2024-05-15
Be a surrogateAs 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:
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
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
UAMS Milk Bank
401 S. Monroe Street
Little Rock, AR 35209
Phone: 501-686-5355
Email: milkbank@ums.edu
Mothers’ Milk Bank of Florida
8669 Commodity Circle
Suite 490
Orlando, FL 32819
Phone: 407-248-5050
Email: info@milkbankofflorida.org
The Milk Bank
8020 Castleway Drive
Indianapolis, IN 46250
Phone: 317-536-1670
Email: info@themilkbank.org
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
Mothers' Milk Bank of Mississippi
2001 Airport Road, Suite 204
Flowood, MS 39232
Phone: 601-939-5504
Email: director@msmilkbank.org
Mothers' Milk Bank of Montana
2825 Stockyard Road
Missoula, MT 59808
Phone: 406-531-2677
Email: mothersmilkbankofmt@yahoo.com
Human Milk Repository of New Mexico
6208 Montgomery, Suite D
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87109
Phone: 505-508-5291
Email: info@mothersmilkbanknm.org
Northwest Mothers Milk Bank
15875 SW 74th Ave
Tigard, OR 97224
Phone: 503-469-0955
Email: info@nwmmb.org
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
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
What Are Breast Milk Donor Qualifications?
According to HMBANA’s public standards, donors must:
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:
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.