How to Donate Breast Milk

Premature babies and babies whose mothers can't breastfeed can still get breast milk and all the benefits that come from receiving breast milk from a human milk bank. Human milk banks accept donations of breast milk from carefully screened donors. If you have a plethora of breast milk, it's a wonderful gift you can give other babies.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Lactate successfully and be able to donate at least 100 ounces of breast milk. In addition, you should be producing enough to be able to donate it without short-changing any children you're currently breastfeeding.

2. Contact a human milk bank close to your area and fill out an application or be screened over the phone to find out if you're eligible to donate breast milk. You must be healthy, be breastfeeding a child under one year of age, and not be drinking any alcohol, smoking cigarettes, taking any recreation drugs or on any unapproved medications, vitamins or herbs.

3. Get a medical examination and blood test once you've passed the initial application. The milk bank tests your blood for syphilis, hepatitis B and C, HIV 1 & 2 and HTLV. The human milk bank pays for any medical costs.

4. Pump, store and ship or transport your breast milk according the instructions from the milk bank. Since each milk bank does things a little different, follow any given directions closely so your donated breast milk can be given to other babies.

Resources

• Contact the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA) for a listing of human milk banks.
• Contact La Leche League for more information.
• Go to Breastfeeding.com for more information.