness. We want you to know that Mothers’ Milk Bank is here to help you navigate your loss in any way we’re able–not just by coordinating the donation of your pumped milk. We offer help and support as you make decisions about whether or not to begin the process, and we stay with you every step of the way.

Here are some resources that might help you as you navigate your loss:

Bereaved Mother Trifold
Download PDF

FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS

Partnering with Mothers’ Milk Bank

We look forward to partnering with you to provide milk for the most vulnerable patients in your care. Please fill out this questionnaire and our medical services lead will get back to you quickly with information and a hospital onboarding packet to start the process.

For your patients who are grieving a loss

It is essential to give bereaved mothers information about managing their milk production and to support them in the decisions they make about their milk. Although it is painful to keep producing milk, the presence of milk is a reality for most bereaved mothers and continued lactation is often an integral part of their experience of loss (Busta Moore and Catlin, 2003). To acknowledge that lactation is a reality for a bereaved mother validates the bereaved mother’s experience, which includes the physiological capacity to produce milk as well as the emotional connection to her baby through lactation. Maintaining physiological comfort and preventing engorgement is a priority when a mother is still producing milk and she is not able to breastfeed. Some bereaved mothers may want nothing to do with their milk after their baby dies, whereas others want to continue to express their milk and eventually donate it to a milk bank like ours. One advantage for a bereaved mother to keep pumping her milk is that the continued presence of prolactin could help lessen the symptoms of depression she may feel while grieving the loss of her baby. Pumping her milk on a regular basis may help her move through the unimaginable pain and grief of losing a baby.

For some bereaved mothers, rituals, such as expressing milk, help them to manage their grief and celebrate their child’s life at the same time. It is a way of acknowledging the grief of the loss as well as the significance of the baby’s life. Some bereaved mothers are determined to do something meaningful with their milk.

Mothers’ Milk Bank has bilingual donor coordinators who are trained to help and support bereaved mothers interested in donating their expressed milk. Our staff is committed to making the donation process as smooth as possible for all bereaved parents. If the patient chooses to skip the full screening process, her milk will still be used for research. Staff will follow up on referrals from health professionals to expedite the transfer of the milk donation.