What is donor breastmilk?

Donor breastmilk is human milk that is expressed and donated to a milk bank or given through informal milk-sharing arrangements.

Your breastmilk is the best possible nutrition for your newborn baby. Breastmilk provides your baby with all their nutritional needs for their first 6 months.

If you are unable to produce enough milk for your baby, pasteurised donor human milk is the preferred alternative to feed your infant.

Is donor breastmilk safe?

In Australia, breastmilk that is donated to milk banks is safe for your baby.

Breastmilk is a human bodily fluid. It can carry and transmit viruses such as HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and hepatitis as well as bacteria. For this reason, when human milk is donated, the milk bank has strict protocols to store, test and pasteurise the milk. This makes sure there is nothing in the milk that can harm your baby.

The milk bank will also screen anybody that is interested in donating their breastmilk.

Donor breastmilk from private networks may not be properly processed or pasteurised. It’s important you understand the possible risks before you use a donor’s milk for your baby.

Where can I get donor breastmilk?

You can get donor breastmilk through:

• milk banks — usually connected to a hospital neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)
• informal networks on social media or in the community

When can donor breastmilk help?

Donor breastmilk is the preferred alternative for your baby when they are unable to get breastmilk from their parent. Breastmilk gives your baby all the energy and nutrients they need during their first few months of life.

Donor breastmilk is especially important for very low weight preterm babies. Compared with infant formula, human donor breastmilk helps neonates develop, grow and reduces their risks of infections and complications.

If your baby was born premature, it may be hard for you to make enough milk. Breastmilk has special proteins called antibodies.

A baby does not have to be premature or low birth weight to get donor breastmilk. For example, donor milk can help when:

• your baby is born with the help of a surrogate
• you have adopted or fostered your baby

How do milk banks work?

A milk bank is an organisation that collects donated breastmilk and then processes, tests, stores and distributes the milk to infants who need it.

Milk banks have strict guidelines that make sure the milk your baby receives is safe for them. Formal milk banks screen donors to make sure they are healthy.

The milk bank pasteurises the milk to kill any viruses or bacteria. Milk banks do not pay donors.

These milk banks give human donor milk to hospital NICUs in Australia:

• Australian Red Cross Lifeblood's Milk Bank (New South Wales, Queensland, and South Australia)
• Mothers Milk Bank Charity (Queensland and northern New South Wales)
• Mercy Health Breastmilk Bank (Victoria)
• The Perron Rotary Express Milk (PREM) Bank (Western Australia)
• The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (New South Wales)

Many of these milk banks have sites at hospitals across Australia. You can source donor breastmilk informally, through social media networks or your local community. These groups put parents in touch with donors and they share breastmilk privately. Unlike milk banks, the milk provided through the community is not pasteurised or checked according to a milk bank’s guidelines. Consider these safety issues before you accept milk.

Can I donate breastmilk?

To donate breastmilk to a milk bank, you need to meet the milk bank’s specific criteria. They will check that you are eligible by:

• asking you questions about your lifestyle and medical history
• requesting you do a blood test screen for infectious diseases such as HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), hepatitis and syphilis

The milk bank will:

• teach you to pump, store and transport breastmilk in a clean and hygienic way
• give you containers or approve containers to store your breastmilk

If you donate your breastmilk, the milk bank is committed to honouring your privacy and confidentiality.

If you are interested in donating your breastmilk, contact your local milk bank.

Can I use baby formula instead of donor milk?

Sick and premature babies need extra nutrition and fluids so they can 'catch up' with their growth. Breastmilk is best, but it is not always an option for parents. Special baby formula designed for pre-term babies will also meet their nutritional needs.

For other babies, commercial infant formulas have enough nutrients for healthy growth. Formula is the only safe alternative to breastmilk for babies under 12 months of age.

Resources and support

If you have questions about breastmilk, contact the Australian Breastfeeding Association's National Breastfeeding Helpline on 1800 686 268.

The Mothers' Milk Bank Charity is based in Queensland but it also services other states and territories.

Australian Red Cross Lifeblood has information about donating and receiving breastmilk.

Organisations that provide information on private milk sharing and connect donors with parents include eats on feets and Human milk 4 human babies.

Other languages

The Australian Breastfeeding Association has breastfeeding resources translated into a variety of community languages.

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples

The Australian Breastfeeding Association has breastfeeding resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.