Categories: Baby, Breastfeeding, Events, Pumping
October 4, 2021
Last updated on October 12, 2021
As proud partners of Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast, we are happy to be helping the smallest, most fragile babies across the Northeast.
Making a difference for NICU babies
Research shows that premature and high-risk infants benefit greatly from receiving human milk. Human milk improves growth in premature infants, protects their intestines, can provide additional fat without increasing volume, and is attributed to saving lives! Due to health reasons, separation from baby, or other circumstances, some mothers are unable to get milk to come in or produce at the pace that is needed for their premature baby. When that is the case, their next best option is to receive pasteurized donor human milk. Thankfully, there are milk banks working with NICUs to get families the milk they need for these fragile little ones.
What is Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast?
Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast, or MMBNE, is a nonprofit organization that coordinates screening, collection, processing, and dispensing human breast milk donated by lactating parents. When you start to break down what they do, this is a lot of work!
First, there are intake coordinators that screen nursing parents interested in donating. Screening includes a quick phone call (available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Crioulo), some brief paperwork, and a blood test. Once screens are completed, lactating parents make arrangements to deliver their milk.
Collection of milk can be done by mailing milk in prelabeled packages MMBNE ships to you, dropping it off at the milk bank itself, or by dropping milk off at one of their approved milk depots. More on milk depots below.
After milk is collected, it is pasteurized and tested by their trained technicians in their FDA-regulated laboratory to ensure it is safe for even the smallest and most fragile babies. See more about their amazing process here. Milk is then frozen and dispensed to hospitals and babies in need.
MMBNE receives, processes, and dispenses an incredible amount of life-saving milk every year!
What is a milk depot?
A milk depot is a conveniently located drop point in various communities that accepts milk from screened and approved donors. Milk depots receive the donated milk, store it in a freezer, then ship it to MMBNE. Not only do milk depots offer a local place for donors to drop milk, but they also play a huge role in raising community awareness of milk donation. Acelleron is proud to have three milk depots and a valued partnership with MMBNE.
Acelleron’s partnership with Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast
As a proud partner of MMBNE, three of our office locations are depots for parents to drop-off milk. Parents can easily contact our depots to arrange for a convenient drop off time with one of our staff members in North Andover, MA, Guilford, CT, and Bensalem, PA.
In total, we have received 65,598 ounces from 113 lactating parents, and counting!
- Since June 2015, our North Andover, MA location has 33,342 oz
- Since February 2016, our Guilford, CT location has sent 24,936 oz
- Since August 2017, our Bensalem, PA location has sent 7,320 oz
On September 28, 2021, Acelleron celebrated its Grand Reopening of the North Andover, MA milk depot. While this depot has been open since 2015, the address recently moved across the street where the new Acelleron office is located. MMBNE in partnership with Acelleron, hosted their first virtual grand opening. Donors were ready to drop their milk off and share their stories. It turned out to be a great success! Enthusiastic parents donated over 1,500 ounces during the grand reopening alone! The donated milk was delivered to the milk bank by Bikers for Babies, a motorcycle club dedicated to helping charities, including MMBNE. What an incredible event!
Thank you to all who donate, MMBNE, and community partners that make this lifesaving, beautiful process possible.
Want to become a donor? Start here!