Give something special. Give milk.

Giving breast milk is such a special thing to do. For wanting to do just that, thank you.

So, who exactly would your breast milk help?

Thousands of babies in Australia are born early every year. When they’re born particularly early, they can face some unique health challenges.¹

Breast milk may reduce the risks of those health challenges, because it’s easier to digest than formula, protects the gut and improves feed tolerance.

The problem? Some mums can’t supply enough breast milk for their own baby (especially since their baby can’t feed directly from the breast just yet). That means some of the most vulnerable babies don’t have access to breast milk.  

That’s where you come in.

Can you donate?

Premature babies are incredibly vulnerable. We need to make sure the breast milk they’re receiving is as safe as possible.

That’s why there are some eligibility criteria for donors (just like when you give blood).

Some of things we'll look at include:

• Whether you’ve smoked or used nicotine replacement therapy in the last 6 months
• How much alcohol you regularly consume
• If you’ve used recreational drugs in the past 12 months
• Whether you’re at risk for certain blood borne diseases including vCJD (the human form of the condition sometimes known as ‘mad cow disease’)
• If you have received blood products (excluding Anti D) in the last 12 months
• The age of your baby
• The amount of breast milk you’re expressing
• Whether you’re over the age of 18
• Whether you live in Sydney or Adelaide (we need to be able to collect your donations)

Don't worry - even if you can't donate, your breast milk is still the best nutrition for your baby.²

Not eligible? There are other ways you can help.

References
1. Gephart SM, McGrath JM, Effken JA, Halpern MD. Necrotizing enterocolitis risk: state of the science. Advances in neonatal care: official journal of the National Association of Neonatal Nurses. 2012 Apr;12(2):77-87; quiz 8-9. PubMed PMID: 22469959. Pubmed Central PMCID: PMC3357630. Epub 2012/04/04. eng.
2. Quigley M, McGuire W. Formula versus donor breast milk for feeding preterm or low birth weight infants. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews. 2014 Apr 22(4):CD002971. PubMed PMID: 24752468. Epub 2014/04/23. eng.

Register your interest in becoming a breast milk donor