Breastfeeding is precious. It’s such a wonderful feeling and gives us mothers great pride to provide our children with nutrition that we can make with our own body. Not only are we providing our babies with the essential vitamins, nutrients, fats proteins, and antibodies they need, but we are also creating a bond that is irreplaceable. If we’re lucky, we may have an established supply and never have to worry about our milk decreasing until we are ready to wean.  Then if we’re extremely lucky, we would even have an abundance of supply and be able to pump and store it, as well. However, not all moms can produce milk or breastfeed immediately after birth. Also, not all newborns are able to physically feed from their mother’s breast immediately either.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2012, 1 out of 9 infants in the U.S. were born prematurely, that is roughly 450,000 babies. In 2010, 35% of all infants deaths were pre-term related causes. In addition, preterm birth is the leading cause of neurological disabilities in children. (2014, December 23) Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/pretermbirth.htm

Thus, women who are able to produce plenty of milk and freeze a large milk supply have the power to change and make a difference in reducing the number of preterm infant deaths. How? By donating breast milk. Isn’t amazing what breast milk can do? A few other clinical uses for donated breast milk are:

• Adoption
• Surrogate premature infant with intolerance
• Maternal milk insufficiency
• Baby with mother diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer during pregnancy
• Seizure disorder, metabolic disorder, low weight gain
• Risk for immune deficiency = (HIV positive infant)
• Baby with cancer
• Down syndrome
• Brain tumor
• Cystic fibrosis, cerebral palsy, formula intolerance (Arnold, 2000) Retrieved from http://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/lv/lvaprmay00p19.html

Photo from Lansinoh.com

• You can donate previously pumped milk as long as it’s less than 10 months old and you become a qualified donor.
• All previously collected milk must be frozen immediately after pumping and stored in breast milk bags or bottles.
• Breast milk will not be accepted in reused food containers, as well as, Ziploc bags.
• The milk could never have been thawed or refrozen.
• You may put multiple expressions into one bag throughout the day, as long as you keep the bag inside the refrigerator, and then place the bag in the freezer within 12 hours of the first expression.
• Some milk banks ideally accept milk stored in 2-4 oz increments.
• Containers and bags should not be filled to the top, leave at least one inch of space to allow milk to expand as it freezes.
• All previously expressed milk should be dated with the month, day, and year the milk was expressed (if you’re super detailed like me, I even add the time of day). Some milk banks find it helpful to write the last 5 digits of donor number.
• Do not save milk from used bottle.
• Establish breastfeeding your own baby before donating.

Photo from Lansinoh.com

Where can you donate your milk?

• Mother’s Milk Bank http://www.mothersmilk.org/donate-milk/become-a-donor-at-mothers-milk/
• National Milk Bank http://www.nationalmilkbank.org/
• Human Milk Banking Association of North America https://www.hmbana.org/
• Milkin’ Mamas http://www.milkinmamas.com/
• CHOC Children’s Hospital http://chocchildrens.prolacta.com/
• Helping Hands Milk Bank http://helpinghandsbank.com/
• Breastmilk Project http://www.breastmilkproject.org/give-milk/index.php

Photo from http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AdvisoryCommittees/CommitteesMeetingMaterials/PediatricAdvisoryCommittee/UCM235616.pdf

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