Donate milk

Could I be a donor?

Many of the babies that we serve have serious medical conditions and require extra precautions. For your healthy infant, the criteria below may not apply. Take this quick self-assessment quiz to see if you might be able to be a donor.

A note about prescription medications: Some prescription medications, including certain antidepressants, are compatible with donation.

If you agreed with all of the above statements, you may be eligible to donate, and we encourage you to begin the screening process, if interested. Please note that these statements do not imply approval. Certain chronic conditions, illnesses, medications, supplements, and other factors may prevent you from being a donor. If you would like to discuss your eligibility with us, or would like to begin the screening process, please contact us at donate@midatlanticmilkbank.org or 412-281-4400 or fill out the form below:

The screening process

Every donor file is reviewed by an RN or MD.  Our screening personnel all have backgrounds in birth and lactation. They strive to make the screening process as convenient as possible, and they are available to answer questions through the entire screening and donation process.

1. Interview
   We start with a 15-minute phone interview in which you will be asked questions about your general health, medications/supplements use, and common reasons for ineligibility.
2. Complete the application packet
   The second step is completion of the application packet (online or by mail) with more details about your medical history, medications, diet, and general health.
3. Statements of health
   With your permission, we will contact your health care provider, and your baby’s doctor, for statements about your health and ability to donate milk.
4. Get bloodwork
   After the initial screening steps above, eligible donors are asked to complete bloodwork, identical to testing done by blood banks. This includes HIV, HTLV, Hepatitis B and C, and syphilis. The milk bank has several options to ensure that every donor can easily have her blood drawn close to her home.

Once approved, donors can drop off their frozen milk to our lab in Pittsburgh, to a local depot, or we can make arrangements for it to be picked up by FedEx at the donor’s home.

Please note that bacterial culture testing is done after milk pasteurization. On rare occasions an approved donor may become ineligible due to repeated positive cultures. These positive results simply reflect normal skin bacteria and have nothing to do with the health of the donor or her baby.

Preparing to donate

It is helpful to be aware of our pumping and storage instructions as soon as you consider the possibility of donating.

Pumping

1. Wash your hands thoroughly using soap and warm water before pumping. Dry with a clean towel.
2. If you are pumping directly into a collection container, open it and place the cap inside up on the table. If you are collecting and transferring the milk to another container, such as a bag, keep that container closed until you are ready to fill it. Do not touch the top lip of the container or the inside of the cap, container, or bag.
3. DO NOT OVERFILL bags or containers. You must leave room for expansion as the milk freezes. We will not be able to use milk that leaks outside of torn bags/containers.

Cleaning your pump

1. Clean your pump parts.
   •  Rinse each piece that comes into contact with human milk.
   •  Wash each piece separately using liquid dishwashing soap and plenty of warm water.
   •  Rinse each piece thoroughly. Be sure to rinse off all of the soap.
   •  Place the washed pieces on a clean paper towel or drying rack and allow to air dry. Do not use cloth towels to dry your pump parts because they can carry germs and bacteria.
   •  Try not to touch the inside of any parts that will come in contact with your human milk.
   •  Inspect tubing for moisture after each use and clean/dry, if necessary.
   •  Consult your pump’s instruction manual to determine which parts should be washed and the best way to remove them.
   •  Read and follow your pump manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Once per day, sanitize your pump parts using one of the methods below (read manufacturer’s instructions).
   •  Place washed pump parts in a saucepan and cover with water. Heat on the stovetop and bring to a boil. Boil for 5-10 minutes.
   •  You can also use Medela Quick Clean Micro-Steam Bags or similar product.
3. Wipe the outside of the tubing and the pump itself with a disinfectant wipe (any brand).

Storage

1. Breast milk storage bags are available upon request. Any brand of commercially available containers such as bags and bottles that are specifically designed to store breast milk are acceptable. Mark each bag with the following information using a permanent marker:
   •  Your Donor ID number (can be added once assigned).
   •  Date milk was pumped. No milk will be accepted without a date.
2. Refrigerate or freeze milk within 30 minutes of pumping. If necessary, you may refrigerate milk for up to 24 hours before freezing. Do not add freshly pumped milk to cold milk.
3. Place milk in the rear or bottom of your freezer, whichever is coldest.

How is my milk processed?

Testing and pasteurization

• Drug Testing: All milk pools are tested for a panel of common drugs including those that may be used during the post-partum period.
• Nutritional Analysis: Calorie, protein, fat, and carbohydrate content information allows NICUs to create the best human milk nutrition plan for each tiny preemie.
• Pasteurization: Once bottled, milk goes through a low temperature pasteurization process which eliminate pathogens while keeping important bioactive components intact.
• Bacterial Culturing: After pasteurization, a random sample is taken from each batch and sent to the lab of a local hospital for bacterial culturing.

Learn more about how it works.

Special milk

• Isolation: Preterm milk is used in the NICU. Milk from donors with special diets is used by outpatients with allergies/sensitivities.
• Skimming: Sometimes after cardiac surgery, babies develop a complication that requires a very low-fat diet. If these babies do not have access to their own mother’s milk, which can be defatted in the hospital, we skim donor milk for them in our lab.
• Cream: We never waste milk. Cream is used by both NICUs and outpatients for specific purposes.

• Mother Baby Units: Some hospitals use donor milk for all babies who require supplementation, even healthy babies. Such supplementation is usually very minimal. More hospitals are expanding to this type of use to support healthy gut bacteria and promote maternal exclusive breastfeeding success. Currently, less than 5% of the donor milk from our bank is used in this way.
• Outpatients: Outpatient use is 25-30% of donor milk from our milk bank. A prescription is required, and the vast majority of these recipients have very significant medical issues. Medically necessary donor milk is typically covered by insurance. Many of these babies have rare conditions or have exhausted all other nutrition options. Outpatient recipients consume 20-30+ ounces per day. At any given time, we have more than a dozen outpatients in our care.
  Occasionally, we receive prescriptions for discretionary use where there is little to no access to mother’s own milk such as adoption, mastectomy, or bridge milk, and the baby does not have a documented medical need. These prescriptions are filled only if all hospital and ill outpatient needs are met and such milk is unlikely to be covered by insurance.
• HMBANA Sister Milk Banks: One of the best things about being a non-profit milk bank accredited by HMBANA is sharing. Since all 27 milk banks follow the same strict safety guidelines, we can help one another to ensure that all NICUs and ill outpatients across the United States and Canada have what they need. Our milk bank has been both a giver and a recipient. The sharing that our milk bank does is very minimal.