Donating Milk During A Pandemic

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We’re hearing from lactation consultants across North Carolina that the milk banks are running low. To all the milk donors out there – thank you!

Human milk donation has long played an important role in saving the lives of infants, many of whom are preterm or otherwise medically fragile. This need remains during the COVID-19 pandemic, and organizations such as the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA) are working closely with both the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure that the milk donation process is safe and that the donor milk supply remains available as well as safe…Continue Reading

La Leche League USA

Sick or premature babies sometimes cannot breastfeed, and frequently their mothers are unable to pump enough milk for them. For a baby in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), milk donations can be essential to life. This is where you come in. WakeMed Mothers’ Milk Bank is a non-profit milk bank that provides safe, pasteurized donor milk to babies in hospital NICUs in North Carolina and all along the east coast – breast milk donated by women like you.

It’s easy to apply to be a donor and start donating milk. Here are the steps:

  1. A Telephone Screen: You’ll start with a 10-minute preliminary phone interview to answer a few questions about your health and lifestyle.
  2. Paperwork: You’ll then complete the donor packet which consists of a written interview and forms for your physicians to complete.
  3. Labwork: Once all of your paperwork has been received, the milk bank will provide you with a requisition number to have blood tests performed at your local LabCorp. They test for Hepatitis B and C, HIV, HTLV, and Syphilis. All testing is done at their expense.
  4. Make your first donation: Once they receive your negative blood test results, you will be approved as a donor. They milk bank then discusses the final logistics with you about delivering or shipping your milk to them.

Are you ready to talk about donating? Please call The WakeMed Mothers’ Milk Bank at (919) 350-8599.