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It’s not uncommon for those who breastfeed to produce more breast milk than what is needed to feed their baby, raising the question of what to do with the oversupply—especially amid a baby formula shortage. One solution could be to donate your breast milk to a human milk bank. Not only is it free and easy to do, but it can be life-saving for infants in need. Typically, breast milk donations are prioritized for premature and sick infants who could benefit the most from human milk.

Here’s a look at how to donate breast milk to a milk bank, as well as an overview of the process that breast milk donors can expect to go through.

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People who have extra milk that they’ve expressed and stored may donate to a milk bank, according to Sheela Rath Geraghty, M.D., a professor of pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, the co-director of the Cincinnati Children’s Center for Breastfeeding Medicine and the director of the Cincinnati Children’s Breastfeeding Medicine Clinic. This could be the case for people who exclusively pump or parents with oversupply, as they’ll often make more milk than needed to feed their babies. Those who have lost their babies can also make bereavement donations of breast milk, explains Lindsay Groff, executive director of Human Milk Banking Association of America (HMBANA).

Breast milk donations are primarily used in hospitals to feed sick and premature infants. According to Dr. Rath Geraghty, human milk is thought to be “a therapeutic product to help sick infants grow and prevent health-related complications, particularly in the infant’s gastrointestinal tract.”

To donate breast milk, the first step is to find a milk bank near you, says Groff. The HMBANA, which is the only professional association for nonprofit donor milk banking in the U.S. and Canada, provides a list of its 31 member milk banks located nationwide on its website, as well as their respective locations and contact information. The milk bank does not have to be located within your state to make a donation.

After reaching out to a milk bank, you can expect to go through a screening process, explains Groff. The first step is an initial phone call, during which you’ll be asked questions about your health and lifestyle choices. This will include questions about which medications you’re currently taking, whether you’re a smoker and what your level of alcohol consumption is, she says.

Those who pass this initial screening will then fill out a written questionnaire and must be cleared by their physician, explains Groff. A comprehensive blood test at a lab identified by the milk bank is also required to ensure that no diseases are passed from the donor to the baby. The milk bank will pay for the laboratory screening. The comprehensive screening looks for antigens to the HIV-1 and -2 and Hepatitis B viruses as well as antibodies to Hepatitis C, and HTLV-I and –II and syphilis.

Groff explains that this level of screening is needed because milk donations are primarily used for babies with a medical need. “When you’re thinking about providing milk to babies that are really tiny—premature or due to health concerns—you want to be very careful about those types of things,” she says.

There are a number of criteria that could disqualify someone from donating their breast milk. This could include smoking, as chemicals that are inhaled can be found in the milk a breastfeeding person produces. Taking certain medications or having HIV, hepatitis or syphilis can also disqualify a donor, says Groff.

Because the list of medications that are contraindicated to donating is wide-ranging and continually being updated, Dr. Rath Geraghty suggests potential donors who are curious about exclusion criteria consult Hale’s Medications & Mothers’ Milk, which is the reference manual that doctors refer to.

If approved, a person can donate their excess breast milk. Milk should be collected in sterile bags or containers made for breast milk storage, or in a food-grade plastic or glass container that’s been sanitized by boiling it in water for five minutes. Milk should be sealed and labeled with the date it was pumped. Avoid combining milk from more than one pumping session in the same container due to concerns of bacterial growth.

Make sure to note any medications, herbs or supplements you’ve taken. Set aside any bags of milk that were pumped within six hours of consuming an alcoholic drink (12 hours if you’ve had two servings of alcohol) as these cannot be donated.

Once the bag or container is sealed and labeled, place it in the freezer, ideally towards the back, where it should remain until you’re ready to make your donation. While you can store milk in the fridge, you can only do so for up to 96 hours before moving it to the freezer. Thawed milk cannot be donated.

Those who live close to their milk bank location or to donor milk depots can drop off their frozen breast milk donation, says Groff. There’s also the option to arrange a courier pickup or to ship the frozen breast milk overnight. In the latter case, the milk bank will provide the appropriate packaging and a prepaid label. The milk bank will help arrange the process, which comes at no cost to the donor.

HMBANA is “the ‘gold standard’ for accepted pasteurized human milk to be fed to infants in need,” according to Dr. Rath Geraghty.

To donate to a HMBANA milk bank, the first step is to find a milk bank located near you. According to Groff, HMBANA serves all 50 states. Remember that the milk bank does not have to be located within your state. From there, you can contact the milk bank to begin the screening process in order to determine if you’re eligible to donate. The milk bank will then guide you through the necessary steps.

Groff emphasizes the safety of using donated breast milk that’s been “fully screened, pasteurized and tested by an accredited milk bank.”

A study published in the American Academy of Pediatrics supports Groff’s statement with its finding that “[t]he use of pasteurized donor milk is safe when appropriate measures are used to screen donors and collect, store and pasteurize the milk and then distribute it through established human milk banks.”[1]Daniels S, Corkins M, de Ferranti S, et al. Donor Human Milk for the High-Risk Infant: Preparation, Safety, and Usage Options in the United States. Pediatrics. January 2017; 139 (1): e20163440.

However, the study warns against the use of non-pasteurized donor milk as well as other forms of milk sharing, including directly from another individual or through the internet. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) also advises against these methods.

“If you have extra milk, please call one of the milk banks. We want babies in dire need to be fed human milk,” says Dr. Rath Geraghty, noting that breast milk donations can be “life-saving for infants in need.” Find A Nanny You Can Trust Get started with 3 easy steps: Create a profile. Post a job with your care needs. Connect with local caregivers. Join For Free

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Becca Stanek is an experienced writer and editor who is passionate about exploring the ways we can feel better mentally and physically to get the most out of our lives. She has worked for publications including LendingTree, SmartAsset, and The Week, among others. She's currently completing her 200-hour yoga teacher training, and also likes to spend her time reading, writing, biking and hiking.

Amy Peterson is an international board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) in Idaho. She has worked with breastfeeding families since 1996, initially as a La Leche League leader. While she loves helping babies feed, her greatest joy comes from encouraging mothers. As an IBCLC, Peterson has traveled throughout North America providing continuing education to physicians, nurses and breastfeeding helpers. Locally, Peterson has served as both a clinician and service coordinator for Idaho Early Intervention, and she has worked to revise hospital policy to reflect Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) measures. In addition to infant feeding, Peterson has provided continuing education for Idaho childcare providers in the subjects of nutrition, positive child discipline and early learning activities, as well as court appointed parenting education. Peterson contracts with Evenflo Feeding, providing feedback and guidance on new product developments and reviewing evidenced-based information shared with consumers.