Donating milk

bumpuser2505903

I just donated more than 300 oz to a milk bank. I had to go through extensive testing, etc. and I'm very thankful that I have enough milk to be able to feed DD and donate.

I recently became aware of a local Eats on Feets in my area though and wonder if I should go this route next time. My concern is there is no oversight. It's strictly peer to peer. And while I know I am healthy, DD is healthy, etc. I worry that if something bad happended to the baby (God forbid) that I donated to, might that family come after me at some point. Am I being paranoid? Does anyone have experience with peer donation?

cmenasco

I have actually done both (Mother's Milk Bank and then peer to peer - Human Milk for Human Babies).  The mom only asked if I was healthy and taking any medications.   After talking with our local LC lady, she said that that milk banks are actually really low for NICU's  because people are now doing more sharing online.  So next time I have more to donate I will be going back to Mother's Milk Bank so the preemie babies can get it in the hospitals!

bumpuser2505903

Thanks girls. Sounds like I'll keep donating to the bank!

SushiNoMore

As a preemie mommy, I really agree with the idea of donating to a milk bank.  While breastmilk is great for all babies, it's really crucial for tiny preemies.  Breastmilk helps reduce their risk of NEC, which can be fatal.  I always encourage potential donors to go with a milk bank - that's what we did.  I understand why people donate through other routes, but I'm always so grateful for people who donate through the milk banks.