Medela Cares
Medela Cares is a continuation of our company's long history of caring for moms, babies, communities and our environment. These programs are an authentic, integrated expression of our mission, supported through corporate social responsibility with mission-aligned partners.
Medela believes in the life-giving benefits that breast milk can provide moms, babies, families, and communities. Sharing and promoting these benefits is an essential part of our commitment to ensuring babies have a healthy start while supporting mothers in achieving breastfeeding success. We recognize that many are not able to breastfeed for as long as they’d like because of barriers to access and historical obstacles caused by racism and discrimination. Understanding where and why these disparities exist allows Medela and the breastfeeding community to offer the targeted support, access, and education needed for improvement. We actively seek to foster a community of support that is necessary to reduce breastfeeding health disparities and support moms on their breastfeeding journeys.
In 2023, Medela Cares donated product to support more than 80 nonprofit organizations across the USA, benefits more than 80,000 breastfeeding families along their journeys. Through this ongoing work, Medela Cares has provided breastfeeding support to nonprofit organizations across the United States, giving more than $4,000,000 since our inception in 2015.
Closing the Breastfeeding Disparities Gap
Overall, the United States is making improvements in breastfeeding rates and infant health. However, some communities continue to experience disparities. Despite improvements in breastfeeding initiation rates, there are disparities in African American and Hispanic communities where initiation and duration rates continue to be lower than other demographics, demonstrating a need for targeted support.
This divide cannot be ignored, and it is the reason Medela has committed to providing targeted support to communities impacted by breastfeeding disparities. Poverty also has an impact on breastfeeding. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that infants eligible for and receiving the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) are less likely to ever be breastfed than those who are not on the program. Additionally, Black women are more likely to have incomes <100% of the poverty level when compared to white women (49.3% versus 17.8%). They are also more likely to receive WIC (78.2% versus 34.1%) (CDC).
The CDC has identified a number of other complex factors and characteristics which influence a woman's breast milk feeding journey, including:
- Issues with lactation and latching
- Concerns about infant nutrition and weight
- Mother’s concern about taking medications while breastfeeding
- Unsupportive work policies and lack of parental leave
- Cultural norms and/or lack of family support
- Unsupportive hospital practices and policies
Additionally, a CDC report cited inadequate sharing of breastfeeding information from healthcare providers and lack of access to professional breastfeeding support as barriers that Black mothers disproportionately face when it comes to breastfeeding.
Although there is no single solution to supporting breastfeeding moms, the U.S. Surgeon General's Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding outlines 20 key actions to improve breastfeeding and support. The report suggests that as communities, employers, healthcare providers, governments, and non-profit organizations implement strategies to support breastfeeding, all women who choose to breastfeed will benefit. The CDC Guide to Breastfeeding Interventions also offers recommendations and program examples to assist states, territories, and communities in supporting mothers to begin and continue breastfeeding.
As part of our commitment to the environment, Medela Recycles launched in 2015 to provide moms with an easy and environmentally-friendly solution to properly dispose of their breast pump. This program has successfully recycled more than 52,000 breast pumps! Recycle your Medela breast pump.
#MomsUnite4Milk
In June 2022, Medela announced #MomsUnite4Milk, an educational breast milk pumpathon initiative to support milk banks to help fill the gap caused by the formula shortage. Through this effort, Medela committed to provide nonprofit milk banks with a $25,000 donation and offering 1,000 moms storage bags if they committed to donating their milk.
As a result of this effort, Medela provided support to the following 11 nonprofit milk banks who reached out to Medela for support.
- The Milk Bank – Indianapolis, IN
- “Because of Medela’s generosity, over 500 ounces of safe, pasteurized donor milk will be available to the tiniest tummies across the Midwest. We’re grateful to have Medela’s support in ensuring that those who are impacted most by the formula shortage have equitable access to donor milk.” – The Milk Bank, Indianapolis, IN
- Mothers’ Milk Bank of Louisiana - Ochsner Baptist
- “The Mothers’ Milk Bank of Louisiana is thrilled to receive the Medela donation from MomsUnite4Milk campaign. Medela has supported our milk bank donors since we opened in 2018 and we appreciate the opportunity to continue to partner with Medela to support milk donations #MomsUnite4Milk.” – Mothers’ Milk Bank of Louisiana – Ochsner Baptist
- Mountain West Mothers Milk Bank
- "In order to process more milk, The Mountain West Mothers' Milk Bank will use this generous donation from Medela Cares to increase our milk donating capacity". – Mountain West Mothers Milk Bank
- Mothers’ Milk Bank of Colorado
- “We are so grateful for Medela’s incredible support of Mothers’ Milk Bank and other nonprofit milk banks across the country. In difficult times, we are reminded of the importance of being surrounded by a community of care, and Medela is a perfect example of that. From all of us at Mothers’ Milk Bank, thank you!” -- Mothers’ Milk Bank of Colorado
- Mothers’ Milk Bank of Mississippi
- “More babies and their families will have access to one of the best nutrition sources needed for survival and recovery. With grateful hearts, we appreciate Medela for this incredible act of generosity and for their continued support of organizations such as ours.” – Mother’s Milk Bank of Mississippi
- Human Milk Repository of New Mexico
- "We work within the community to help infants receive the best nutrition possible when their mother's own milk is not available. It's great to see Medela stepping up to assist us in our efforts. This donation will allow us to reach more families and save more lives." - Human Milk Repository of New Mexico
- The New York Milk Bank
- "The value of milk donation is priceless. When a mother decides to donate their milk to a milk bank, it's a truly selfless act that helps premature and medically fragile babies not only survive, but thrive and reach their full potential." – New York Milk Bank, Inc.
- Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas
- “This generosity has fueled our ability to provide free donor human milk beyond our mission of serving hospitalized and fragile infants.” – Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas
- Minnesota Milk Bank for Babies
- “We are grateful for the funds provided by Medela’s #MomsUnite4Milk Campaign to help us provide pump bags to our generous donors. – Minnesota Milk Bank for Babies
- Mothers’ Milk Bank in San Jose CA
- “We truly appreciate our commitment to supporting breastfeeding and human milk donation. With your help, San Jose Mothers’ Milk will be able to provide human donor milk to more babies in the communities we serve.” – Mothers’ Milk Bank, San Jose
- Northwest Mothers Milk Bank in Tigard OR
- “Receiving a donation from Medela Cares directly impacts our programming and ability to extend our reach in supporting breastfeeding. For example, our Expression of Care program supports incarcerated mothers, ensuring they receive lactation support and that their milk reaches their infant." – Northwest Mothers Milk Bank
To date, participating moms have donated more than 68,000 ounces to nonprofit milk banks throughout North America.
To learn more visit: www.medela.us/breastfeeding/supporting-moms
Supporting Breastfeeding Families
Ronald McDonald House®
Forty percent of families staying at Ronald McDonald House locations around the globe have a child in the NICU. To provide greater ease and comfort to RMHC® families while reducing the stress of having a baby in the NICU, Medela provides the same high-quality equipment available in the hospital for their stay at select Ronald McDonald House locations, with the goal of giving families caring for a baby in the NICU one less thing to worry about. To date, Medela has provided more than 200 hospital-grade, multi-user breast pumps to several Ronald McDonald House programs across the USA. Learn more about how we support around the world.
March of Dimes
Medela USA is a long-standing partner of the March of Dimes mission to help moms have full-term pregnancies and research the problems that threaten the health of babies. Since 2008, Medela and its employees have raised more than $154,000 to fund research, education and advocacy efforts for March of Dimes. Additionally, we support and engage in the organization’s efforts to address the racial disparities and social determinants of health that contribute to preterm birth and maternal mortality.
Good+Foundation
Medela proudly supports new and expectant mothers by making contributions to Good+Foundation. Through their financial and product donations, Medela helps facilitate Good+Foundation’s mission of dismantling multi-generational poverty by providing tangible goods to low-income families. Since 2010, Medela and its sister brands have provided more than $3.6 million in product donations to Good+Foundation, including tens of thousands of items including breast pumps, nursing accessories, and nursing tanks.
These donations allow Good+Foundation’s program partners like Nurse Family Partnership to provide resources and bilingual breastfeeding education as families prepare for a new baby.
#MomsUnite4Milk
In June 2022, Medela announced #MomsUnite4Milk, an educational breast milk pumpathon initiative to support milk banks to help fill the gap caused by the formula shortage. Through this effort, Medela committed to provide nonprofit milk banks with a $25,000 donation and offering 1,000 moms storage bags if they committed to donating their milk.
As a result of this effort, Medela provided support to the following 11 nonprofit milk banks who reached out to Medela for support.
- The Milk Bank – Indianapolis, IN
- “Because of Medela’s generosity, over 500 ounces of safe, pasteurized donor milk will be available to the tiniest tummies across the Midwest. We’re grateful to have Medela’s support in ensuring that those who are impacted most by the formula shortage have equitable access to donor milk.” – The Milk Bank, Indianapolis, IN
- Mothers’ Milk Bank of Louisiana - Ochsner Baptist
- “The Mothers’ Milk Bank of Louisiana is thrilled to receive the Medela donation from MomsUnite4Milk campaign. Medela has supported our milk bank donors since we opened in 2018 and we appreciate the opportunity to continue to partner with Medela to support milk donations #MomsUnite4Milk.” – Mothers’ Milk Bank of Louisiana – Ochsner Baptist
- Mountain West Mothers Milk Bank
- "In order to process more milk, The Mountain West Mothers' Milk Bank will use this generous donation from Medela Cares to increase our milk donating capacity". – Mountain West Mothers Milk Bank
- Mothers’ Milk Bank of Colorado
- “We are so grateful for Medela’s incredible support of Mothers’ Milk Bank and other nonprofit milk banks across the country. In difficult times, we are reminded of the importance of being surrounded by a community of care, and Medela is a perfect example of that. From all of us at Mothers’ Milk Bank, thank you!” -- Mothers’ Milk Bank of Colorado
- Mothers’ Milk Bank of Mississippi
- “More babies and their families will have access to one of the best nutrition sources needed for survival and recovery. With grateful hearts, we appreciate Medela for this incredible act of generosity and for their continued support of organizations such as ours.” – Mother’s Milk Bank of Mississippi
- Human Milk Repository of New Mexico
- "We work within the community to help infants receive the best nutrition possible when their mother's own milk is not available. It's great to see Medela stepping up to assist us in our efforts. This donation will allow us to reach more families and save more lives." - Human Milk Repository of New Mexico
- The New York Milk Bank
- "The value of milk donation is priceless. When a mother decides to donate their milk to a milk bank, it's a truly selfless act that helps premature and medically fragile babies not only survive, but thrive and reach their full potential." – New York Milk Bank, Inc.
- Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas
- “This generosity has fueled our ability to provide free donor human milk beyond our mission of serving hospitalized and fragile infants.” – Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas
- Minnesota Milk Bank for Babies
- “We are grateful for the funds provided by Medela’s #MomsUnite4Milk Campaign to help us provide pump bags to our generous donors. – Minnesota Milk Bank for Babies
- Mothers’ Milk Bank in San Jose CA
- “We truly appreciate our commitment to supporting breastfeeding and human milk donation. With your help, San Jose Mothers’ Milk will be able to provide human donor milk to more babies in the communities we serve.” – Mothers’ Milk Bank, San Jose
- Northwest Mothers Milk Bank in Tigard OR
- “Receiving a donation from Medela Cares directly impacts our programming and ability to extend our reach in supporting breastfeeding. For example, our Expression of Care program supports incarcerated mothers, ensuring they receive lactation support and that their milk reaches their infant." – Northwest Mothers Milk Bank
To date, participating moms have donated more than 68,000 ounces to nonprofit milk banks throughout North America.
To learn more visit: www.medela.us/breastfeeding/supporting-moms
Supporting Breastfeeding Families
Ronald McDonald House®
Forty percent of families staying at Ronald McDonald House locations around the globe have a child in the NICU. To provide greater ease and comfort to RMHC® families while reducing the stress of having a baby in the NICU, Medela provides the same high-quality equipment available in the hospital for their stay at select Ronald McDonald House locations, with the goal of giving families caring for a baby in the NICU one less thing to worry about. To date, Medela has provided more than 200 hospital-grade, multi-user breast pumps to several Ronald McDonald House programs across the USA. Learn more about how we support around the world.
March of Dimes
Medela USA is a long-standing partner of the March of Dimes mission to help moms have full-term pregnancies and research the problems that threaten the health of babies. Since 2008, Medela and its employees have raised more than $154,000 to fund research, education and advocacy efforts for March of Dimes. Additionally, we support and engage in the organization’s efforts to address the racial disparities and social determinants of health that contribute to preterm birth and maternal mortality.
Good+Foundation
Medela proudly supports new and expectant mothers by making contributions to Good+Foundation. Through their financial and product donations, Medela helps facilitate Good+Foundation’s mission of dismantling multi-generational poverty by providing tangible goods to low-income families. Since 2010, Medela and its sister brands have provided more than $3.6 million in product donations to Good+Foundation, including tens of thousands of items including breast pumps, nursing accessories, and nursing tanks.
These donations allow Good+Foundation’s program partners like Nurse Family Partnership to provide resources and bilingual breastfeeding education as families prepare for a new baby.
1 http://ftp.cdc.gov/pub/Health_Statistics/NCHS/Dataset_Documentation/DVS/periodlinked/LinkPE15Guide.pdf
7 The Helping to End Addiction and Lessen (HEAL) Substance Use Disorders Act of 2018. Section 201: Caring Recovery for Infants and Babies.
8 Meier PP, Bode L. Health, nutrition, and cost outcomes of human milk feedings for very low birthweight infants. Adv Nutr. Nov 2013;4(6):670-671
9 Johnson TJ, Patel AL, Bigger HR, Engstrom JL, Meier PP. Economic benefits and costs of human milk feedings: a strategy to reduce the risk of prematurity-related morbidities in very-low-birth-weight infants. Adv Nutr. 2014;5(2):207-212
10 Vohr BR, Poindexter BB, Dusick AM, et al. Persistent beneficial effects of breast milk ingested in the neonatal intensive care unit on outcomes of extremely low birth weight infants at 30 months of age. Pediatrics. Oct 2007;120(4):e953-959
11 AAP. Breastfeeding and the use of human milk. Pediatrics. Mar 2012;129(3):e827-841