SLEEVES, THAT'S THE WAY TO GO.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>>> PEDIATRICIANS SUGGEST
MOTHERS SHOULD EXCLUSIVELY
BREAST-FEED FOR SIX MONTHS IF
THEY CAN.
IT CAN REDUCE RISK OF CERTA
ALLERGIES, AND SIDS.
HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE MOTHER'S
MILK BANK AT TEXAS CHILDREN'S
PAVILION FOR WOMEN, WE HAVE
DR. NANCY HURST AND JOINING HER
IS MOTHER AND DONOR SAVANNAH
BOMAN.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
>> THANK YOU.
>> DOCTOR, I GOT TO ASK YOU, WHY
WOULD A WOMAN DONATE?
>> SO IF SHE HAS EXTRA MILK, SHE
WANTS TO HELP OTHER BABIES AND
THEY CAN -- SHE CAN CERTAINLY DO
THAT BY DONATING EXTRA BREAST
MILK.
>> A LOT OF WOMEN END UP WITH
SURPLUS.
>> A LOT OF WOMEN ARE PUMPING
BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING BACK TO
WORK, SO THEY'RE BREAST-FEEDING
AND DOING SOME ADDITIONAL
PUMPING.
AND SOME WOMEN WERE MEANT TO
FEED THE NEIGHBORHOOD, SO THEY
HAVE EXTRA MILK AND THEY WANT TO
SHARE IT.
>> WHEN THAT MILK IS DONATED,
WHERE DOES IT GO?
IS IT HELPING PREEMIES?
WHERE DOES IT GO?
>> IT'S PREDOMINANTLY HELPING
PREMATURE INFANTS.
THEY HAVE SPECIAL NEEDS AND WE
TALK ABOUT MOTHER' MILK AS
MEDICINE.
IT'S NUTRITION BUT IT ALSO HAS
IMMU FACTORS, GROWTH FACTORS,
AND HELPS PROTECT THEM FROM
INFECTIONS, SOME THAT ARE
LIFE-THREATENING.
>> THAT MILK IS JUST ABSOLUTELY
CRITICAL FOR THESE PREEMIES TO
GAIN WEIGHT AND GO ON TO BE
HEALTHY NORMAL CHILDREN.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
BUT REALLY TO PREVENT CERTAI
DISEASEES, CERTAIN INFECTIONS
THAT ACTUALLY CAN CAUS IF NOT
DEATH, THEN CERTAINLY SOME
LONG-TERM DISABILITIES AND OTHER
PROBLEMS.
>> TAKE ME THROUGH THIS PROCESS,
BECAUSE WE PROBABLY HEARD ONLINE
THAT YOU CAN -- YOU CAN BUY
BREAST MITK WHICH I THINK WOULD
BE A VERY -- MILK, WHICH I THINK
WOULD BE A SCARY SCENARIO.
WALK ME THROUGH THIS PROCESS OF
THE MILK DONOR BANK.
>> THEY CAN GO T
TEXASCHILDREN'S.ORG/MILK.
AND IT WALKS -- STEPS YOU
THROUGH THE PROCESS.
YOU JUST CLICK ON A LINK AND
IT'S KIND OF LIKE IF YOU'RE
DONATING BLOOD, ASKING A LOT OF
THOSE QUESTIONS.
AND THEN THERE IS A BLOOD TEST
THAT THEY DO, AS WELL AS WE DO A
DNA MATCH.
SO IT'S JUST A SIMPLE SWAB OF
THE CHEEK AND THAT WAY WHEN THE
MILK IS SHIPPED TO WHERE IT'S
PROCESSED, IT CAN ACTUALLY MATCH
AND SAY, OKAY, THIS IS THAT
MOTHER THAT WE HAVE ALL THIS
INFORMATION ABOUT.
>> AND THAT MILK GOES THROUGH A
WHOLE LOT OF PROCESS, IT'S
TESTED CONSTANTLY WHEN YOU
DONATE THAT.
>> AND IT'S PASTEURIZED AS WELL.
>> NOW, I GOT TO ASK YOU, YOU
HAVE THREE CHILDREN.
AND YOU HAVE DONATED WITH ALL
THREE.
>> YES.
>> WHY?
>> I SAW A SIGN AT MY DAUGHTER'S
PEDIATRICIAN'S OFFICE AND IT
SAID, YOUR MILK IS THEIR
MEDICINE.
AND WITH THE PREMATURE INFANT ON
IT AND IT TOUCHED MY HEART.
I HAD A FREEZER FULL OF MILK AT
HOME AND I THOUGHT WHAT A GREAT
OPPORTUNITY AND WHAT A GREAT WAY
TO GIVE BACK.
>> SO YOU WERE ACTUALLY
PRODUCING ENOUGH MILK -- FOR
YOUR OWN CHILDREN, YOU WERE ABLE
TO PUT IT IN THE FREEZING AND
STILL PRODUCING MORE?
>> YES.
>> YOU'RE ONE OF THOSE THAT CAN
FEED THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
>> YES.
>> TO ME IT'S INSPIRING THAT YOU
WERE ABLE TO ESPECIALLY THESE
TEENY, TEENY TINY BABIES THAT
NEED IT.
THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO HELP OTHER
CHILDREN.
>> YES.
IT'S BEYOND REWARDING.
I PRAISE IT ALL THE TIME.
IT'S A WONDERFUL PROGRAM.
I'M SO GLAD TO BE A PART OF IT.
>> ARE THERE ANY SPECIFICS FOR
SOMEONE, IS THERE ANY
QUALIFICATION, OTHER THAN YOU
HAVE TO BE PRODUCING BREAST
MILK?
>> THEY SCREEN IF YOU'RE ON
MEDICATIONS AND SOME MEDICATIONS
ARE SAFE.
EVEN DOWN TO SOME TYPES OF
PRENATAL VITAMINS.
SO THERE ARE SOME CRITERIA, BUT
PRETTY MUCH IF YOU'RE A HEALTHY
WOMAN, JUST GO ON AND FILL OUT
THE APPLICATION AND YOU CAN
SEE -- YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE
MOMS THAT DONATE ACTUALLY HAVE
BABIES IN THE NICU.
BUT THEY LITERALLY SCHOOL FEED
THAT -- THAT NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE
NICU BECAUSE THEY MAKE SO MUCH,
AND THEIR BABIES ARE SO SMALL,
SO SOMETIMES THEY END UP
BECOMING DONORS.
>> YOU TOLD ME BACKSTAGE THAT
SOME OF THESE BABIES THAT ARE IN
NICU, THEY'RE ONLY GETTING --
THEY ONLY CAN TAKE A TEASPOON A
DAY.
VERY, VERY SMALL AMOUNT.
>> RIGHT.
>> SO WHEN THEY FIRST START,
THEY'RE TAKING ABOUT MAYBE A
TEASPOON A FEEDING.
SO --
>> SAVANNAH, YOU DID HOW MUCH?
>> A THOUSAND OUNCES.
>> A THOUSAND.
THAT HELPED FEED --
>> THAT WOULD BE LIKE THE FIRST
28 DAYS.
WE TALK ABOUT THAT BEING A
REALLY CRITICAL PERIOD.
HER MILK, SAVANNAH MILK, FED
FIVE BABIES FOR THOSE 28 DAYS
>> THAT'S INCREDIBLE.
>> YES.
SO --
>> THAT'S CALLED THE GIFT THAT
KEEPS ON GIVING.
>> EXACTLY.
>> AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A
DOCTOR.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A NURSE TO
GI BABIES'.
>> I THINK A LOT OF FOLKS MAY
NOT KNOW IT'S OUT THERE.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, YOU CAN