- The Community Milk Sharing Depot is another resource that centers the needs of marginalized communities that are often underserved when trying to access human milk from Human Milk Banks.
Specifically in Michigan, there are only two Milk Banks (Bronson Mother's Milk Bank and Milk Bank Jackson) in the state, and none in the Detroit area. Human milk through the Milk Bank is often prioritized to hospital neonatal intensive care units (NICU) around the state, while the need remains great for families in the community- specifically Black and Indigenous families. In most circumstances access for families that do qualify is usually only during hospitalization and until an infant reaches a certain gestational age, regardless of the continued need. Human milk can be purchased from milk banks per ounce, but is oftentimes inaccessible for Black, Indigenous and under-resourced families, due to the barrier of high cost (with a range of $8-$30/oz). Trauma, stress, postpartum mental health challenges and other issues- compounded by caring for their fragile infant- often make it incredibly difficult to produce sufficient milk quantity, thus the need for access to supplemental human milk. Additionally, it is traditional practice for Black and Indigenous families to share their milk with other families, though due to colonial re-framing, sharing human milk in community has shifted to the term informal-milk sharing.
Community Milk Sharing is a reclamation of what has always been a normal and traditional practice, most especially in crisis and emergency situations. In Michigan, there are currently a handful of Milk Depots where human milk can be dropped off at a site and then transported to the Milk Bank. This is something different. Our Community Milk Sharing Depot is led by Black Lactation Professionals, with adherence to both traditional practice, and policies and procedures to ensure safety and community-centeredness. The Community Milk Sharing Depot will keep the human milk that is collected within the community, ensuring that Black and Indigenous families have access to human milk due to low supply, medical need for supplementation, insufficient glandular tissue, or medical conditions between parent or child.
When: as needed
How to access: fill out the form below
Cost to participate: FREE
Participants: Open to all pregnant/lactating persons who live in Metro Detroit & Flint
*eligibility criteria does apply
Specifically in Michigan, there are only two Milk Banks (Bronson Mother's Milk Bank and Milk Bank Jackson) in the state, and none in the Detroit area. Human milk through the Milk Bank is often prioritized to hospital neonatal intensive care units (NICU) around the state, while the need remains great for families in the community- specifically Black and Indigenous families. In most circumstances access for families that do qualify is usually only during hospitalization and until an infant reaches a certain gestational age, regardless of the continued need. Human milk can be purchased from milk banks per ounce, but is oftentimes inaccessible for Black, Indigenous and under-resourced families, due to the barrier of high cost (with a range of $8-$30/oz). Trauma, stress, postpartum mental health challenges and other issues- compounded by caring for their fragile infant- often make it incredibly difficult to produce sufficient milk quantity, thus the need for access to supplemental human milk. Additionally, it is traditional practice for Black and Indigenous families to share their milk with other families, though due to colonial re-framing, sharing human milk in community has shifted to the term informal-milk sharing.
Community Milk Sharing is a reclamation of what has always been a normal and traditional practice, most especially in crisis and emergency situations. In Michigan, there are currently a handful of Milk Depots where human milk can be dropped off at a site and then transported to the Milk Bank. This is something different. Our Community Milk Sharing Depot is led by Black Lactation Professionals, with adherence to both traditional practice, and policies and procedures to ensure safety and community-centeredness. The Community Milk Sharing Depot will keep the human milk that is collected within the community, ensuring that Black and Indigenous families have access to human milk due to low supply, medical need for supplementation, insufficient glandular tissue, or medical conditions between parent or child.
When: as needed
How to access: fill out the form below
Cost to participate: FREE
Participants: Open to all pregnant/lactating persons who live in Metro Detroit & Flint
*eligibility criteria does apply
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