Milk Banks
Updated June 08, 2015.
Written or reviewed by a board-certified physician. See About.com's Medical Review Board.
What Are Milk Banks?
Milk banks are facilities that collect breast milk from donor moms, pasteurize and test the milk, and prepare it for use by babies whose own moms can't provide it. Whether you are interested in donating milk or finding donor milk, milk banks can help get breast milk to the babies who need it most.
In the US and Canada, most milk banks are overseen by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA), an organization developed in 1985 that provides guidance and standards for milk banks.
Some milk banks are overseen by Prolacta Bioscience, a company that uses donated breast milk to make all-natural human milk fortifier (HMF).
How Can I Donate Milk to a Milk Bank?
There are many reasons that moms become breast milk donors. Some moms of preemies pump a lot of milk when their baby is in the NICU, but switch over to exclusive breastfeeding before their babies use all of the milk. Other moms have an abundant supply of breast milk and can pump more than their babies need. Some bereaved moms donate their unused milk as a memorial to their baby. More and more hospitals are turning to milk banks to provide milk for their smallest patients, and there is often a shortage of human milk for premature babies. If you are able to donate your milk, it is a wonderful gift.
If you want to be a breast milk donor, contact your local milk bank and learn about their requirements for donation. Many milk banks require a minimum donation of 100 ounces of milk or more, and may have specific requirements for how you pump and store your milk.
Milk donors are carefully screened and must meet the following requirements:
- General good health
- Willingness to undergo a health screening, including lab work
- Not on any medications or herbal supplements, with a few exceptions
- Gave birth less than 1 year ago
- Does not smoke or regularly consume alcohol
In addition to these requirements, other factors may make a mom ineligible to donate milk. Certain types of travel, risky behaviors, and recent blood transfusions or organ or tissue transplants may make a mom's milk unsafe for donation.
How Can I Receive Donated Milk?
A doctor's prescription is required to receive milk from a HMBANA milk bank. Processing donor milk is expensive, and recipients can expect to pay $3 to $4 per ounce, plus shipping. Depending on your baby's health needs, insurance may cover the cost of the milk.
Human milk is the perfect food for babies, and moms who are able to donate milk are providing a wonderful service. Most healthy babies are able to use infant formula when mom's milk is not available, but some babies really need human milk:
- Micropreemies who are extremely small or sick
- Babies with severe milk allergies
- Babies with malabsorption problems
- Infants with inborn errors of metabolism
If you are interested in donor milk for your preemie, or in human milk fortifier made from donor milk, talk to your baby's doctor.
Sources:
Human Milk Banking Association of Northern America. https://www.hmbana.org/
Wake Med Health & Hospitals Mother's Milk Bank. http://www.wakemed.org/landing.cfm?id=135
Mothers' Milk Bank Austin. http://www.milkbank.org/
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