Donor Milk in the Bay Area
There are many different ways to feed our babies, and sometimes our feeding ideas don’t go as planned! While breastfeeding is the most common preference we see in the first six months, it doesn’t always work the way we hoped. Today we are here to talk about a feeding alternative, donor milk. This feeding style can be a great option for people who cannot or are choosing not to breastfeed their babies themselves but would like their babies to have breastmilk. We hope you enjoy this week’s blog, donor milk in the Bay Area.
What is donor milk?
Donor milk is human breast milk from one lactating human to feed someone else’s baby.
What are the options?
There are two kinds of donor milk available, donor milk from the community or donor milk from a milk bank.
Milk banks– The most common milk banks are HMBANA ( Human Milk Banking Association of North America) milk banks. HMBANA milk banks test and pasteurize all of their donated milk.
Community breastmilk- Milk donated from another lactating person in the community. Everyone produces different amounts of breastmilk. Many people with an overproduction are happy to donate their excess milk to people in their community.
Is donor milk safe?
Milk from a local milk bank is the safest because milk is tested for diseases and substances. When using community milk, it is essential to ask the donating person about their habits and any ailments that could affect their milk. Ask your provider how to use donor milk in your community safely!
Why choose donor milk?
Donor milk can be an excellent option for families who can’t breastfeed themselves or have chosen to forgo breastfeeding for various reasons. A formula is a good option for this as well. The decision between formula and breastmilk when the need for supplementation arises comes down to each family’s preferences.
Where can I find donor milk in the Bay Area?
There are multiple options for getting donor milk in the Bay Area. Visit the Mothers Milk Bank website if you would like to go through an HMBANA certified milk bank. Please visit the Facebook group, Bay Area Breastmilk Cooperative for community breastmilk. Also, try our Facebook groups, San Francisco Bay Area Pregnancy and Postpartum Community, and Santa Cruz Pregnancy and Postpartum.Thank you for reading this week’s blog “Donor milk in the Bay Area.” For more helpful tips on all things pregnancy, postpartum, and community visit our other weekly blogs.
