UAMS Milk Bank

06/05/2026

🍩 Happy Happy National Donut Day! 🍩

Today is all about celebrating something sweet—and what could be sweeter than the gift of human milk?

In the NICU, every drop of a mother’s milk is more than nourishment—it’s comfort, protection, and strength for the tiniest, most vulnerable babies fighting their first big battles. Donor milk helps carry those babies forward when mom’s own milk isn’t yet available, giving them a better start one precious ounce at a time.

And for moms at home, there’s a different kind of sweetness: watching your own baby grow, thrive, and get stronger every day—knowing your body helped fuel that journey. That quiet pride, that connection, that love in action.

Like a perfect donut shared among friends, human milk is meant to bring joy, comfort, and care when it’s needed most. 💛

To every donor, every NICU parent, and every family on this journey—you are part of something powerful, nurturing, and beautifully life-giving.

Share the sweetness. Share the strength. Share the love.

06/02/2026

Every baby deserves the best possible start, especially those born prematurely or facing serious medical challenges.

The Donor Milk Act is an important step toward improving access to safe, pasteurized donor human milk for vulnerable infants when a mother’s own milk is unavailable. Increased access to donor milk can help support better health outcomes, reduce complications, and give families and healthcare providers another valuable tool in caring for fragile newborns.

Milk banks play a critical role in collecting, screening, processing, and distributing donor milk to hospitals and families in need. Policies that strengthen donor milk access help ensure that more babies can receive this lifesaving resource regardless of where they are born.

Supporting access to donor human milk is about investing in infant health, supporting families, and giving our smallest patients the opportunity to grow and thrive.

06/02/2026

💛 "I'm a breastmilk donor. I'm thankful I have an abundant supply of breastmilk to share with NICU babies. As a Nurse Practitioner, I understand the amazing benefits of breastmilk for baby."
*Posted with permission

We are so grateful for donors like this incredible mom who have chosen to share their gift with babies they may never meet.

Milk donation is one of the purest examples of community caring for community. Every ounce donated helps provide nourishment, protection, and hope to some of our smallest and most vulnerable babies—many of whom are fighting through the challenges of prematurity, illness, and lengthy NICU stays.

For donor families, there is a special joy in knowing that something their baby didn't need can become exactly what another baby needs.

Have extra milk? You may be able to become a donor and make a life-changing difference for a hospitalized infant.

But supporting vulnerable newborns isn't limited to milk donation. Every person can help strengthen this circle of care by:
💗 Following and sharing Milk Bank posts
💗 Making a financial gift to support milk banking or your local NICU
💗 Encouraging eligible mothers to become milk donors
💗 Volunteering with organizations that support babies and families
💗 Supporting breastfeeding mothers in your own community
💗 Offering encouragement, practical help, and kindness as families work toward their own feeding goals

When we support mothers, we support babies. When we support babies, we strengthen our entire community.

Thank you to every donor, advocate, volunteer, healthcare provider, supporter, and family who helps ensure that vulnerable newborns receive the care they deserve.

Interested in becoming a milk donor? Visit UAMS.Health/MB to learn more.

06/01/2026

Such an important study! Human milk is so very important. It’s easy to think it is magical but it is truly mother’s hard work making milk for their baby. And when mom’s share so that other babies can also have those benefits … Now THAT is magical! Thanks Mom for all you do!

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has reaffirmed that mother’s own milk is the optimal nutrition for very low birth weight infants in the NICU.

When mother’s own milk is not available, insufficient, or contraindicated, the AAP recommends pasteurized donor human milk to help reduce the risk of serious complications, including necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). 🛡️

Donor human milk plays an important role in protecting vulnerable infants and supporting improved outcomes when maternal milk is not available.

🔗 Read the full clinical report: https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/157/2/e2025073625/206082/Promoting-Human-Milk-and-Breastfeeding-for-the?autologincheck=redirected

06/01/2026

Join the UAMS Milk Bank team at community events across Arkansas as we connect expectant and new mothers, babies, and families with valuable resources and support. These family-friendly events bring healthcare providers and families together in a welcoming environment, making it easier for busy parents to discover local services, education, and care options all in one place.
Come learn how to become a milk donor and discover how your generous milk donations can help the UAMS Milk Bank provide lifesaving support to vulnerable newborns and families in your community during their NICU journey.

06/01/2026

Join the UAMS Milk Bank team at community events across Arkansas as we connect expectant and new mothers, babies, and families with valuable resources and support. These family-friendly events bring healthcare providers and families together in a welcoming environment, making it easier for busy parents to discover local services, education, and care options all in one place.
This coming weekend Milk Bank representatives will be with Saline Health at the Benton Event Center from 11am-2pm. We encourage all families of new and expectant parents to join us to have some family fun and see what your community healthcare teams have to show you!
There is a UAMS Milk Bank Drop off site right here in Benton to make donating your milk super convenient! We are proud to partner with Saline Health and the community of Benton to improve maternal and infant health in our state!

05/28/2026

You can also follow on Instagram to see more.

05/28/2026

💜💛Your Story Could Help Another Family Find Hope💛💜

Every day, families enter the NICU facing uncertainty, fear, and difficult decisions. Hearing from parents who have walked a similar path can provide comfort, encouragement, and confidence.

Your story may help us reach future milk donors, support breastfeeding families, and ensure vulnerable babies continue to have access to donor human milk when they need it most.

💛🤱Did your baby receive donor milk during their NICU stay?

The UAMS Milk Bank would love to hear about your family's journey.

Whether donor milk helped bridge the gap while your milk supply was growing, supported your baby's recovery during a difficult NICU stay, or provided nourishment when your baby needed it most, your story matters.

Share Your Story. Celebrate Your Journey. Help Other Families.

By sharing your experience, you can:

💛 Honor your baby's NICU journey

💛 Thank the milk donors who helped make donor milk available

💛 Encourage families currently facing a NICU hospitalization

💛 Help mothers understand the importance of donating milk

💛 Highlight the incredible work of NICU healthcare teams

💛 Raise awareness about the lifesaving impact of donor human milk

Become a Donor today! Go to UAMS.Health/MB and choose "Donate Milk"

05/27/2026

A Donor Story: "Hi, my name is Heather Barnes. The mother of Lakelynn Barnes. Lakelynn was born September 2025, we was an over supplier so decided to donate our milk and help others that was in need. We are greatful we was about to be part of those babies lives. As we now do not donate hopefully in a couple of years when we add to our family we will be able to help littles in need again. "

💛 Every ounce tells a story of generosity.

This incredible family chose to share their extra milk so that other babies could receive the life-saving benefits of human milk. What may seem like a few small bags of milk can provide dozens of tiny feedings for the smallest and most fragile infants in our NICUs.

For a premature or critically ill baby, each teaspoon matters.

Each ounce may nourish a baby weighing less than two pounds—an infant facing not only the challenges of being small, but also the serious complications that often come with prematurity and critical illness.

To families sitting beside incubators, hoping and praying for their baby to grow stronger, donor milk is more than nutrition. It is comfort, healing, and hope.

Altruistic milk donation is a beautiful act of kindness. It is one family reaching out to support another during one of the most vulnerable moments of their lives.

Because of generous donors like this family, hospitalized babies across Arkansas receive the nourishment they need when their own mother's milk is not yet available.

Thank you to every milk donor family. Your gift is measured in ounces, but its impact is immeasurable.

💛 Help us continue supporting NICU families and fragile babies by becoming a donor: UAMS.Health/MB

05/25/2026

💗 In NICUs across Arkansas, extraordinary nurses, neonatologists, lactation consultants, dietitians, and therapists are changing lives every day.

United by wearing pink UAMS Milk Bank sweatshirts and T-shirts, these dedicated healthcare professionals champion breastfeeding families, advocate for human milk as a powerful medical intervention, and ensure our most fragile infants receive the best possible start.

For premature and critically ill babies, a mother’s own milk is medicine. When it is not available, pasteurized donor human milk can reduce complications, improve outcomes, and help save lives.

Donor milk only makes a difference when compassionate healthcare teams prioritize human milk, educate families, and walk beside them throughout their breastfeeding journey.

Today, we celebrate the NICU teams who lead with knowledge, kindness, and hope. Thank you for supporting breastfeeding, partnering with the Milk Bank, and providing the pink thread of care that connects donors, families, and the tiniest babies who need us most.

💗 Human milk saves lives.
💗 Donor milk supports healing.
💗 NICU teams make it possible.