BATH – Soft Corner Midwifery announces the grand opening of the third outpatient donor milk dispensary in Maine in partnership with Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast.
Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast collects milk from parents who have more milk than their babies need; screens, pasteurizes, and tests the milk; then dispenses it to babies whose parents do not have enough milk for them. Milk donor screening, modeled after blood donor screening, includes health history, physician or midwife approval, and a blood test. Milk from donors who pass the screening is also pasteurized and tested by an independent lab to ensure safety before being dispensed to hospitals, dispensaries, or families.
By opening a donor milk dispensary, Soft Corner Midwifery is on the leading edge of organizations providing access to donor milk in the community. The importance of providing human milk for the health of birthing people and infants is well-established, with all major medical and public health organizations endorsing chest/breastfeeding. Use of donor milk supports this in the long run. When a baby requires supplementation in the early days after birth, research shows that families tend to view donor milk as a temporary bridge and formula as a long-term solution. Therefore, having donor