Donate milk

Thank you for your interest in donating your milk to premature & ill babies in the region.

We ask that donors have 100 ounces of milk to donate and will take a free blood test.

Donor baby joy!
Donation Process

Become a milk donor

The first step is to fill out a donor interest form​​.

The donor intake process takes 1-2 weeks.

Interest form

Fill out the donor interest form to get started.

Phone interview

The next steps is a 15 minute phone interview & written application.

Blood draw

We’ll help you to set up a convenient time for your free lab work.

Donate!

Schedule an at-home pickup or drop off at a nearby milk depot.

Donation Requirements

Becoming a Donor

Milk donors are healthy women who have extra milk and want to help other babies in need. Donors are expected to:

  • Follow our donation guidelines.

  • Report medications and household illnesses to the Milk Bank.

  • Schedule an at-home pickup or drop off milk at a nearby milk depot.

  • Keep milk frozen during transport.

  • Make an initial donation of 100+ ounces. There is no minimum after your first donation, and we appreciate every last drop!

We are so grateful for your milk donation, because we know how much time and energy pumping requires. Your contribution truly makes a difference for families in Wisconsin and Illinois!

Storing

Milk storage guidelines

The milk storage guidelines listed below are meant to reduce the chance of contamination and support safe donor milk processing and distribution. Milk donors must follow these guidelines in order for us to accept milk:

  • Keep pump parts clean.

  • Store milk in breast milk storage bags or containers.

  • Label milk with the date it was pumped.

  • You can store milk from different pumping if it was pumped on the same date.

  • Do not mix temperatures when combining milk (e.g. only mix cooled milk with cooled milk).

  • After pumping, freeze milk as soon as possible. If you keep milk in the refrigerator before freezing, move it to the freezer within 4 days.

  • Do not scald or heat milk before freezing.

  • Donate milk that has been frozen for less than nine months.

  • Donate milk that was pumped before baby’s second birthday.

Baby and donated milk
Baby sitting with teddy bear in bedroom
Lifestyle

Health history and lifestyle

During the onboarding process, we ask about health factors, such as medications and illnesses. These factors do not necessarily mean you cannot become a donor.

Many illnesses & meds will not prevent you from becoming a donor, but may require a temporary deferral. This means we will not accept milk that is pumped prior to or after a defined time period.

We also require deferral periods based on certain travel. Please be prepared to answer questions regarding your travel history.

We are a non-profit milk bank and follow standards set by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA). We do not pay or otherwise compensate donors for their milk. This is a preventative measure that keeps milk safe from potential adulteration or tampering. This also helps to ensure that donor milk remains accessible for all families in need, regardless of their financial situation.

Donating after loss

Whatever a family decides, we strive to support each bereavement family through the donation process and beyond.

Depot Locations

Locate a milk depot near you

Once you have a donor ID, you can arrange to drop off at one of our milk depots. The milk bank coordinates picking up your milk and getting it to the milk bank, where it is processed and pasteurized for premature and sick infants in our region. Call the closest milk depot to arrange milk drop-off .

Enter a City, County, or Zip Code to locate your nearest milk depot.

      Apply to be a donor

      Start by filling out this interest form. The form takes about 5 minutes to complete and we will contact you for next steps.

      Donor FAQ

      • Keep pump parts clean using hot soapy water
      • Store milk in single-use breast milk storage bags or containers
        • We do not accept milk stored in glass jars, zip-top bags, ice cube trays, etc.
      • Label bags or containers with the date that the milk was pumped.
      • Only store milk from different pumping sessions in the same bag or container if it was pumped on the same date
      • After pumping, freeze milk as soon as possible.
        • If you keep milk in the refrigerator, move it to the freezer within 4 days.
      • Do not scald or heat milk before freezing
      • Donate milk that has been frozen for less than nine months
      • Donate milk that was pumped before baby’s second birthday

      During the intake process, we will ask about health factors, such as medications, illnesses, and risk of exposure to blood borne pathogens.  Taking medications or having certain conditions or illnesses does not necessarily mean you cannot become a donor.

      Certain medications and supplements may be appropriate for you and your child, but may not meet the HMBANA milk donation standards. Exclusions for milk that contains certain medications are applied on a case-by-case basis. Exclusions may be short-term, long-term, or may change based on updated research.

      Because our recipient population is very fragile, we ask our donors to follow very conservative alcohol guidelines. Be prepared to discuss your alcohol use with our donor team. We will ask how long you wait to store your pumped milk after consuming any alcohol. It is very helpful to mark a the dates on a calendar that you consume alcohol and the amount consumed.

      Many families find comfort in donating their milk after loss, creating a meaningful legacy for their baby while helping fragile infants in need.

      Any amount of breastmilk is accepted from families that have suffered a loss.