Brookings Health Becomes Mother’s Milk Bank Collection Depot
Brookings, S.D. – Sept. 3, 2024 – Brookings Health System is now the 46 th breastmilk
collection depot for the Mother’s Milk Bank of Iowa collection program. The health
system is just the fourth collection site in South Dakota.
“Some lactating mothers are blessed with the gift of surplus breast milk,” said Brookings
Health System Obstetrics Director Michelle Sand, RN. “Donating surplus breast milk
helps satisfy infant hunger and saves the lives of vulnerable babies, especially those
who are born prematurely or with weakened immune systems. Human donor milk is also
a great option for babies who are adopted or for mothers who have milk supply issues.
By becoming a collection depot for donors, Brookings Health System is continuing our
goal to support mothers and babies in all aspects of breastfeeding.”
Approved donors may drop-off their frozen milk by appointment to the New Beginnings
Birth Center obstetrics unit by calling (605) 696-8052. The milk will be frozen and stored
until gathered by Mother’s Milk Bank of Iowa which will pasteurize the milk and dispense
it to locations across the United States.
Milk donors must be in good health and willing to pump and store milk according to the
milk bank’s standards. Donors must donate a minimum of 200 ounces of milk over the
course of their donation period. To become a donor, lactating women must pass a
screening process that includes a verbal interview, written questionnaire, permission to
contact their health care providers, and blood testing. Other donation requirements
include:
Non-smoking
Not taking medication (with a few exceptions)
Not consume alcohol 12 hours before pumping donated milk
Not taking herbal supplements, including herbs in multivitamin (multivitamin is not
an exclusion)
Individuals interested in becoming a human milk donor may contact Heidi Baudhuin at
(319) 384-9930 or [email protected] . More information can also be found
online at brookingshealth.org/milkdonor .
In 2023, Mother’s Milk Bank of Iowa dispensed milk to eight states, serving 44 hospitals.
Seventy-four percent of the donated milk was dispensed to hospitals and 26% to infants
at home. People interested in ordering donor human milk may contact the Mother’s Milk
Bank of Iowa at (319) 384-9929 or (319) 356-2652.
Brookings Health System’s OB unit, New Beginnings Birth Center, has eight beds
consisting of five labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum (LDRP) suites, one triage
room and two to four postpartum recovery rooms. The unit provides full OB services to
expectant parents and enables area residents to deliver their baby close to home with a
local physician. The OB team’s care philosophy includes letting parents choose the birth
experience they want, embracing the female body’s natural ability to give birth, and
supporting mothers and babies in all aspects of breastfeeding. To learn more about New
Beginnings Birth Center, please visit brookingshealth.org/OB .
