Donating your extra breastmilk to a family in need can help a baby thrive and support exclusive breastfeeding goals for the first 6 months and breastfeeding up to 2 years and beyond.

In the spirit of informed choice, Eats on Feets encourages full disclosure from every person who participates in human milk.

Recipients generally expect donors to make safe and healthy lifestyle choices, and to lovingly share healthy breastmilk which would otherwise be given to their own children. The amount of milk a donor can supply will vary depending on the demands of their own child(ren) and with menstruation, changes in eating and drinking patterns, stress, etcetera. Donors should not be pressured by recipients nor put pressure on themselves to produce a certain amount of milk. While good eating and drinking habits are important, following a specific regimen to raise milk supply in order to donate is not suggested. Milksharing is based on sharing the extra milk that may exist, not on ‘farming’ our breastmilk.

Some recipient families may have a questionnaire and/or request blood work. It is important to be open and honest with each other. The details of milksharing arrangements will differ from family to family and may be facilitated with the aid of a written agreement between the two parties. Eats on Feets does not provide forms for contracts, nor does Eats on Feets provide official questionnaires.¹ It is between donor and recipient to arrange for this.

For the full informed choice process of donors and recipients and for page transparency, our network requires that offers and requests are made by individuals who are the legally or clinically responsible party.² Siblings, children, grandparents, friends, doulas, breastfeeding counselors, nurses, etcetera are not legally nor clinically responsible. Legal guardians, donors, recipients, nurse practitioners, midwives, doctors, etc. are.

The basic steps for donating milk are:

1. Possible reasons for self-exclusion
2. Questions typically asked of donors
3. Suggested blood tests for donors
4. Finding a recipient
5. After finding a recipient
6. Questions typically asked of recipients
7. Handling breastmilk (for donors)

Is there any reason why someone should not donate breastmilk?

The list below is only meant to be used as a guideline. There may be other reasons why someone should not donate their milk. Recipients, donors, or others may have lesser or greater restrictions than those listed here.

Reasons may include but are not restricted to:

If they do not want to or if they are feeling coerced,
If they are at risk of punishment due to religious or social conventions,
If they are having difficulty meeting the needs of their own baby,
If doing so would place undue stress on themselves or their family,
If they do not meet a recipients criteria/requests,
If they suffer severe psychiatric disorder(s),
If they are in poor general health,
If the milk has been contaminated by bacteria,
If they are confirmed positive for HIV I, HIV II, HTLV I or HTLV II,³
If they or their sexual partner are at risk for HIV,
If they have an outbreak of herpes or syphilis lesions,
If they have open sores, blisters, and/or bleeding cracks on the skin,
If they are undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatment,
If they are receiving radiation treatment or a thyroid scan with radioactive iodine,
If they are taking medication that is contraindicated while breastfeeding,
If they are currently abusing drugs or alcohol,
If they are in the fever stage of chickenpox or shingles.

In addition to the above,

If they drink, smoke, use certain herbal supplements, or take megavitamins and there is a chance that their milk may be fed to a premature or critically ill baby.

What questions are typically asked of donors?

Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider if you have any questions about the medical conditions listed below and donating milk.

Questions typically asked of donors:⁴

Is there anything that would prevent you from donating safe and healthy breastmilk?
Have you read the Resource for Informed Milk Sharing?
Do you have any concerns about sharing your milk that you want to talk about?
Have you ever tested positive for TB, HTLV I or II, HIV I or II, Herpes Simplex, Hepatitis B or C, or Syphilis?
Have you had close or intimate contact with anyone infected with any of the above?
Are you or your sexual partner(s) at risk for HIV?
Were you born in or have you ever visited any of the following countries: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Niger, or Nigeria?
Has a blood relative been diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD)?
Do you have any open sores, blisters, and/or cracks on the skin?
Would you agree to have your blood screened if requested?
Would you agree to be tested for TB if requested?
Have you required hospitalization or blood transfusion in the last 12 months?
Have you ever received an organ transplant?
Have you received any vaccinations in the last 12 months?
Do you have a history of cancer?
Do you take any prescription medications on a regular basis, including hormone replacement?
Do you take excessive amounts of prescription drugs?
Do you have any general health concerns?
Does your baby have any general health or weight gain concerns?
Do you smoke?
Do you consume more than 3 caffeinated beverages per day?
Do you drink alcohol? How much and how often?
Do you use recreational drugs? Which ones and how often?
Do you use over-the-counter (OTC) medication? Which ones and how often?
Do you use herbal supplements? Which ones and how often?
Do you have silicone breast implants?
Have you had body piercings, tattoos, accidental needle stick injuries, acupuncture, electrolysis, or wear permanent makeup?
Do you take megavitamins?
Do you know how to clean milk collection items?
Do you know how to safely store milk?

What are the suggested blood tests for milk donors?

Please follow the guidelines for your country/region. Donors may be asked to have lab work repeated every 3-6 months.

Suggested blood tests:⁵

HIV I and II
HBV (Hepatitis B Antigen & Antibodies –if vaccinated, provide record)
HCV (Hepatitis C)
HTLV I and II
Syphilis

Additional screenings to consider:

TB (Tuberculosis –once, unless exposed, or symptomatic)
CMV (Cytomegalovirus –IgG and IgM)
WNV (West Nile Virus –IgA and IgM)

For blood screening, please visit your healthcare provider, or you may be able to order breastmilk donor blood test panels online.

I would like to donate milk. How do I find a recipient?

Offers of donor milk must be posted by the person who produced the milk. For re-donating donor milk, please message the page for accommodations.

On Facebook

Before posting, please read the 4 Pillars for specifics about screening donors or recipients and the safe handling of donated breastmilk.
Go to your local Eats on Feets Facebook Chapter and follow it for safe milksharing information.
The Community Group is featured at the top of the Page.
Please read the rules for participating upon joining.
Check the posts for current offers and requests. Respond to the posts that suit your situation and let the poster know in the comments that you sent them a private message so they know to look for it.
Please practice safe social networking: Do not engage if something does not feel right; do not share private information in the group, and do not send people any money for milk, gas, parts, shipping, etc.
If you do not find a match that is suitable to you, post your offer or request. Please include some background information regarding your general location, whether this is an ongoing or temporary request/donation, the age of your child, any special diet considerations, the best way to contact you, etc.
If you do not see your post in the group, please make sure you followed the rules or it may have been declined or removed.
Regularly check for comments on your post. Facebook notifications can be delayed or unreliable. It is up to donors and recipients to connect with each other, check their post, and follow up with potential leads.
If you have not received a response to your post, please feel free to post again. Please feel free to also post in a neighboring Community Group.
Please send a message to your local Page if you need further assistance.

Our Community Groups are public though posts can be made anonymously. We believe that there is safety in transparency and we believe that screening and approving members gives a false sense of security to our members.

Please also post on chapters of neighboring states or message the Eats on Feets Home page if there is no chapter in your area.

It is up to the donor and recipient to connect with each other, check in on posts, and follow up with each other.

Not on Facebook

Please email us with your offer and appropriate background information, including a contact to share. The offer will be posted on the relevant Facebook page(s) and donors will make private contact.

For frequent offers, a Facebook account is suggested as it allows for a more effective way for families to connect.

I have found a recipient. How do I proceed?

Discuss with each other how you would like to proceed. Do you want to e-mail a list of questions or ask questions over the phone? Are you a good fit for each other? Do you want to meet in person first? What questions would you like to ask each other? Can you drive to each other? Does the milk need to be shipped? Etcetera.

It is also important to discuss what you would like a recipient to do with your milk if they cannot use it for any reason or if they have more than they need. In order for your recipient to pass on your milk to someone else on our network, it is not enough for them to have your permission. We require your name and contact information so that we can make a post and a new recipient can contact you for their own full informed choice process.

Remember to practice safe social networking.

Do you have suggestions for addressing recipients?

This list is only a guide and does not imply that all of these questions will apply to you or that you should feel restricted from asking other questions.

How will my milk be used?
Are you or your baby being treated for any disease, infection, or disorder?
Are you or your baby taking medication?
Have you and your baby had recent blood work done?
Would you be willing to have blood work and/or a health screening done?⁶
Are you willing to cover the cost, if any, of donor blood screening?
Are you willing to provide bottles or bags for milk collection and storage?
Will the donation relationship be ongoing or one-time only?
How much milk are you expecting/hoping for?
Will you be supplementing with breastmilk substitutes or from another donor if needed?
How often and when will you be coming to pick up the milk?
Do you want all of the milk to be frozen? Would you want fresh, unfrozen milk?
Would you like your baby nursed by your donor when possible?
Are you familiar with safe handling techniques for breastmilk?
Are you educated in at-home heat-treating of breastmilk?
Do you have any concerns that need to be addressed or researched further?

How do I handle breastmilk (for donors)?

“How do I handle breastmilk if I want to donate”? is a question we are asked often. The following are suggested steps for safely expressing and storing breastmilk:

Always make sure that supplies are clean and wash your hands before handling breastmilk.

Before beginning, make sure that your supplies are clean and dry.
Vigorously wash hands, fingers, forearms, and under nails with soap and warm water for 20 seconds, dry hands with a paper towel, and then use a paper towel to turn off the faucet.⁷
Inspect your breasts and make sure that the nipples are not cracked and bleeding and that there are no open sores, blisters, and/or bleeding cracks on your breast. If so, do not donate at this time.
Follow the instruction manual for your pump or consider expressing by hand.
Properly label the storage container and place it in the freezer or refrigerator.
After pumping and storing, wash, and properly store your supplies.

Can I donate milk that was donated to me?

It can happen that donated milk cannot or will not be used. Sometimes a baby does not like the taste for example.

Expressed breastmilk, especially milk that has been frozen, can develop a taste or smell that some babies do not like. Some of this can be caused by excess lipase but there are other reasons for this to occur.⁸

It also happens that a recipient ends up with more donor milk than they need. If donated milk will not be used, the milk can be returned to the original donor. If this is not possible, the original donor can post their offer again and the first recipient then becomes the pick-up location for the new recipient.

It is important that bags be labeled properly with name, date, and contact information.

Eats on Feets does not accept third-party offers. A donor needs to offer their own milk. Someone who is not on Facebook can email us or contact us via Messenger and we can make a post for them on their local Chapter with an email or phone number. Families in need can then contact them directly. Please know that our Chapters are public.

Please see Handling Milk for proper handling information

How do donors know that the person requesting milk really needs it?

All babies, including young children up to 2 years and beyond, benefit from breastmilk.⁹

Although Eats on Feets focuses on breastmilk for babies and young children, sometimes medical needs arise for older children or adults. Eats on Feets does not put an age range on pediatric needs,¹⁰ and reposting these needs will be up to the discretion of our admins.

A strong case can be made for the medical use of breastmilk by adults. Eats on Feets supports informed choice and a person’s right to share breastmilk with whomever they choose. Adult needs are welcome on our network, but will not be posted or shared by our admins on our pages and they cannot be anonymous in our groups.

It is suggested that donors get to know the recipients and inquire about how their breastmilk will be used. Some adults might request milk for non-medical reasons.¹¹ Eats on Feets encourages families to practice safe social networking.

My recipient may benefit from extra breastfeeding support. What can I do?

Simply providing breastmilk to a recipient in need is a wonderful way of supporting the breastfeeding relationship.

While donors may possibly have more experience and education in breastfeeding than anyone else in the recipient’s life, it is a personal decision whether broaching the subject of breastfeeding issues would be appropriate or not. Please keep in mind that the recipient may be in an emotionally delicate place.¹²

Can I donate when I am taking medication?

Although almost no medication taken by a lactating parent requires them to stop breastfeeding, and while with very few exceptions, breastfeeding remains better for you and your baby, all medications and vaccinations should be disclosed to recipients.¹³

Please consult a healthcare provider about any effects that prescription or over-the-counter medications may have on breastmilk.

Please also see the sections General Information on Medication and Drugs, medication, alcohol, and the decision to discard breastmilk

I want to donate but my milk develops a noticeable smell. What can I do? Can I donate?

Changes in the taste and smell of breastmilk can be attributed to Lipase, oxidation, diet, and/or water and cleaning supplies.¹⁴

Breastmilk is naturally meant to be consumed within the closed bio-system of parent-child. Exposing breastmilk to the different elements outside of this closed bio-system (temperature, air) by expressing and storing the milk affects the activity of lipase, an enzyme that aids in the digestion of fats. Lipase activity is stable at a pH level of 3.5 at 37°C/98.6ºF for one hour, which is just long enough for effective fat digestion at the level of the infant’s small intestine.¹⁵ Exposure can also cause chemical oxidation of the milk.

Lipase
Some parents find that their breastmilk develops a soapy smell and a metallic taste after it has been frozen and thawed. This change in smell has been attributed to changes in the milk fats related to storage in self-defrosting refrigerators-freezers; it has not been found to be harmful to the baby.¹⁶ This suggests that the freeze-thaw cycles of such freezers may change the fat structure of the breastmilk.

How long it takes for lipase to alter the smell and taste of breastmilk depends on the lipase level and varies from person to person. Depending upon the level of lipase, some caretakers notice this rancid smell after milk has cooled in the fridge; others notice it only after the milk has been frozen for a while.¹⁷ ¹⁸ Some parents may, therefore, be able to keep their milk refrigerated or frozen for a short time before the soapy taste and metallic smell develop. Others find that their milk begins to smell soapy soon after it has been expressed. Most babies will drink this milk without a problem and the milk is generally considered safe to consume.¹⁹

Chemical oxidation
Another reason for this change in taste to occur is possibly related to diet and/or metal ions in the water used to clean the supplies. Nancy Mohrbacher writes that sour or rancid-smelling milk is probably unrelated to milk lipase levels. According to some milk storage experts, the most likely cause is chemical oxidation, rather than lipase-caused digestion of milk fat or bacterial contamination.²⁰

Possible contributing factors are the intake of polyunsaturated fats or free copper or iron ions in their water. Heating the milk could in this case actually speed up the oxidation, making the problem worse. When a lactating parent is expressing and storing milk for their baby, it is suggested that anyone whose expressed milk smells rancid or sour temporarily avoid their usual drinking water and any fish oil or flaxseed supplements, as well as any foods like anchovies that contain rancid fats. While handling their milk, it is suggested they also avoid exposing it to their local water. It may also help to increase antioxidant intake by taking beta carotene and vitamin E.

Some parents have indeed found that using distilled water (and phosphate-free soap) to clean supplies addressed this issue and that the expressed milk could be cold stored or frozen without problems. However, others found that they were only able to store their milk for a longer period of time than before until changes in taste or smell occurred.

Still, other parents found no change when altering their diet and/or water exposure. If in doubt about whether milk is high in lipase or not, make sure that distilled water and phosphate-free soap are used to clean supplies, and taste the breastmilk several hours after expressing it to see if the milk has acquired this off-smell and -taste.

Heat-treating
When a baby does not like the taste of expressed breastmilk, and cleaning methods and/or diet have been ruled out as the potential cause of the change in smell and taste, lipase can be deactivated by heat-treating the milk.

Heat-treating milk that is high in lipase is done as soon as possible after expressing the milk, or before the milk changes in taste and/or smell. As mentioned above, depending on lipase levels, some parents can keep the milk in the refrigerator for a period of time before heat-treating, sometimes over 24 hours. In most cases, the donor would however be responsible for heat-treating their milk prior to freezing and/or donating. Heat treating human milk to deactivate lipase needs to be done before storing it because once the milk has acquired the rancid smell and taste, treating the milk will not help.²¹

Most references refer to ‘scalding’ as the method used to deactivate lipase. Scalding milk means bringing the milk up to the boiling point, which is 82°C/180°F and then immediately removing it from the heat source. The high heat of this process combined with the direct heat source potentially damages important components of breastmilk, like lactoferrin and immunoglobulin. Online references say however that this is not likely to be an issue unless all of the milk that a baby is receiving has been heat-treated.

Heat is known to deactivate lipase in breastmilk and thus flash-heating is another method that can be used. Flash pasteurizing milk at 72°C/161.5°F for 15 seconds deactivates the lipase by 97% (which is presumably enough to stop the activity of the lipase).²² The lower temperature used with these methods, as well as the indirect heat source, does not harm the milk as much as scalding does. Please see the section Flash heating explanation for information on how to do this.

Some parents have used bottle warmers and a kitchen thermometer to heat-treat the milk in order to deactivate the lipase. Per Lawrence & Lawrence, bile salt-stimulated lipase can also be destroyed by heating the milk at 62.5ºC/144.5ºF for one minute, or at 72ºC/163ºF for up to 15 seconds.²³

Recipients should be informed that the milk was heat-treated for the deactivation of lipase. In circumstances where a long-term milksharing arrangement needs to be made, finding a donor who is willing to wet-nurse or whose milk does not require heat treatment is preferable.²⁴ The above information assumes that the baby who will receive the breastmilk is healthy and full-term, and that, considering the anti-infective qualities and superior nutrition of raw milk, heat-treated milk is not the sole source of nutrients for the baby. Please see the section What about premature babies? for more information on heat-treating and its effect on some important anti-infective properties of breastmilk.

Please consult with a lactation specialist with further questions.²⁵

Will I be able to meet the babies who receive my milk?

Meeting your recipient baby or not is a decision that is based on the mutual agreement between you and your recipient. This can vary per arrangement and this arrangement can change over time as a relationship forms.

We hope that relationships form and one way to normalize community-based and private arrangement milksharing as a vital part of infant feeding is to share your experience as a donor. We would love to host your blog post on our website. We would love it even more if your recipient were to add their experience so that readers can see both sides.

My baby passed away. Can I donate my milk?

We are so very sorry for your loss. Many parents find great solace in donating their milk to another baby after their own baby has passed away. It can be a very important part of healing for families while they grieve the loss of an infant.²⁶

What about milk banks

Milk banks are well-established entities in North America and other parts of the world. ²⁷ Milk banks typically serve the most vulnerable babies and those born prematurely. Families with healthy babies or older babies, however, typically do not qualify for receiving milk from the milk bank unless they can pay for it or have a prescription. The cost is typically estimated to be between $3-5 per ounce. Donors with older babies often do not qualify to donate because the composition of older milk is different from that of earlier milk though some banks have changed their upper age limit in the last few years.

Eats on Feets respects the lactating parent’s right to determine the most appropriate use for their breastmilk. We also honor every baby’s right to human milk.²⁸

The benefit of using donor milk from milk banks, when and if it can be obtained, is that the milk has been stringently screened for bacteria and infectious disease, pre- and post-pasteurization.

There are, however, always risks associated with feeding a baby anything other than his/her own parent’s healthy breastmilk via direct nursing, especially for those in the hospital. When considering donor milk, parents are balancing the benefits of superior nutrition and immunity against the risk of disease transmission. Even after donor milk is screened, some argue that pathogens can still remain in the milk,²⁹ and after donor milk has been pasteurized, pathogens can (re-)contaminate milk.³⁰ Please see the section Are there risks to using donor milk? for more information.

Self-exclusion
A possible risk of milk from milk banks is that there is no control of exposure to non-infectious contaminants. Milk banks rely on the self-exclusion of donors to keep milk free of tobacco, alcohol, medications, etc. There is no donor/recipient relationship when pursuing milk from milk banks. Getting to know a donor personally is an important aspect of informed milksharing.

Raw versus pasteurized milk
Most milk from milk banks is given to hospitals for premature and sick babies.³¹ ³² The lack of anti-effective properties in pasteurized milk can put a baby at risk, especially when a baby is sick or premature.³³ In a previous but valuable study on the effect of routine screening of raw human milk and donor milk for premature babies, the authors discuss that while the data clearly document that premature infants fed raw expressed human milk are frequently exposed to large numbers of bacteria, no adverse events directly related to consuming this milk were documented.³⁴

Please see the section What about premature babies? for more information about the effect of heat-treating on breastmilk.

Please see the section Why breastmilk? for more information on the benefits of (raw) breastmilk for all babies.

Risk from handling
Some of the risks of donor milk are associated with the methods that are used when feeding the expressed breastmilk to a baby.³⁵ There have been documented cases in hospitals where newborns developed bacterial infections after receiving milk obtained from milk banks and delivered via feeding tubes or artificial nipples. For instance, one outbreak of F. meningosepticum was not from the milk itself but was located on milk bottle stoppers and ‘cleaned’ teats, as well as the ward environment. Dr. John May identifies four related deaths as a result of contaminated breastmilk in hospitals.³⁶

Some of these infections appear to have been associated with a single donor, which indicates that there was some cross-contamination that occurred with that particular batch of donor milk. The infections linked to contaminated breastmilk were generally caused by normal bacteria that live on human skin and are by definition not isolated to babies in hospitals. Sick and premature infants are more at risk for these infections. Please see the section Handling of breastmilk for more information on proper handling techniques.

❆✼❆

Please also know that the Human Milk Bank Association of North America requires donors to donate at least 100 ounces of milk; some banks have a higher minimum for a first donation.³⁷ Other countries may have different requirements.

To make informed choices, we encourage donors (as well as recipients) to research their options and to investigate milk bank procedures regarding heat treatment,³⁸ storage,³⁹ distribution (Not everyone who needs breastmilk will necessarily have priority and be able to obtain breastmilk from a milk bank.⁴⁰ ⁴¹), and usage,⁴² as well as weigh the pros and cons of donating milk to a milk bank or to an individual.

_______________

The suggested questions we offer are typically asked of donors by milk banks. They are not meant to be used as an official Eats on Feets questionnaire. ↩︎
Someone licensed to provide independent healthcare. ↩︎
Kim Updegrove, MSN, MPH, APRN, CNM, et al. 2020. HMBANA Standards for Donor Human Milk Banking: An Overview HMBANA excludes donors who have had a positive blood test result for HIV, HTLV, Hepatitis B or C, or Syphilis, whose sexual partner is at risk for HIV, who use illegal drugs, who smoke or uses tobacco products, who have received an organ or tissue transplant or a blood transfusion in the last 12 month, who regularly have more than two ounces or more of alcohol per day, who have been in the United Kingdom for more than 3 months or in Europe for more than 5 years since 1980 and who were born in or has traveled to Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Niger, or Nigeria. The US milk bank guidelines are followed fairly closely by other countries. ↩︎
Some of these questions are typically asked of donors by milk banks. Milk banks offer a big percentage of their milk to premature and sick infants. Some milk banks may also ask for clearance by a healthcare provider to donate milk, and for completing a form with current health information to include with shipping or delivery of milk. Donors and recipients of informed milksharing may have different expectations than those presented here. WakeMed –Donate ↩︎
Human Milk Banking Association of North America. Archived. HMBANA|Donate Milk HMBANA excludes donors who have had a positive blood test result for HIV, HTLV, Hepatitis B or C, or Syphilis, whose sexual partner is at risk for HIV, who use illegal drugs, who smoke or uses tobacco products, who have received an organ or tissue transplant or a blood transfusion in the last 12 month, who regularly have more than two ounces or more of alcohol per day, who have been in the United Kingdom for more than 3 months or in Europe for more than 5 years since 1980 and who were born in or has traveled to Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Niger, or Nigeria. ↩︎
Establishes a baseline of health for caregivers and donors, should baby ever become sick. Fair trade of personal information. ↩︎
CDC – When and How to Wash Your Hands. ↩︎
Please also see I want to donate but my milk develops a noticeable smell. What can I do? Can I donate? This information can also be shared with donors in order to possibly avoid this issue in the future. ↩︎
World Health Organization. Unicef. 2003. Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding, bullet 10, p. 14, the WHO states: “Breastfeeding is an unequaled way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants; it is also an integral part of the reproductive process with important implications for the health of mothers. As a global public health recommendation, infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, development, and health. Thereafter, to meet their evolving nutritional requirements, infants should receive nutritionally adequate and safe complementary foods while breastfeeding continues for up to two years of age or beyond.” ↩︎
Food and Drug Administration. 2003. Pediatric Expertise for Advisory Panels. Nonbinding guidance for the use of medical devices.
Pediatric Populations
For purposes of this guidance, we are defining pediatric subpopulations as shown below.

Pediatric Subpopulation Approximate Age Range

Newborn Birth to 1 month of age

Infant 1 month to 2 years of age

Child 2 to 12 years of age

Adolescent 12-21 years of age

“Although the upper age limit used to define the pediatric population varies among experts, including adolescents up to the age of 21 is consistent with the definition found in several well-known sources. The Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) believes this age range is generally appropriate for the use of medical devices in pediatric subpopulations but recognizes that there may be cases in which the pediatric population should be defined differently, depending upon the type of device.” ↩︎
Claire Levenson. Archived. Mothers selling breastmilk … to men ↩︎
This may be a helpful resource: International Breastfeeding Center. Archived. Myths of Breastfeeding. ↩︎
International Breastfeeding Center – Breastfeeding and Medications ↩︎
Please know that elevated lipase blood levels can be an indicator of inflammation of the gall bladder or pancreas, high amounts of triglycerides, and other health problems. Elevated lipase levels can be asymptomatic for some time before health problems are obvious. Please consult a healthcare provider if you think there may be a medical reason for excess lipase in your milk. (Free Medical Dictionary ↩︎
Garza C, Schanler RJ, Butte NF, Motil KJ. Special properties of human milk. Clin. Perinatol. 1987;14(1):11-32.3.) ↩︎
Lawrence R. A., and Lawrence R. Breastfeeding: A Guide for the Medical Profession, 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Mosby, 2005: p.696. Print. ↩︎
The terms soapy smell and metallic taste on one side, and rancid or sour smell on the other, seem to be used interchangeably when reading about the experiences of parents as well as the recommendations of the experts. ↩︎
Nancy Mohrbacher, IBCLC, and Julie Stock, BA, IBCLC. La Leche League’s The Breastfeeding Answer Book, 3rd edition (1997): p 229. Print. ↩︎
Per Gaskin, Ina May. “Soapy-, Metallic- or Rancid-tasting Milk that You Have Thawed.” Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding. New York: Bantam, 2009. p.165. Print. ↩︎
Mohrbacher, Nancy, IBCLC. Breastfeeding Answers Made Simple: A Guide for Helping Mothers. 2010. pg. 461. ↩︎
Nancy Mohrbacher, IBCLC, and Julie Stock, BA, IBCLC. La Leche League’s The Breastfeeding Answer Book, 3rd edition (1997): p 229. Print. ↩︎
Dr. John May, et al. 2005. La Trobe Tables ↩︎
Lawrence R. A., and Lawrence R. Breastfeeding: A Guide for the Medical Profession. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Mosby, 2005: p. 205, 771. ↩︎
Eats on Feets believes that raw and fresh (not frozen) milk is better than heat-treated milk when possible. ↩︎
There can be vast differences in training and expertise. Not every lactation consultant is an IBCLC. IBCLCs are International Board Certified Lactation Consultants working in lactation clinics attached to hospitals and/or private practice. They are healthcare professionals who specialize in the clinical management of breastfeeding. IBCLCs are certified and regulated by the International Board of Lactation Consultants Examiners. Find/verify an IBCLC. ↩︎
US-based Bereavement Resources ↩︎
International Milk Genomics Consortium – Milk banks around the world ↩︎
World Health Organization. Unicef. 2003. Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding, bullet 10, p. 14, the WHO states: “Breastfeeding is an unequaled way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants; it is also an integral part of the reproductive process with important implications for the health of mothers. As a global public health recommendation, infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, development, and health. Thereafter, to meet their evolving nutritional requirements, infants should receive nutritionally adequate and safe complementary foods while breastfeeding continues for up to two years of age or beyond.” ↩︎
Ronald S. Cohen, et al. 2009. Retrospective review of serological testing of potential human milk donors . Screening tests are designed to have a relatively high incidence of false positives in order to prevent any false negatives. While false positives happen to many people, they tend to be higher in those who are pregnant or were recently pregnant. From the perspective of a milk bank that will be testing the donors on a regular basis, it makes sense to exclude anyone with a history of false positives since the cost of pursuing confirmations at every testing opportunity is not only prohibitive for a non-profit org, it also can lead to logistical issues with the milk received from the donor. This study does not follow up on the actual serological status of those screened but, even per the most optimistic values, it is quite likely that many did not in fact have any current infections. ↩︎
Dr. John May, et al. 2005. La Trobe Tables ↩︎
Human Milk Banking Association of North America. Archived. HMBANA|Who do we serve “In the US if a bank has difficulty meeting the demands of one of their client hospitals they are able to refer them to another non-profit milk bank, but this does not happen very often. ↩︎
Human Milk Banking Association of North America. Archived. HMBANA|Why use donor milk? “The banks also serve many infants in the home who need milk because of medical conditions such as intolerance to breastmilk substitutes or feeding issues related to prematurity. When possible the banks serve healthy babies who have been adopted or are not able to get their own mother’s milk.” ↩︎
Brenda L. Tesini, MD. 2020. Neonatal Hospital-Acquired Infection. ↩︎
Barbara J. Law, et al. 1988. Is Ingestion of Milk-Associated Bacteria by Premature Infants Fed Raw Human Milk Controlled by Routine Bacteriologic Screening? ↩︎
The same potential infections can occur when breastmilk substitutes are used in the same setting. ↩︎
Dr. John May, et al. 2005. La Trobe Tables ↩︎
Human Milk Banking Association of North America. Archived. HMBANA|Donate Milk ↩︎
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Resource for the Informed Sharing of Human Milk

Eats on Feets™ – Connecting Babies and Breastmilk: A perfect match!

Donating Breastmilk

Introduction