How to donate breastmilk

Ever wanted to save a life? You can - just by donating a few drops of breastmilk.

• Why donate?
• What are the requirements?
• Is there a milk bank near me?
• Read Lucy's experience
• Where to next?

Breastmilk gives babies the best start possible in life but sometimes there are reasons why the mum of a newborn, particularly a premature baby, cannot breastfeed herself.

The mum might be physically unable to breastfeed due to illness, or perhaps needs help to establish her milk supply in the first few days after having a premature baby.

Many of the women who donate milk are giving back because they were helped themselves but you can donate even if your child has not needed help.

Most donors give about 30ml to 100ml a day but it is more important for the donations to be regular than the amount given.

An estimated 100 to 200 women donate at any one time, and new recruits are always being sought.

Donors can take the progesterone-only contraceptive pill and use asthma inhalers, if necessary, but cannot take any other medication, smoke, or drink more than two units of alcohol or seven cups of coffee a day.

Donations must stop if the woman develops mastitis or rubella or recently had a rubella vaccination.

The first donation must be within six months of starting breastfeeding.

Is there a milk bank near me?

There are milk banks at the following hospitals:

• Huddersfield Donor Breastmilk Bank, Contact name: J.Handley, P.Wood, Phone: 01484 342456
• Irvinestown Health Centre Milk Bank, Contact name: Anne McCrea, Phone: 028 686 22912
• The Milk Bank, Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital, London. Phone: 020 8383 3559
• Neonatal Unit, Addenbrooke's NHS Trust, Cambridge. Phone: 01223 245853
• Princess Royal University Hospital, Orpington. Phone: 01689 864924
• NICU, Medway Maritime Hospital, Gillingham. Phone: 01634 825125
• Birmingham Women's Hospital. Phone: 0121 472 1377 ext 4040
• King's College Hospital, London SE5 9RS. Phone: 020 7346 3573
• Oxford Human Milk Bank, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford. Phone: 01865 221695
• Southampton Human Milk Bank, Princess Anne Hospital, Southampton. Phone: 023 8079 6009
• St Peters Hospital Milk Bank, NICU, Abbey Wing, St. Peters' Hospital, Guildford Road, Chertsey, Surrey KT16 0PZ. Phone: 01932 722667
• St George's Hospital Neonatal Unit, Tooting London. Phone: 020 8725 1936
• The Queen Mother's Hospital, The Queen Mother's Hospital, Glasgow. Phone: 0141 201 0528
• Kingston Hospital, Kinston Upon Thames. Phone: 020 8974 5390
• Countess Chester Hospital, Chester. Phone: 01244 379193
• The Wirral Mothers' Milk Bank, Clatterbridge Hospital, Wirral. Phone: 0151 334 4000 Ext 5000

A full list of all UK Milk Banks is available from: UKAMB Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital, Du Cane Rd, Hammersmith London W12 0HS.

Where to next?

• For full information about donating breast milk, visit the UKAMB website www.ukamb.org/
• Interested in what donating breast milk involves? Read our feature!
• Talk to other new parents about the highs and lows after birth on our New Parents forum