Did you know that WakeMed has one of the very few human milk banks in the United States? Neither did Kelli Russell until the birth of her second baby resulted in a significant oversupply of breast milk.
Even when her son was sleeping through the night, Kelli still had to pump due to an oversupply. This extra pumping resulted in more than 3,000 ounces of milk over the course of a year.
Instead of letting all of that hard-earned liquid gold go to waste, Kelli began researching human milk banks. She learned that there was one just down the road from her home in Washington, North Carolina at WakeMed.
Kelli’s extra effort and big heart has provided access to life-giving milk for fragile, premature infants in more than 44 hospitals thus far.
For tiny premature infants, having a steady supply of human milk can make all the difference for their immature gastrointestinal systems. Many moms of premature babies have difficulty establishing a supply of breast milk due to the early birth of their babies. Human breast milk banking helps to fill the gap from birth to when the milk supply is established. Sometimes mom of premature babies are unable to breastfeed and donor milk provides the sole source of nourishment.
Today, Kelli’s son turns one – Happy Birthday Holden – and in addition to celebrating, Kelli will be mailing off her last donation to the Milk Bank. Thank you Kelli and to all of the other moms who have shared their gift with babies other than their own.
If you find yourself with an oversupply of milk like Kelli, please do not throw it away. Consider donating it to the WakeMed Mother’s Milk Bank to help other babies grow and thrive. Learn more about donating today.
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