We have seen a 100% increase in the need for donor milk during the COVID-19 pandemic, and have had to scale up all milk bank operations, providing donor milk to scores of babies in hospital neonatal intensive care and at home. Sadly, our funding has taken a huge cut and we now urgently need to […]
Read More
Firstly, thank you so much! Demand for donor milk has been increasing all year, and we are working hard to make sure supplies to neonatal intensive care units are preserved no matter what. Secondly, there is at the moment no evidence that the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 is transmitted through human milk. Only six cases […]
Read More
Since we last posted about the novel coronavirus outbreak in January, there has been significant spread of this virus across the world. As this is a new virus, there are still major gaps in our knowledge about whether SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, is transmissible through breastmilk. From what we know of who the […]
Read MoreAfter our recent appeal for someone to run the London Marathon and raise funds for us along the way we had an amazing response. Thank you to all of you who got in touch, and we hope you will all find an opportunity over the year to run to help tiny babies! But we […]
Read More
Given the increasing concern around the new Coronavirus developing in China (called nCov-2019), the HMB team consulted the consultant microbiologist who advises us on screening last Thursday. This is obviously a developing situation and there are currently no confirmed cases in the UK. However, given news over the weekend, we felt it important to publish […]
Read More
Please watch our video on our first year as a charity, and get in touch if you’d like to support us over the months and years to come! Click on the image below to watch: After 2 years of frantic set-up and start-up phases as a Community Interest Company, we merged the Hearts Milk Bank […]
Read More
Mum Natalie wrote to us last night about her experience of being in hospital with a premature baby. “I received donor milk for my 32 weeker. The hospital I was in arranged this and I could not be more grateful to the super women that donate their milk. I was extremely unwell and it took […]
Read More
This emailed in today from a very brave mummy ❤️ “I was diagnosed with an aggressive type of breast cancer in 2015, just after my 36th birthday, which resulted in a strong course of treatment and a double mastectomy. Unfortunately, I was told that the chemotherapy had affected my fertility and, as a result, I […]
Read More
Days are busy at Hearts, but sometimes we receive an email that stops us in our tracks and makes our work magical. Ruth wrote to describe her experience of having a much-hoped for baby after surviving cancer, and the difference donor milk made: “When I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 33 […]
Read MoreThis is how big the smiles get at Hearts these days – It was Steve’s first delivery of donor milk for Serv Herts and Beds, 24 hours after his induction! He was shown the ropes by Eileen, an experienced former neonatal and cleft palate nurse who has been volunteering with us once a week for several […]
Read More
This weekend, milk banks and NICUs worldwide celebrated World Human Milk Donation Day! For everyone working in human milk banks, today is the day above all others when we consider the global nature of human milk donation. There are currently over 600 milk banks operating in at least 60 countries around the world. We recognise […]
Read More
Read the interview with Dr Natalie Shenker published in the Independent today. Adding to the evidence base surrounding donor milk is one of our driving goals – to allow research to happen that doctors and scientists have been waiting years to do. Like every start up we need help and support. Please continue to donate whatever you […]
Read More
As the year comes to an end, we thought we’d put together a few of our accomplishments throughout 2017. We owe a lot of people a lot of thank yous, and hope that this will give a smile to all of you out there who have supported and continue to support us in so many […]
Read More
We’ve been busy recruiting donors and pasteurising milk for 4 months, and have built up large stocks. Milk is now leaving our doors to hospitals for use on neonatal units, and also to mothers in the community who have medical reasons that mean they cannot breastfeed. We are delighted, and so grateful to all who […]
Read More
This is Naomi and Jo. They have been volunteering at the Hearts Milk Bank since May. They check, sort and pasteurise the milk donated by scores of wonderful mums, so that it is ready to feed tiny babies in neonatal units across our region. They have been very busy. In the last three months, they have pasteurised over 150 […]
Read MoreWe have seen a 100% increase in the need for donor milk during the COVID-19
Read moreFirstly, thank you so much! Demand for donor milk has been increasing all year, and
Read moreSince we last posted about the novel coronavirus outbreak in January, there has been significant
Read moreAfter our recent appeal for someone to run the London Marathon and raise funds for
Read moreGiven the increasing concern around the new Coronavirus developing in China (called nCov-2019), the HMB
Read more
Find out what is involved and whether donor milk is appropriate for your child.
Find out how