Milk Bank Donations

from PalmyParent302 August September 2021

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FEATURE MILK BANK DONATIONS

Whangai Ora Milk Bank is the first within the North Island and the very committed group of volunteers is devoted to saving the lives and improving the health of babies without access to their own mothers’ milk. With the recent opening of the Whangai Ora Milk Bank in Palmerston North, the opportunity to both donate and receive screened human milk has become easier. This short term gift allows people to provide their babies with the superior nutritional and immune benefits of breast milk if they are unable to do so themselves for any reason. Whangai Ora can provide milk to anyone within the MidCentral Health Board District (Manawatu, Tararua and Horowhenua). Because supply fluctuates, the youngest and most vulnerable babies are supplied first. As a donor, you are able to provide an invaluable supply to a baby in need. The process to become a donor is very simple and the entire existence of the Whangai Ora Milk Bank relies on the commitment of these donors. There is a Health Screening Form and Consent Form to complete on meeting with a representative and then you are supplied with either milk bottles or bags to take away and collect your milk in. After collecting your first litre of milk you are required to complete a blood test and following these results, with all being in order, you can become a donor! This initial litre requirement is to ensure that pumping and donating is going to fit in with your lifestyle and that you are prepared for the process before going ahead. After that, there is no minimum requirement or frequency to supply and all donations are appreciated. Just 50ml of donated human breast milk can supply a baby under 1kg with enough milk for 24 hours so every donated drop counts.

Hire a Tens Machine

Hire a Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) machine to help reduce your pain during labour and childbirth.

Palmerston North Parents Centre (PNPC) has five TENS machines available for hire by our members for ONLY $20 for up to four weeks’ hireage (plus a $40.00 refundable bond).

Machines can be booked for the two weeks prior to your due date until two weeks post due date. Watch a video interview with a TENS machine expert at youtube.com/ watch?v=4gUEtYAqPw8

Book your TENS Machine from: Palmerston North Parents Centre, 117 Ruahine Street, info@palmyparentscentre.org.nz. Please pay in cash. Full terms and conditions supplied upon inquiry. Note: TEENS pads are reusable, you can purchase new TENS pads for $35.

Requesting donor milk can be done through a midwife, lactation consultant, or as an individual yourself. Forms required for both processes are available on the website. The Whangai Ora volunteers also work alongside lactation consultants to provide support to recipients that wish to receive it. The entire process for recipients and donors is free and confidential. Donors only need to supply their own pump. The demand for human donor milk increases each month with a large portion of the current donated milk going to the Neonatal Unit at Palmerston North Hospital. The milk from each individual donor stays in individual batches and is coded to maintain confidentiality of the donor’s identity before being pasteurised and made available for a baby in need. Whangai Ora relies on a group of committed volunteers, meaning there are currently no set hours to access the milk bank, however the process to both donate or request milk is very straight-forward and available. If you would like any additional information on receiving or donating breast milk to what is provided in this article you can access the