Expansion of the women's milk bank in Winnenden 2024

The women's milk bank at the Rems-Murr Clinic in Winnenden is a success story. Dr Janaina Rauch, Susann Bucksch, Anja Bauer and Maike Miller are the driving forces behind the project. "When we had the idea for this milk bank, there was simply no money for it," recalls Dr Janaina Rauch, Senior Consultant for Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine and Medical Director of the Women's Milk Bank. After initial support from a local association, Rauch turned to the Eva Mayr-Stihl Foundation to set up a professional milk bank (you can find the original report here: 300 litres of start-up aid for babies: women's milk bank at Winnenden Children's Hospital further expanded | Eva Mayr-Stihl Foundation).

In the meantime, the Winnender Frauenmilchbank has grown so much that Rauch and her team have founded a network for Baden-Württemberg; the clinic has become the central hub in the state and is one of the three largest locations in Germany - alongside Berlin, for example. "We work very closely with Esslingen and Ludwigsburg, but also cooperate with the university hospitals in Mainz and Mannheim," explains Susann Bucksch, Head of Nursing at the Women's Milk Bank. "This year, we were able to distribute around 600 litres of milk, providing premature babies in particular and helping them to get off to a better start."

Normally, donations are made completely anonymously. However, a donor and the mother of a recipient child came together for an appointment with the press. Karen Bullach had given birth to her daughter Kaia far too early and therefore initially had no milk. Thanks to the good support at Esslingen Hospital, this changed quickly - so much so that she had too much milk. When her freezer was full, she was advised to donate this milk. Now other premature babies are happy about the good nutrition, for example Manuel, Sandra Gauermann's son. 

Janaina Rauch explains just how important milk is: "Breast milk is a natural booster that has been proven to support the immune system and health from the first minute of life. It protects against infections, improves the microbiome, stabilises blood sugar levels and contributes to a better immune system."