Are there milk *donation* banks in Saskatchewan?

[asherraifsmom]

I live in the U.S., and I'm asking on behalf of my Sister in law. She has tried to breastfeed all 3 of her children, unsuccessfully (did for a while with each but had to stop, due to various reasons with each). She's a stay at home, fairly natural mama who desperately wanted to breastfeed, whose mother breastfed without a problem, etc. Anyway we've talked at length about it and she said she's had nurses that come to your home after having a baby to see how you're doing with breastfeeding. I told her the nurses here in the U.S. know NOTHING about proper breastfeeding but she said there they REALLY REALLY push breastfeeding in the hospitals and send nurses to your home for that very purpose if you're going to nurse. From the sounds of it, it sounds like she *may* have hypoplastic breasts. With her third, she eventually had to give her formula because she was nursing round the clock and my niece was losing weight and failure to thrive, then was fine when she went on formula. She just had her 4th, and is pumping and intends to try to breastfeed this baby too, but has more stacked up against her b/c he is in the NICU with breathing difficulties.

Anyway, the point of all this is because I don't know how everything works in Canada, i'm wondering if there are La Leche League or similar lactation consultants that know more than the nurses, or if they ARE IBCLC's who are sent to your home after the birth...Also, if she is unable to nurse exclusively, if there are places like Eats on Feets or Human Milk 4 Human Babies or MIlkshare like there is in the U.S. for breastmilk donation? So that my nephew could have breastmilk insted of formula?

Just trying to connect with her resources; i'm sure she is feeling very overwhelmed right now with 3 kids at home and another sick, and her recovering from birth, etc.

Thanks for any help you can offer. She is in Saskatoon.

[erthe_mama]

Hi, there are no milk banks in SK that I'm aware of, but here's the link to the HM4HB group there: http://www.facebook.com/HM4HBSask

They do send a public heath nurse usually, but some of them are just useless... :/ Better to just go with LLL. Here's LLL in SK: http://www.lllc.ca/chapter-group/saskatchewan

Also, she may find this forum helpful: http://www.bfar.org/

It's designed for wymyn who have had breast surgery, but it's a good resource for anyone breastfeeding who needs to supplement. :)