August is National Breastfeeding Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about infant nutrition and supporting healthy outcomes for mothers and babies. It’s also a perfect time to celebrate a major milestone in maternal and infant care in central Indiana.
In May 2025, Ascension St. Vincent Carmel opened the first combined Milk Depot and Milk Express in Hamilton County. Operating in partnership with The Milk Bank, the facility acts as a two-way hub: local donors drop off frozen breast milk, and families purchase pasteurized donor human milk on-site.
One year in, the community has provided nearly 10,000 ounces of donor milk through the site – translating to nearly 30,000 feedings for premature and vulnerable infants in neonatal intensive care units across central Indiana.
Breast milk offers vital antibodies and nourishment for a newborn's growth. For premature or ill infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), pasteurized donor human milk provides essential, life-sustaining nutrition when a mother’s own milk is unavailable.
Providing life-sustaining nutrition to infants who need it most reflects our call to serve the vulnerable. By expanding local access to donor milk, caregivers and families gain equitable access to resources that help newborns thrive.
Across central Indiana, Ascension St. Vincent has helped collect more than 74,125 ounces of donor milk since opening its first depot in 2023. That effort represents an estimated 222,381 feedings for growing babies.
Thank you to the generous donors and dedicated associates who keep this vital resource flowing for our youngest patients.
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