What do I do with my EXTRA breast milk?
/Is your deep freezer full of breastmilk? Are you winding down your breastfeeding journey and have leftovers you might not use?
Panic sets in… all those hours and hours of hard work, leaving the party, staying up late, rushing home, pumping, transferring, washing, storing…
Many moms today will end up making more milk than their baby will consume. Creating, maintaining, collecting, and storing breastmilk can seem like a part time job when a breastfeeding mom can not always nurse at the breast exclusively.
There are many reasons a mom may choose to collect her milk: going back to work, traveling, being able to go out to dinner, a job that takes her away from home, the loss of a baby, military duty, surgery, or medical procedures are just a few.
Some moms will make and collect just enough to give the baby what they need; others, however, will end up collecting hundreds of extra ounces and even running out of places to store the extra milk!
Why does this happen you ask? Well, that’s a whole separate blog post for another time!
If you have milk left over, you can put that milk to good use by donating it to another mom, baby, family, couple, or adoptive family in need!
How does milk donation work?
There are several ways that moms can donate their surplus breast milk. Each serves a unique purpose, and each has its own set of things to consider. It is important for moms who donate milk and moms who accept donor breast milk to be informed about the options and choose one that feels right for them and their babies.
Let’s break down the two most common ones:
Informal Milk Sharing
Example: One mom sharing her milk with another family member, acquaintance, or in response to a request via a community notice board, social media, etc.)
Things you should know:
In this situation, milk is typically available to any mom who is interested in milk sharing.
This milk is often the most readily available source of donor milk when moms need milk in a hurry.
Usually available in larger quantities.
Many moms donate their milk free of charge but some may want you to pitch in for transportation/delivery fees, storage bags, etc.
Social media and websites make donors who are willing to informally share milk much more accessible.
The sites that provide the connection between those who have milk and those who want milk do not provide any supervisory services or do screening of the donor or milk.
Selling breast milk is not illegal. It is unregulated.
When human milk is obtained directly from individuals or through the internet, the donor is unlikely to have been screened for infectious disease or contamination risk. Human milk that is carelessly collected or stored may be contaminated and potentially harmful.
Donor mothers may have diseases that could be transmitted through the milk.
Donor mothers may be taking medications or homeopathic remedies that could unknowingly cause harm to a baby
Donors and recipients should exercise caution when meeting up with people that they’ve connected with via social media pages, online groups, etc.
What you should think about:
Is the milk you will give your baby coming from a friend or family member you trust? Do you know what medications they are on, substances they use, or things they have been vaccinated against?
Is the milk coming from a reputable supplier/website/Facebook group? Review the recommendations and feedback from this group, contact a customer and review their experience. Even get a donor recommendation from another person.
Ask the potential donor about their health history, medications, recent illness, lifestyle, supplements etc. If they value their milk and want to donate, they should have no issues giving you this information.
Ask about the donor’s breastmilk storage practices: how fresh is the milk? How long and under what circumstances has the milk been stored?
Ask the donor for a reference for another mom she has donated milk to.
Here are two resources for informal milk sharing if you’d like to explore this option:
Facebook: Human Milk 4 Human Babies (search by State)
Milk Bank Donation
(Example: A mom takes her collected milk to one of the 31 official Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA) drop off depots for donation. A milk bank has a standardized system of collecting milk and screening donors.
Things you should know:
Milk banks and milk drop-off depots are spread out across the United States, and may not be easily accessible for many moms.
Milk donors must undergo screening and are tested (blood work) in a similar way that you would be for blood donation. Moms who do not meet the criteria may be ineligible to donate.
Donated milk is screened and pasteurized to ensure that potentially harmful bacteria is eliminated while retaining the majority of human milk's beneficial nutrients.
The purpose of most milk banks is to provide milk for ill, preterm, or hospitalized infants whose mothers may not be able to breastfeed or produce milk.
Many milk banks do not allow direct sales to individuals unless surpluses exist. You can visit https://www.milkbankwgl.org/for-milk-recipients/ for more details.
What you should think about:
There is a national shortage of donor milk at milk banks due to the pandemic.
The screening process for prospective donors is fairly stringent, and you may be disqualified from donation due to certain medications you take, recent illnesses, or communicable diseases.
Most milk banks have a minimum donation of 100ml.
If a milk bank is not available locally, it can sometimes be challenging to keep milk temperature-controlled while transporting.
If you are planning to donate, find out if there is a local drop off depot near you and what their hours and requirements are.
Sometimes, moms lose their infant due to birth complications or other medical problems, but they have still initiated a milk supply. Some of these moms choose to continue pumping to supply donated milk, and this is known as a Bereavement Milk Donation. Not only is this kind of selfless donation hugely impactful to another baby in need, but this gesture can be very emotionally therapeutic for a grieving mom who still desires a connection with her baby. To read more about the impact of Bereavement Milk Donation, click here.
Both of these options for donating your surplus breastmilk come with their own advantages and challenges, but remember, it’s important to ultimately choose the option that works best for you and your family! Donating something as personal as breastmilk is a big decision, and we are always here to support you if you have any questions! For more resources and information, visit the links below:
https://breastfeedingusa.org/content/article/milk-sharing-formal-and-informal