Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Valencia is proud to support National Breast Feeding Awareness Month during August and announces its designation as a breast milk drop-off location.

Breastfeeding is the foundation of lifelong good health for babies and mothers. Not only is breastfeeding a positive and rewarding experience for mothers, studies also show that breast milk is the ideal nutrition for a growing baby.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital is a designated baby-friendly facility, which means it has demonstrated the policies and practices that meet the gold standard for mother/baby care related to breastfeeding.

These practices include skin-to-skin interaction, rooming-in, couplet-care (keeping the same nurse throughout) and bedside lactation consultations.

While human breast milk is beneficial for all babies, it is especially helpful for at-risk premature infants in the neonatal intensive care units. Because of its immunologic components, breast milk offers protection from potentially life-threatening infections. If mothers are not able to supply the amount of breast milk needed to support their baby in the NICU, outside sources like a milk bank, become life-savers.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital was recently designated as a breast milk donation drop-off location, in partnership with the San Jose Milk Bank, a non-profit organization.

Donated milk received at the milk bank is carefully screened and pasteurized before being shipped to a variety of NICU locations across California.

“We are thrilled to be a designated milk depot, offering local moms the opportunity to donate their extra milk to babies in need,” said May Beth Sweet, Lactation Program Coordinator at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital. “We are so grateful to our donors who are providing human milk to help nourish and support the tiniest NICU babies across our state. It really does take a village.”

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital administrators hope to increase awareness about breast milk donation at the hospital.

Interested donors must complete a screening process that includes a brief phone interview, paperwork and free lab testing.

To learn more, visit henrymayo.com/lactationservices or call 661.200.1515.