Blog

Where Can I Donate Breast Milk

2024-05-15

Be a surrogate
Learn where you can donate breastmilk

As a lactating woman, pumping and donating breast milk is an incredibly helpful and generous gift. Frozen milk can be safely shipped overnight to one of 30 milk banks in the United States or dropped off at a location near you. These milk banks would love to have more breast milk donations they could gift to families and hospitals (NICU babies) who need it.

“It was truly a blessing to be able to donate my breastmilk to babies in need. I know some women aren’t able to produce enough milk, or any at all, so it was truly an amazing experience to know I could help another mom with providing her baby with nourishment!” Breanna Allen, ConceiveAbilities Surrogate

Donating milk through an accredited milk bank ensures your milk is properly vetted and processed for the baby who receives it. Some of our favorite milk banks are:

COLORADO

Mothers' Milk Bank
A program of Rocky Mountain Children's Health Foundation
5394 Marshall Street, Suite 400
Arvada, CO 80002
Phone: 303-869-1888
Email: mothersmilkbank@rmchildren.org

ILLINOIS

Mothers' Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes
1699 Elmhurst Road
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007
Phone: 847-262-5134
Email: info@milkbankwgl.org

Here are other milk banks by state where you can apply to donate breast milk:

ALABAMA
Mothers' Milk Bank of Alabama
107 Walter Davis Drive
Birmingham, AL 35209
Phone: 205-942-8911
Email: khabchi@mmbal.org

ARKANSAS

UAMS Milk Bank
401 S. Monroe Street
Little Rock, AR 35209
Phone: 501-686-5355
Email: milkbank@ums.edu

FLORIDA

Mothers’ Milk Bank of Florida
8669 Commodity Circle
Suite 490
Orlando, FL 32819
Phone: 407-248-5050
Email: info@milkbankofflorida.org

INDIANA

The Milk Bank
8020 Castleway Drive
Indianapolis, IN 46250
Phone: 317-536-1670
Email: info@themilkbank.org

MICHIGAN

Bronson Mothers' Milk Bank
601 John Street
Suite N1300
Kalamazoo, MI 49007
Phone: 269-341-6146
Email: mothersmilkbank@bronsonhg.org

Henry Ford Milk Bank-Jackson
200 S. East Avenue
Jackson, MI 49201
Phone: (517) 205-MILK
Email: milkbank@hfhs.org

MISSISSIPPI

Mothers' Milk Bank of Mississippi
2001 Airport Road, Suite 204
Flowood, MS 39232
Phone: 601-939-5504
Email: director@msmilkbank.org

MONTANA

Mothers' Milk Bank of Montana
2825 Stockyard Road
Missoula, MT 59808
Phone: 406-531-2677
Email: mothersmilkbankofmt@yahoo.com

NEW MEXICO

Human Milk Repository of New Mexico
6208 Montgomery, Suite D
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87109
Phone: 505-508-5291
Email: info@mothersmilkbanknm.org

OREGON

Northwest Mothers Milk Bank
15875 SW 74th Ave
Tigard, OR 97224
Phone: 503-469-0955
Email: info@nwmmb.org

PENNSYLVANIA

CHOP Mothers' Milk Bank
34th and Civic Center Blvd.
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: 267-425-1662
Email: CHOPMMB@email.chop.edu

Mid-Atlantic Mothers' Milk Bank
3127 Penn Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15201
Phone: 412-281-4400
Email: info@midatlanticmilkbank.org

TEXAS

Mothers' Milk Bank at Austin
5925 Dillard Circle
Austin, TX 78752
Phone: 512-494-0800
Email: info@milkbank.org

Mothers' Milk Bank of North Texas
7617 Benbrook Parkway
Fort Worth, TX 76126
Phone: 817-810-0071
Email: info@texasmilkbank.org

Source: Human Milk Banking Association of North America

Other Frequently Asked Questions About Breast Milk Donations

What Are Breast Milk Donor Qualifications?
According to HMBANA’s public standards, donors must:

  • Pass an initial screening and meet HMBANA’s minimal donor education requirements
  • Follow HMBANA’s milk-handling guidelines

What Can Disqualify or Postpone Your Ability to Donate Milk?
According to HMBANA’s public standards, a milk donor may be placed on a temporary deferral period or permanent donor exclusion if they:

  • Smoke or use tobacco products
  • Use illegal recreational drugs
  • Are at risk of Creutzfeld-Jakob disease
  • Test positive for HIV, HTLV, Hepatitis B or C, or syphilis
  • Are using non-approved medications
  • Have a recent history of blood transfusion
  • Are at risk of blood-borne illnesses
  • Have body piercings, tattoos, or permanent makeup
  • Have had an organ or tissue transplant
  • Are vegan and not supplementing with B12
  • Are with an at-risk sexual partner
  • Have travel deferrals related to CJD
  • Consume alcohol

Can I Donate Breast Milk If I Take Medication?
Possibly. The Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters states, “Prenatal vitamins, Tylenol, Advil, most allergy medications, several antidepressants, thyroid medications and low dose estrogen birth control pills are acceptable to take while pumping.” For all medications, you will want to check with the milk bank that you donate to.

What Is the Breast Milk Donation Process?
To donate milk to a non-profit milk bank, contact an accredited HMBANA milk bank to find out their specific process. Typically, you will learn about their guidelines, qualifications, and policies; complete an application; and go through their initial screening process. Once accepted, they will provide you with more information on how you should package and donate your milk.

How to Sell Breast Milk
Are you looking for a place where you can donate breast milk for money? There are programs like the Milk Bank Challenge, sponsored by ConceiveAbilities, a long-standing successful program which compensates you up to $250 to assist you with your expenditure of time and effort when you donate to a milk bank that accepts the Milk Bank Challenge like Ni-Q and Leche. Finally, if you are a surrogate, you will be compensated for milk that you donate to your intended family.

Learn more about how you can help a couple grow their family through surrogacy and hear Breanna’s story about how donating milk led her to surrogacy.

Learn about becoming a surrogate.