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Baby Lawlis-Reign: Covid-19 stress and milk delays

“I reached out to the hospital he was born at with very little help, as well as the local milk banks here. I was very overwhelmed with a newborn who was underweight, the start of Covid-19, and the stress of not making something that should come naturally.”

See how we helped Lawlis-Reign

The impact of human milk on premature babies

Any way you look at it, breast milk wins over other infant feeding options. Immunologically and nutritionally, there's no substitute. But too often, the babies who need breast milk most can't get it from their own mothers: 60% of NICU moms aren't able to produce enough milk. That's where donors come in to share their extra breast milk with the desperate parents of medically-fragile babies. Our pasteurized donor human milk is used in NICUs and Well Baby Units to meet the growth and immunity needs of babies, heal and mature intestinal tracts, protect against NEC, URI, sepsis, obesity, diabetes, food allergies, and so much more. Breast milk's proven track record:

36%

reduction in SIDS

5 to 8

point IQ increase in premature babies

72%

reduction in respiratory tract and ear infections

77%

reduction in necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) compared to formula-fed babies

The impact of MMBA

21 years of saving babies and counting! We're growing fast thanks to generous women who commit to donating milk, and increasing awareness in the medical community about the lifesaving properties of human milk especially for the most vulnerable population. We won't stop until donor human milk is available to all babies who need it.

90%

reduction in NEC rate in Austin in our first year of operation

7.5

million ounces donated since 1999

800,000

ounces sent to babies in 2020

175

US hospitals ordered milk in 2020

7

new US-based milk banks and 1 Canadian milk bank mentored by our Director

Testimonial

“I became enamored of the prospect of not having to treat NEC, one of the worst complications of the growing premature infant. A milk bank seemed an essential thing to do for our babies.”

- Dr. George Sharpe, Neonatologist and Mothers' Milk Bank Austin co-founder

Milk recipient and her mom

Bereavement

Anna and Jack’s Story: Finding Meaning after Loss

Many of the mothers who donate their milk to MMBA choose to do so after the loss of their child. One of those moms is Anna, who was kind...

Bereavement

Lactation & Tears

In 2011, Mothers’ Milk Bank at Austin created our Lactation and Tears program to support grieving milk donors and their families. In 2021, we continued that support through the...

Bereavement

Brooke’s Story: Donating after Heartbreak

If anyone we’ve talked to during National Breastfeeding Awareness Month 2021 is a rock star, it’s Brooke. Brooke Smith became a milk donor after the stillbirth of her son...

Bereavement

Memorial Garden

The Mothers’ Milk Bank at Austin understands that loss and grief are sometimes experienced in pregnancy and parenting. We are so grateful for all of the mothers who found...

Bereavement

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