Human Milk Donation

So I have not said much about this yet but... I believe in human milk donation. When Connor was a baby I donated. Now that Annabelle is here I am donating again. There are many ways to donate your milk. I choose to donate mine to a milk bank that is a member of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America. This milk bank is local to me so it's convient and it's non profit. Which is very import an to me. Some milk banks will sell donated milk for over $180.00 an ounce. The non profit milk banks only charge right under $5.00 an ounce which covers the cost of operations, and processing of donors and doner milk. 

                    Here is how I store the milk. The containers are for the milk bank and the storage bags are for Annabelle. There are 300 oz in my deep freezer. 

Packing up the milk to donate

 The entrance of the milk bank

 Here is a look inside the milk bank

 Here is some milk waiting to be pasteurized 

You may be wondering about the process to become a donor. You first need to contact the milk bank. They will conduct a phone interview. Then a more detailed paper interview. After that you have to have your doctor and your baby's doctor sign off that you can donate. After that you have labs drawn to check for things like hepatitis, HIV ect. Once you pass that screening you can start donating. Your milk is tested for nutritional content, combine with three to four other mothers and then pasteurized and sent off to mostly hospitalized babies throughout the United States and the world. When I was donating when Connor was little some of the milk from our milk bank was even sent as far a Haiti ! I feel so blessed to be able to donate. It takes time and effort but if I had a baby in need I would want donor milk as an option. Its a gift only a mother can give!