Milk Sharing - Milk Donation « Back to Group Discussions

[Mommel]

Is anyone else doing this? I recently started sharing my oversupply with a woman who had some undersupply issues. It is probably the most rewarding thing I have ever done, next to becoming a mama, and I am incredibly honored that someone would trust me to provide milk for her child, especially considering we didn't know each other before we met for this purpose. I know that I could donate milk to a bank, but we are both pretty poor and the expense would be too much for her, so I just give her my extra pumped milk as often as I can. I am very careful about what I eat/consume and I had my midwife release all my test results to her so she knows I'm clean too. Her babe is now growing at 16 times the rate she was before!! She is less stressed and more well rested and her milk supply is increasing as a result. It's so awesome to do this... not to mention that we are becoming fast friends. Wow! So cool...

Have any of you had any experience giving or receiving milk? I would love to hear thoughts and stories about this...

[rareimer]

Good for you!  That is awesome!

I had a freezer stash with my first baby that I never used, and ended up donating it to a mom I knew who was adopting a baby.  She was going to try to induce lactation, but wasn't successful.  But between my milk and the milk of several other moms we knew, her baby ended up getting breastmilk for quite awhile, which was awesome for him.  It was very rewarding!

[konayossie]

I made a one-time donation of what I had left in my freezer supply when I finished pumping. A couple who were adopting a newborn from my state but located across the country took it. It made me feel really good to do something worthwhile with it. My colostrum milk was the first nourishment the baby got!

[cparkly]

I would like to share my/our milk with a baby in need but I am not interested in donating to a bank, really. How did you all find the families that were in need?

[Mommel]

My midwife introduced us. If you didn't use a midwife or a doula, you might look for one in your area who could connect you to a woman in need. 
 

Originally Posted by cparkly 

I would like to share my/our milk with a baby in need but I am not interested in donating to a bank, really. How did you all find the families that were in need?