Donating your excess breastmilk is a special gift that only a healthy, nursing mother can give. Below are general guidelines to donate your breastmilk through Tiny Treasures Milk Bank.
If the following apply:
- You are generally healthy
- You do not take medication on a regular basis
- Your baby is healthy and doing well
- You do not smoke, use any tobacco product, a nicotine patch, or an e-cigarette
- Your home freezer reaches the appropriate temperature
THEN you are LIKELY to qualify as a donor
If the following apply:
- You have had a major illness in the last 12 months
- You have heart disease or high blood pressure
- You have had vaccinations or shots within the past 12 months
- You have had major surgery in the last 12 months
- You have taken certain medications within the past 1 to 3 years
- You take any medications (eg, prenatal vitamins, thyroid) for longer than 2 weeks
- You have ever tested positive for tuberculosis (TB)
- You have a history of cancer
- You have had recent significant weight loss
- You drink caffeinated beverages or alcohol in moderation
- You received blood or blood products longer than 12 months ago
- You take any herbal preparation, teas, or supplements for longer than 2 weeks
THEN you MIGHT STILL qualify as a donor
If the following apply:
- You have ever had an abnormal pap smear that resulted in a positive diagnosis of human papillomavirus (HPV) or been diagnosed with HPV
- You have ever been diagnosed with genital warts
- You have ever been infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
- You are diabetic requiring insulin injections
- You have ever received human pituitary growth hormone or a dura mater transplant
- You have a family history or increased risk for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (mad cow disease)
- You have ever injected illegal drugs
- You have ever had intimate contact with anyone at risk for HIV, human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV), or infectious hepatitis
- You smoke, use any tobacco product, a nicotine patch, or an e-cigarette
- Your baby is breastfed and not gaining weight or growing as well as expected
- You have been in the UK for 3 months or more cumulatively from 1980 to 1996
- You have been in Europe for 5 years or more cumulatively from 1980 to present
THEN you DO NOT qualify as a donor