Wirral Mothers’ Milk Bank…The Journey from Conception to Birth

In 2000, following a sad event in the NNU Annie (Infant Feeding Specialist) found herself counselling a bereaved mother who asked what would happen to all her stored breast milk.  Little was known about milk banking at the time but contact was made with a small milk bank in Huddersfield, and the mother was able to donate her breast milk for the benefit of other sick babies. 

In the beginning…

During that first year, five NNU mothers volunteered to donate their surplus milk to Huddersfield.  We began to wonder if breast milk could be a readily available resource in Wirral.

Adjusting to change…

Up until now artificial formula had been the only alternative to mothers’ own milk.  A change in feeding culture needed to happen.  We explored the possibility of introducing pasteurised donor breast milk into the unit. This was positively supported by our neonatologists. The opportunity arose when we had two extremely sick babies whose mothers were unable to provide their own breast milk. Milk was transported 70miles across the Yorkshire Pennines.

ArroweParkHospital became the first NNU in the North West region to use donor milk.

The turning point…

In May 2001 came the ‘Milk Bank Road Show’.

Annie invited members of UKAMB to APH to present the practicalities and costs of setting up a milk bank.  The day was successful and the feedback was positive.  We identified the need to involve other professionals who had specialised knowledge and skills. Key members were approached and the steering group was formed.

Growth and development…

Between the years 2001/2002

There was a clear indication of the need for milk.  We transported our own donor mums’ unpasteurised breast milk in return for pasteurised breast milk from other mothers.  However Huddersfield could not always meet our growing demands for milk.  We were forced to approach our next nearest milk bank which was Birmingham.  The transport cost increased to £120 and we continued to purchase milk at £35/litre.

It seemed sensible to become self sufficient!!!!

We knew it was a costly business to set up a milk bank…… but the savings in human terms was priceless, not forgetting the longer term financial savings to the NHS of healthier babies.

Self sufficiency became more important when ….

In 2003

The hard work was still to come…

Wirral Hospital Trust and its Acorn fundraising office had decided that the project was viable. A hectic fourteen months of fundraising events followed which raised public awareness, masses of interest and generous donations from the Wirral public and local companies.  Rooms at Clatterbridge Hospital microbiology department had become available; it seemed the perfect site for the milk bank.
Annie, Gill and some members of the steering group started developing policies and protocols in line with UKAMB guidelines.  Visits were made to milk banks in Birmingham, Queen Charlottes and Belfast to observe other milk bank practices. 

Preparing for the special event…

At last work began to refurbish the rooms at Clatterbridge. We were fortunate to have rooms larger than those of other UK milk banks.  We were also able to design the layout with view to the efficient operation of milk bank processing.

The day had arrived…

On the 19th January 2004 the first milk was pasteurised!!

Followed by the official opening on 15th March 2004

Nurturing the Service

Feeding culture in the NNU has changed and been accepted by medical and nursing staff and by parents too……they expect to be offered pasteurised donor breast milk when mothers own is not available.

The availability and access of pasteurised donor breast milk has now become an important topic on the agendas of the North West Neonatal Benchmarking group and also the Cheshire and Mersey Neonatal Clinical Network.
Due to this awareness the WMMB team is increasingly being asked to share its knowledge and experience of milk banking, both at local and national level. The region’s neonatal network is now calling for Wirral Mothers’ Milk Bank, along with Cheshire and North Wales Human Milk Bank to become a joint regional service for other hospitals in the North West of England.

The need for a Wirral Mothers’ Milk Bank has clearly been evident.
Its success is due to the commitment and enthusiasm of the team without which the vision of the project would not have been realised.

The Steering Group

Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

The multidisciplinary group helped to develop policies and protocols reflecting best practice guidelines. They continue to provide specialist advice and support relating to milk bank issues.

Annie Atkinson, Infant Feeding Specialist / Milk Bank Manager
Gillian Brady, Milk Bank Co-ordinator
UKAMB Conference 2007

Summary of Statistics

Wirral Mothers’ Milk Bank
ClatterbridgeHospital
Bebington
Wirral
CH63 4JY
Tel 0151 334 4000, ext 5000
Email milkbank@whnt.nhs.uk