| "Where it is not possible for the biological mother to breastfeed, the first alternative, if available, should be the use of human breast milk from other sources. Human milk banks should be made available in appropriate situations."
World Health Organization/United Nations Children's Fund |
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Note: The Human Milk Bank Association of North America is processing the milk that will be sent to Haiti. We are currently referring all donors to www.hmbana.org, or 1-866-998-4550, so that we can build up the supply in the United States so that when we are ready to send milk to Haiti, there will be an adequate amount of milk to meet the needs. For more information, learn more about our Emergency Relief Milk Program.
This diagram is for reference regarding how the process worked for our previous shipments to South Africa.
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1: Mom has extra milk
You can donate if you have previously stored milk up to 10 months from date of expression as long as it is clearly dated with the month, day and year of expression and/or if you plan to pump to donate. We will provide you with breast milk storage bags and milk collection and storage instructions. We will ship special containers via FedEx to any location in the US at no cost. You can expect the entire donation process to take about 6 weeks. You will receive step-by-step emails so you know exactly where you are in the process and what to expect next.
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2: Online Application
In order to be eligible to donate your breast milk, you must first complete an online interview. The application includes about 45 questions, similar to questions you answer prior to donating blood. It will take about 10 minutes. Once your application is processed, you will receive an email from our milk bank with detailed information on next steps. You can expect to hear back within 2 weeks of submitting your online application.
 Frequently Asked Questions
Online Application
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3: Donor testing
For your convenience, IBMP bank arranges a blood test at your home. The blood test is performed by a national laboratory, (ExamOne) and is paid for by our sponsors. At the same time, you will be asked to provide a cheek swab to create a DNA match for the milk. This ensures that only milk from tested donors enters the system. Again you will be notified via email of your qualification.
Donor Qualification Guidelines
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4: IBMP ships a cooler directly to you
Once you are qualified, you will receive email notification and information on next steps. We will ship specially designed containers with gel packs to your home, with detailed instructions on how to pack and ship the milk back.
Pack your milk in coolers
When ready, you will place the frozen milk and the gel packs into the container along with the prepaid priority shipping label.
FedEx picks up milk
One call to FedEx and your milk is on its way! FedEx will come to your doorstep to collect the containers for overnight delivery to our bank. The shipping is paid for by our sponsor.
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How it Works
25% of donated milk for infants in Africa
At least 25% of donated milk will be counted and processed for infants suffering from HIV/AIDS, malnourishment, poverty and disease in Africa. Your breast milk contains antibodies and nutrients that help protect infants from infections and other illnesses. Quick International Courier donates the shipping of the milk to Africa 2 times per year.
75% of donated milk for critically-ill babies in the US via Prolacta
The milk that is not applied toward the Africa shipments will be processed by Prolacta to make pasteurized human milk and to create the only available human milk fortifier made from 100% human milk, H2MF, for premature and critically ill babies in neonatal intensive care units in the U.S. For every ounce that remains in the U.S Prolacta will provide $1 to IBMP. These funds help IBMP to operate and fund long-term health care solutions in Africa, including local milk banking. This partnership of a non-profit with a for-profit organization provides a model that creates sustainability for urgently needed donor milk and funding for longer-term solutions. It also helps moms provide milk for both infants in Africa and the US, a win-win situation. Every drop is making a difference.
International Breast Milk Project spends less than 1% on administrative costs. |
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