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212.956.MILK (6455) — info@nymilkbank.org
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Donate Your Excess Breast Milk

We provide safe pasteurized milk from carefully screened donors to New York’s fragile and sick infants, thus improving their potential to survive and thrive.
HOW IT WORKS

4 Easy Steps to Becoming a Donor

  • SCREENING CALL

    A telephone screening to establish that you meet the basic criteria to become a milk donor. This takes about 15 minutes or so to complete. Call us at  212.956.MILK (6455).

  • LIFESTYLE AND HISTORY REVIEW

    Complete a written health and lifestyle application, consent forms, and medical releases we can email you or send you via the USPS

  • MEDICAL CLEARANCE

    Have your and your baby’s provider complete the medical releases. We can fax these releases for you or you can contact them yourself.

  • FREE BLOOD TEST

    Once we have your completed forms and blood test results, we will contact you to arrange how you can get your milk to us.

MILK DROP OFF LOCATIONS

26 Convenient Drop-off Locations

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Who can donate milk?

Milk donors are screened for health concerns and communicable disease.

Our donors meet the following basic requirements:

  • In good health and able to breastfeed, with a surplus of milk.

  • No use of nicotine products or regular use of milk enhancing herbs, including fenugreek or blessed thistle.

  • Minimal use of medications. Call and we’ll help determine whether a medication is safe for milk donation.

  • Willing to undergo a thorough health history screening and get a free blood test for communicable diseases.

  • Able to donate at least 150 ounces of milk, unless you are a bereaved mother, in which case we will gladly accept any size donation.

How old can my milk be?

We are able to accept previously frozen milk stored for 3 or 6 months prior to your approval date depending on the type of freezer you are using. Call us and we will discuss this with you.

What conditions prevent a mother from donating milk?

  • Testing positive for HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), HTLV (Human T-lymphocytic Virus), Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, or Syphilis.

  • You or your sexual partner is at risk for HIV.

  • Use of illegal drugs.

  • Use of any tobacco products.

  • Use of milk enhancing herbs such as fenugreek, blessed thistle, and/or regular use of Mothers Milk Tea.

  • Received a blood transfusion or an organ or tissue transplant in the last 6 months.

  • Consumes more than 2 ounces of alcohol per day.

  • Lived in the United Kingdom for more than 3 months from 1980 to 1996 or lived in Europe for more than 5 years from 1980 to the present day.

Why donate to a non-profit milk bank?

The New York Milk Bank is a non-profit milk bank that adheres to the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA) guidelines to provide safe pasteurized milk from carefully screened donors to New York’s fragile and sick infants, thus improving their potential to survive and thrive. Non-profit milk banks such as ours try to keep costs down and any operating surplus is placed in a Charitable Fund to help families who need donor milk.