How to Provide Donor Milk for Your NICU Patients

Share the research

• Provide neonatologists, nursing leadership, and dietitians with a literature review or summary that examines the relationship between exclusive human milk feedings and improved infant outcomes in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
• Present research findings at a Nutrition Committee meeting, Nursing Leadership meeting, Shared Governance Meeting, Grand Rounds, Resident Lecture, or any platform that will help you spread the word.

Engage Physicians

•  Physician “buy-in” is crucial to the development of a donor milk policy at your hospital. Talk to physicians about the importance of exclusive human milk feedings in the NICU.
•  Partner with a physician who understands the importance of using pasteurized donor human milk (PDHM) in the NICU and collaborate with him/her.

Collaborate with Your Local Milk Bank

• Contact the Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes (MilkBankWGL) and request a “NICU Toolkit.” This packet contains a literature review, Sample Unit Guidelines, educational materials for healthcare providers, and resources.
• Lactation Consultants, Nurses, and Physicians from the MilkBankWGL are available to speak. Contact MilkBankWGL to arrange for a presentation at your hospital.

Create Change

• Create an Evidence-Based project that utilizes PDHM to improve infant outcomes in the NICU.
• Create guidelines that outline the indication and use of PDHM in your unit.
• Apply for a grant to fund your first year of a donor human milk program in your unit.