Young mother with baby at home

Milk donation process

Detailed information about donating milk can be found below. For specific donor requirements, visit our Donate Milk page.

Donation Process

Become a milk donor

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

The donor application process takes about 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.

Baby and donated milk
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 combine milk from different pumping sessions if it was pumped on the same day.

  • 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.

Lifestyle

Health history and lifestyle

During the intake process, we ask about health factors, such as medications and illnesses. Taking meds or having certain conditions or illnesses does not necessarily mean you cannot become a donor.

Many illnesses & meds will not prevent you from becoming a donor, but simply require a temporary deferral. This means we will not accept milk that is pumped prior to or after the deferral date range.

Because our recipients are very fragile, we ask our donors to follow 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 alcohol. It is very helpful to use a calendar to mark dates that you consume alcohol, and the amount consumed.

We follow the standards set by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA), which require that we defer donors based on travel to some international destinations. Please be prepared to answer questions regarding your lifetime travel history.

As a non-profit milk bank, 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.

Baby sitting with teddy bear in bedroom

Donating after a loss

Whatever a family decides, Milk Bank WGL strives to support each bereavement family through the donation process and beyond.

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.