186: Kim Updegrove

Kim Updegrove was born in New Jersey and has dedicated her career to saving babies' lives and caring for women and children around the world. A registered nurse and certified nurse midwife (CNM), Updegrove earned a bachelor of science degree in nursing at William Paterson University, a master of public health degree at Rutgers University and a master of science degree in nursing at the University of Pennsylvania. After finishing her MSN, Updegrove left the Penn faculty and moved to New Haven, Conn., where she worked as a CNM, delivering more than 500 babies and providing well-woman care. She also served on the graduate faculty of the Yale University School of Nursing. Kim has devoted her professional efforts to growing the Mother's Milk Bank at Austin since 2002. Updegrove is a past president of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA), and chairs the guidelines committee helping to ensure quality control of donor human milk and cultivates the development of nonprofit milk banks. She has been invited to numerous states, Canadian provinces, China, Korea, Mexico, Poland, and Turkey to foster and mentor milk banks and to speak at regional, national, and international conferences on breastfeeding, milk banking, and women's health. She has been quoted in local media as well as ABC News, NBC News, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. On days off Kim takes her grandson for hikes, plays tennis and talks to all who will listen about the life-saving powers of breast milk.