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Donating breastmilk is a wonderful thing for those who are able to do so 
I have been lucky to be donating milk a second time now as I seem to have a really good milk supply. I started donating breastmilk with my first daughter Cora in 2018/2019 and I am currently a donor while nursing all three of my daughters.
There are different ways to donate and I would like to show you the different options in this blog post.
NHS Milk Bank Scotland
The Donor Milk Bank is run through NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and distributes expressed, pasteurised breastmilk to the neonatal units across Scotland. Donor milk is very important for premature babies whose mothers or parents have been unable to provide milk for them. Breastmilk helps nourish babies and aids their development and overall health.
Breastmilk donations may also be provided to new mothers who may need support through supplementation in the early days of breastfeeding while establishing their own supply.
Donors are health screened and have to do a blood test; milk has to be expressed and frozen and donors have to record temperatures. NHS volunteers travel all over Scotland to collect donor milk.
The donated milk gets transported to Glasgow, tested for any contamination and pasteurised before being distributed to NICUs (Neonatal Intensive Care Units).
Human Milk 4 Human Babies UK
Human Milk 4 Human Babies (HM4HB are a community and social media platform for milk sharing which connects potential breastmilk donors with families in need of human breastmilk for their child. I suppose you can look at it as a modern form of wet nursing!
Families may be in need of breastmilk from other mothers for various reasons, i.e. their own supply or not being able to use infant formula. On the Facebook HM4HB network families in search of milk and donors state their location, age of their baby, dietary needs or medication.
Private Donations
Some families may share breastmilk privately. This is, again, similar to wet nursing. It can be within families or even through local breastfeeding communities and support groups.
My Experience as a Donor
I have donated to both the Donor Milk Bank and through HM4HB and I’m very happy that I am able to do this for families in need.
I know several parents who have had premature babies or have been in need of donor milk for other reasons and it is nice to know that there are many generous donors out there who can help. My experience with both the Donor Milk Bank and HM4HB has been great each time.
Communication with the Donor Milk Bank has always been very easy and friendly and they have always been above and beyond helpful. The process to register has been online both times and the team will send out a blood test kit and a starter pack of milk bottles, labels and freezer thermometer. The blood test kit has to be taken to the GP practice, the nurse will take your bloods and then the kit gets posted back to Glasgow through the post box.
The volunteers of the milk bank have all been lovely. They collect your batches of donor milk directly from your house. If more bottles and labels are needed they can be requested online.
I donated through Human Milk 4 Human Babies once and arranged meeting the recipient privately. She was in need of milk due to supply issues and required from a dairy-free donor due to allergies and lifestyle so my milk was suitable as we are a vegan family.
It was wonderful to be able to help this family out. I would do it again any time! If you have any questions about donating breastmilk, please feel free to send me an email or leave a comment below.
Useful Breast Milk Donation Resources
You can find more information about the NHS Donor Milk Bank on this website: http://www.nhsggc.org.uk/your-health/health-services/milk-bank-scotland/
Information about Human Milk 4 Human Babies UK can be found on their Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/HM4HMUK/
Video on milk donation from NHS Donor Milk Bank:
