Breast is best. The American Academy of Pediatrics and World Health Organization tout the many benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and baby and encourage mothers to breastfeed for at least one year (AAP) or two years (WHO). Yet, the CDC reports that at six months of age, only 14.8 percent of U.S. babies are being exclusively breastfed, as recommend by the AAP. Milk banks make breast milk available to more babies.

Some mothers want to breastfeed their babies, but they cannot. Perhaps they adopted their baby, and their efforts to lactate have failed. Perhaps they are on a medication that impacts their milk supply. Their inability to produce milk does not necessarily mean that their babies cannot enjoy the health benefits of breastfeeding. Milk banks are popping up throughout the country, allowing breastfeeding mothers to share their milk with babies in need.

The first milk bank in Kentucky is opening up in my area, giving more Kentucky babies access to breast milk. Such banks, combined with state-based Human Milk for Human Babies organizations, allow mothers to share milk in a healthy, safe way.

Through Kentucky's Human Milk for Human Babies Facebook page, I was able to connect with a mother of adopted twin boys who was desperate to give them breast milk. My seven-month-old rarely takes a bottle of expressed milk, so I happily donated my frozen expressed milk to this mother in need. It wasn't much milk, but I was happy to share what I had to give those babies the best, just like my daughter gets.

Milk banks centralize milk sharing, streamlining the process for both donors and mothers in need. If you have breast milk to donate or need breast milk for your baby, look into a milk bank of HM4HB organization in your area.