Can I receive milk from a donor whose baby is not the same age as mine?

Yes! When possible, (pathogen-free) human milk is preferable even when there is a difference in age.1

Keep in mind that as babies grow and mature, their nutritional needs also change. It can, therefore, be more beneficial for donor breastmilk to either come from someone whose baby is around the same age or from someone who pumped when her baby was around that same age. Human milk expressed by mothers who have been lactating for >1 year has significantly increased fat and energy contents, compared with milk expressed by women who have been lactating for shorter periods. During prolonged lactation, the fat energy contribution of breastmilk to the infant’s diet might be significant.2

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  1. विश्व स्वास्थ्य संगठन. Unicef. 2003. Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding ↩︎
  2. ड्रोर मंडेल, और अन्य. 2010. लंबे समय तक स्तनपान में व्यक्त मानव स्तन दूध की वसा और ऊर्जा सामग्री ↩︎