The Women’s Clinic at Overlake Medical Center has opened a Mother’s Milk Depot, where lactating women can donate their breast milk to infants in need.

A “milk depot” is a controlled collection point where healthy women can donate their surplus breast milk for premature babies. The milk collection, shipping, processing and distribution are overseen by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America, (HMBANA), the umbrella organization that ensures the safety of human milk donations in the U.S. and Canada.

Donated breast milk provides life-saving nutrition and immune support to fragile, premature babies. In the United States, there is a critical shortage of donated human milk. According to the HMBANA, there are 60,000 low birth weight infants (weighing 3.5 pounds or less) born every year who need donated breast milk for life-saving nutrition.

“Nonprofit milk depots and banks throughout the U.S. are taking care of babies who fit in the palm of your hand. For them, breast milk is lifesaving, not just what’s best,” said Kim Updegrove, president of HMBANA.

With the opening of its Mother’s Milk Depot, Overlake hopes to make it more convenient for moms to donate and serve its infants. Last year, Overlake’s NICU used more than 1,000 ounces of donated human milk to treat critically ill premature infants.

“Donating breast milk is a true labor of love that can provide life-saving nutrition and immune support to fragile, premature babies,” said Mother’s Milk Depot manager Sandra Salmon, RN.

For more information about Overlake Medical Center’s milk depot and to learn about how to donate, call 425-635-6150.