The First Breast Milk Bank in NW Louisiana is Now Open

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Having a baby isn't easy, especially when your little bundle of joy arrives earlier than expected.  I can attest that when your newborn arrives as a preemie, there can be quite a few unexpected health issues.  One of the most common is the new mother's inability to produce breast milk.  Now, a new program in Shreveport is providing a literal lifeline for new parents.

According to the report from KTBS, a breast milk bank program out of New Orleans now has a satellite branch in Shreveport.  St. Mary's Medical Center is now accepting breast milk donations from mothers who are producing too much in order to supply the much needed nourishment to premature babies in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) across the region.

Just to put this into perspective, the NICU at the Ochsner LSU Health center in Shreveport requires 300 ounces every week for the preemies being cared for there - and that's just one facility!  Now multiply that by every NICU in the area, and you'll start to understand why a bank like this is necessary.

If you'd like to help, donating is easy.  Prospective mothers must pass a health screening and blood test.  The cost, of course, is covered by the milk bank.  To begin your breast milk donation process, call the Mothers’ Milk Bank of Louisiana at 504-703-6455 or email them at mothersmilkbank@ochsner.org.