Milk banks - anyone donated?

I've recently starting helping out the NCT in my area doing their website and came across information on a local Milk Bank.

I had a read up on it and gave them a call. They are sending me a pack and I'm pretty interested in helping out (need a blood test first).

Anyone else done this at all? I'm not sure what's involved and whether I need to express 'x' amount of milk per day as I don't want it interfering with Sophie's feeds but it sounds a lovely idea.

Sounds like a great idea. Im not sure how it works. I know Samuel has said they used donated milk and his mum is a MW so he might have a better idea.

My sister donates breasmilk, she doesn't have to express a certain amount a day, but there is a minimum I'm not sure what it is but it is quite small as the majority of breast milk goes to premature babies in hospital when their mothers wont/can't express. I know each women is different, but my sister was able to feed her daughter, our daughter and express for a milk bank all at the same time, she feeds her daughter every two hours, before the feed she expresses as much foremilk as possible then when Rosa has had her fill she expresses again.

You can get different amounts, when our children were small babies we would buy 250ml bags, then it went upto 500ml bags and we would just defrost a batch to last the day, then there were 750ml and 1 litre.

I think it's a great idea, really kind and so important to those that will use the milk. Let us know if you do it, good on you.

omg krista thats amazing what your doing

good for you


i unfortunatly cannt make enough milk for my own baby let alone donate some

I had another chat to them - they are so nice They said the amount doesn't matter and they will give me bottles to put it into which I need to label up with name and date expressed. As it is pasturised, they said you can top up milk that you've expressed and frozen with fresh stuff to get a full bottle if I want to do that.

The blood test is just for the usual checks (very wise). Mike laughed and said couldn't they just look at my notes from my pregnancy as they seemed to forever be pinching my blood LOL!

Sophie feeds every 2 hours during the day but she's asleep by 8pm every night and goes through so I have time to express some more and it will just bring my milk supply up a bit. I expressed tonight at 10pm and got 3oz from one boob so I think I'll be ok to give them a bit.

Funnily enough, I didn't know about these things before but I've just started helping out my local NCT doing their website and I came across some info on milk banks and thought it was a great idea.

Also, having had Jasmine prematurely, it seemed a nice way to give something back (albeit 10 years later!)

Will keep you posted as to how it goes.

Aww Krista, i think it is an absolutely fab idea Like Soup, i found it hard just feeding Jake so to be able to feed Sophie and express for scbu babies is just wonderful. Thank god for people like you out there hun!! Xx

Krista what a great idea....

I always thoughtit sounded a little 'odd' until a few years back when i read into it and i think it's a fabulous idea!

I cannot wait to start BF again..

You are awesome Krista!!!!

your fantastic krista


what an amazing thing to do with your amazing milk supply

Thanks everyone. Feeling a bit embarrassed now with the praise that everyone has given me

It somehow just seemed 'right'. Hard to explain. Mike was really supportive too which is lovely

I do donate to Tommys and Bliss and seeing the last flyer for Bliss and the teeny-tiny babies on it also made me think about it.

I do recall a thread on here about using other people's milk and remember being quite anti (how I've changed huh!) but I didn't really know anything about it then and did think that some stranger expressed and you gave it to your baby! How naive

I'm guessing it's not something that's commonplace as there seem to be very limited amounts of milk banks around the country.

If anyone else is interested, here is a site all about them and where they are:-

UK Milk Banking

Thought I'd let you know I've been to the NICU and collected my bottles (they gave me about 20 of differing sizes) and have started expressing and freezing already. My milk supply has certainly gone up even within a day! Really surprised me. I had the blood test done whilst I was there and should have the result in 3 weeks. I know all is OK from all the tests with Sophie but it's a precaution they have to take by doing it again.

A friend came with me and she brought a little bag of the smallest, cutest little bonnets that her nan had knitted for the premature babies.

Really look me back going into the NICU - I remember the anguish of every day there with Jas but the lovely feeling when we could take her home

thats great news krista

and very sweet of your friend to give the knitted bonnet