10 Feb First breast milk depot opens in West Virginia, expanding access for mothers and infants
WOWK-TV (February 9, 2026) – The first breast milk depot in West Virginia had a ribbon cutting Monday at CAMC Women and Children’s Hospital, giving mothers easier access to donated breast milk than ever before.
Hospital leaders said the depot operates similarly to the blood bank process. Mothers who are able to donate are screened, the milk is collected and stored at the hospital, then it is shipped to be pasteurized. After the process, the milk returns to be used by local patients in need.
Dr. Elizabeth Copenhaver with CAMC Women and Children’s Hospital said West Virginia is the lowest in the nation for breastfeeding initiation and duration, and she sees the new depot as an opportunity to educate the public on the importance of breastfeeding and the benefits it has for women and infants.
“So, moms that are blessed with an oversupply are able to reach out to Mid-Atlantic Milk Bank, and there, they can find the information on how to start the donor process,” Copenhaver said. “It involves some screening questions, completing some lab work, talking with your own physicians and then you’re able to drop off at our location here. I’m extremely excited. I’m a mother of three. I’ve breastfed all of my infants. And so, to be able to bring this to our community is extremely exciting.”
Copenhaver said it is the standard of care in the NICU to use breast milk until an infant is more stable, and it can also help prevent health issues for mothers, including obesity and some cancers.
Amelia Estep, a nurse at CAMC and a mother who donated, shared what the resource means for families with newborns in need.
“I had my son a month early and I was worried about breastfeeding,” Estep said. “So, I know that there are a lot of other people in the queue, and their babies are early, and they’re just as worried. So, I’m glad that we can provide this for them.”
Hospital officials said the previous donation process was complicated, but since launching the depot, they have already collected 5,500 ounces of breast milk.
CAMC leaders said they are excited to bring mothers a new level of access to breast milk while caring for their smallest patients.