CHEER CHAMPion of the Week: Mother's Milk Bank of Mississippi!

This week’s CHAMPion of the Week is Mother’s Milk Bank of Mississippi in Flowood, MS, the first and only human milk bank in the state! The milk bank announced it has passed formal inspection by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America, and began processing milk donated by Mississippi mothers two weeks ago. The first batch of milk was delivered to Merit Health River Oaks’ Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and to Mississippi Baptist Medical Center’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit on Thursday, December 17, 2015.
 

The first milk is delivered to Mississippi Baptist Medical Center's NICU.

The first milk is delivered to Merit Health River Oaks' NICU.

Linda Pittman, Executive Director of the milk bank, says that being a fully functional milk bank has been a five-year process involving multiple donations of time, funds, and milk by Mississippi volunteers.
 
Research shows that human milk is life-saving, especially for infants who are preterm or who have special medical challenges and illnesses. According to the March of Dimes, Mississippi leads the nation in the number of preterm births. Currently 12.9% of all births, and over 15% of births in Hinds County, are premature. That translates to more than 5,000 premature babies born each year in the state.
 
To learn more, visit the website or follow the Facebook™ page for the Mothers Milk Bank of Mississippi. For volunteer opportunities, contact Linda Pittman at 601-613-0531 or linda@msmilkbank.org.

Cathy Carothers, Mother's Milk Bank of MS Board of Directors' Member, packing the first batch.

The very first bottle of human milk dispensed from the milk bank.