Licking County officials hope the opening of a breast milk drop-off site will make donating easier for area moms.

On Tuesday, OhioHealth Mothers' Milk Bank opened its 19th donation drop-off location at Licking County Health Department. It is the first in the county.

OhioHealth Mothers' Milk Bank Outreach and Operations Coordinator Chris Smyth explained their Whitehall-based facility accepts breast milk donations from pre-approved donors, processes them, which includes pasteurization, bottling and taking cultures to ensure no bacteria has grown. The milk is then largely distributed to hospitals for infants.

"We say donor milk to a premature infant is like blood is to a trauma patient - it's lifesaving," she said. "Because it's more than just nutrition. It's medicine for these babies. It's antibodies. It's immunological properties that helps build a healthier immune system for those babies."

According to Smyth, their organization received over 515,000 ounces of donated breast milk in 2021. Of that number, over 409,000 ounces came from Ohio moms.

Last year, OhioHealth Mothers' Milk Bank distributed 421,000 ounces of breast milk, 173,000 ounces of which stayed in Ohio.

In order to donate, people must go through a screening process and have lab work completed to be approved as a donor. To begin the process, they can call the milk bank at 614-566-0630 or email them at milkbank@ohiohealth.com. Prior to the drop-off site opening in Licking County, donors had to drop off their donations to locations in Westerville or Whitehall, or drop their donations off at a FedEx location, where the breast milk is overnighted to the milk bank.

Newark mom Taylor Cornell, who estimates she's donated about 700-800 ounces of breast milk, said the new drop-off site will be more convenient for her with an infant and three-year-old. She said she's glad to be able to help other parents in need, especially amid an infant formula shortage.

"It's nice because I don't want it to go to waste and other people need it, so I'm happy to help where I can," Cornell said. "She (her daughter) really prefers nursing over bottles, so it works out well."

Licking County Health Commissioner Chad Brown said their team is appreciative of the partnership with OhioHealth and the Newark site is a long time coming.

Robin Hoops, breastfeeding care and certified lactation specialist for LCHD, said they've been working toward opening as a drop-off site for close to a year, but the process was slowed due to challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Hoops, approved breast milk donations can be dropped off to Licking County Health Department's WIC office during their open hours. She encouraged donors to call ahead to ensure hours haven't changed with a holiday.

Hoops added many people associate WIC with only helping provide formula for infants, but explained their team can offer help through breastfeeding support as well.

For more information about WIC and their hours, visit their website at LickingCoHealth.org.