Donor milk

Donor breastmilk is human milk that’s expressed and given to a milk bank or shared informally between families. It’s used when a baby needs extra breastmilk—whether in hospital or at home.

In Australia, hospitals with milk banks may offer donor breastmilk to premature or very sick babies. Some parents also find donor milk informally, often through milk-sharing groups online.

When can donor milk help?

Donor milk is offered to premature and very sick babies in hospitals that have a milk bank, if the mother is unable to produce enough of her own breastmilk.

Families may also choose donor milk in other situations. Some parents need extra milk for babies of any age, while others seek donor milk for babies who are adopted, fostered or born through surrogacy. Sometimes, a non-birthing parent may wish to feed their baby breastmilk. These families will need to source donor milk informally,

Is donor milk safe?

Milk banks test and pasteurise donated breastmilk to make sure it’s safe for babies. Donors are screened to make sure they don’t have any medical conditions or lifestyle factors that could affect their milk.

If you’re sourcing donor milk privately, be aware of the risks. Privately shared milk isn’t screened or pasteurised. Make sure you understand these risks and how to reduce them.

Can I donate breastmilk?

Yes, you can donate if you meet the milk bank’s requirements. Milk banks operate in several states and have individual screening and donating procedures.

Your milk supply needs to be well established, and you’ll need to follow their guidelines for expressing, freezing, and transporting milk.

Private milk sharing

ABA doesn’t facilitate private milk sharing but provides links to organisations that do. ABA does not endorse these groups or their practices.

Eats on Feets

Human Milk 4 Human Babies - an international organisation with social media sites in various Australian states:

SA - www.facebook.com/share/g/1BYt7FGPfn
VIC - www.facebook.com/share/g/1BsZBb1pAT
QLD - www.facebook.com/share/g/1HmRah3VWP
WA - www.facebook.com/share/g/1APLLFtuTX
NSW - www.facebook.com/share/g/1846KD2Wdq
TAS - www.facebook.com/HM4HBTas
ACT - www.facebook.com/share/g/1A6yjGnR5x
NT - www.facebook.com/groups/1268672699943762

ABA supports your decisions

ABA is committed to supporting you to breastfeed your baby, and to provide information to enable this. With the right information and support, almost all mums can produce enough breastmilk for their babies.

In rare cases where breastfeeding is not possible or you do not have enough breastmilk, we support you to make informed choices about other options available.