MercyOne North Iowa Birth Center approved as a human milk dispensary
May 27, 2025MercyOne North Iowa, in partnership with the Mother’s Milk Bank of Iowa, is the seventh Pasteurized Donor Human Milk Dispensary (PDHM) in the state.
Parents with a prescription can now purchase safe donor breast milk to supplement their babies’ diets in cases of medical need, rather than relying on formula if their goal is to breastfeed exclusively.
“The dispensary will be especially helpful for mothers who have experienced health challenges that delayed their milk production (such as gestational diabetes, hemorrhage, etc.) or for mothers who choose to exclusively pump and need a small volume of milk to bridge the short gap between hospital discharge and when their milk comes in,” said Linda Latham, MSN, Director of MercyOne North Iowa Women's and Children's Services.
“The benefits of using donor milk instead of formula for newborns are numerous. However, the greatest benefit is that donor milk maintains the integrity of the infant microbiome and reduces the risk of allergies associated with early formula use,” said Nicole Low, RN, IBCLC, an international board-certified lactation consultant at MercyOne North Iowa Birth Center. “While parents have always been able to obtain PDHM through the Milk Bank, having the dispensary in North Iowa enhances access to safe donor milk without parents needing to drive hours away.”
Additional MercyOne dispensary locations:
- MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center
563-589-8553 or 563-589-8599 - MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center
319-272-8465
More information about the Mother’s Milk Bank of Iowa:
