The lactation department at the Yorkton Regional Health Centre is now offering pasteurized donor human milk to well-babies in their nursery, and they're the first in the province to do so.
The Yorkton Milk Drop is part of the NorthernStar Mothers Milk Bank, which is located in Calgary.
The Yorkton drop, as well as the others drops located arond the prairie provinces, collects donated milk and sends it to Calgary to be pasteurized. Pasteurized donor milk is often used for babies who are sick or premature who can't get milk from their own mother.
But recently, the Yorkton bank started buying the milk back for the well-babies. Well-babies are babies who are not in intensive care.
"We just feel that it's groundbreaking for us to be able to offer that to our well-babies," said Carolee Zorn, the manager of the pediatrics department at the Yorkton Regional Health Centre. "That's where we hope this would be going with milk banks - that everyone would have opportunity to used breast milk as an option if they wanted to."
While this option is new, the ability to donate breast milk in Yorkton is not. Zorn said they've seen a lower number of donations over the past few months, and they hope to see numbers rise again.
Vanessa Roebuck, who has donated breast milk in the past, said it made her feel good to help babies and moms in need.
"For that to go down the drain instead of going towards those babies that need it and for those moms who are just besides themselves because meybe they can't supply it themselves, it's just so important," said Roebuck. "And it's easier than you'd think."
Those who are interested in donating breast milk to be pasteurized can reach out the the lactation department at the Yorkton hospital, or to the NorthernStar Mothers Milk Bank to start the application process.
