DUBUQUE, Iowa (KWWL) — Formula used to be the easy stop gap for mothers who couldn’t produce enough milk for their babies. Now with a shortage ongoing, that’s no longer a consistent option. However, human milk still is. That is why Iowa’s first ever human milk dispensary was opened in Dubuque.
The dispensary opened up at Mercy One Dubuque on May 5th, in conjunction with the University of Iowa’s human milk bank. Amy Blum, a lactation consultant at the Mercy One birth center, says it was established to answer a growing need they’ve seen in the community.
“If you need a supplement on top of breastfeeding then they can come right to us right away,” Blum said. “They just need a prescription from their doctor or pediatrician.”
Blum says once mothers in need of milk have that prescription, they can go to Mercy One Dubuque’s home store and order a 100 milliliter bottle for just $15. This is a significant drop from what they would have to pay before.
“We can make donor milk available for moms locally,” Blum shared. “And that helps them avoid the shipping cost which is around $57 to have donor milk shipped to them.”
If you’re not close to the