# donate breast milk!



## lunadoula (Jan 2, 2005)

Hello all, perhaps you all know of this, but it was news to me:

link to national milk bank now any woman (if she meets the disease-free criteria, etc) can donate breast milk for sick babies in hospitals. I don't know all the details, but it looks like from the website that you ship it and they pay for shipping, so now even women who don't live near a milk bank can donate.

Thought I'd pass along the info.


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## starlein26 (Apr 28, 2004)

wow...i had no idea that something like this existed. i find it a little off-putting, i don't think that i'd be able to donate...but it's wonderful that some women can and do! i can see that's it's like donating blood...but for some reason i feel differently about my milk?


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## Kewpie (Sep 21, 2004)

If you don't have a milk bank near you, call a lactation consultant. Mine gets quite a few calls for donated milk from mom's who aren't producing enough, have supply issues or multiples. I ended up donating about 600 oz to her, her daughter used my milk to suppliment the twins she'd adopted (and is still successfully nursing at 20 months







).


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## Quirky (Jun 18, 2002)

This is being done in conjunction with the Prolacta company...and I believe Prolacta is a for-profit. One big concern is that this system will discourage moms of preemies from pumping/feeding their babies themselves, because they can get breastmilk in the hospital then go home on formula.

E.g., http://www.mothering.com/discussions...light=prolacta

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...light=prolacta


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## RoadWorkAhead (Sep 8, 2005)

I wanted to add that the breast milk you donate for free is then sold to p[arents for $4.00 per ounce!! That means the averagre baby goes trough 80-120$ worth of milk a day. Personally, I link up with moms through our local birthing center, LLL, and other like minded groups and donate my milk like that. Currently, my roommate and I as well as several LLL people are helping supply EBM to a mom of 4 who can't get in her milk for the youngest. No one makes a profit and it isn't pasteurized first like it is in the milk bank.


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## lunadoula (Jan 2, 2005)

Is this for sure the company that is associated with Prolacta? On their website it says they are a not-for-profit!

ETA - I see now on their site that they are associated with them. This seems like such a complex issue.







( It would be great to have a milk bank that accepted donations by mail though.


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## jessikate (Jul 19, 2002)

Beth, there are a few mamas locally who are looking for donated BM, too. I'd encourage people with milk to donate to contact an IBCLC or LLL and keep it local and not-for-profit before sending it off to some company.

Milk banks can be great, but the ones that are for-profit won't get my support.


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