I would like to donate milk

because you’re a rockstar who sustains gorgeous babies with life-giving, nutritious milk and you would like to share this fleeting gift while you can.

At this time, we are only forging donation connections within the state of Ohio

Perhaps you produce more than your baby is able to consume and your freezer stockpile is infringing on your ice cream space.

Perhaps your baby is loving solid foods and you would like to share your bountiful gift with others before it runs out.

Or perhaps, like our founders Taylor and Ryan, your beautiful baby was taken too soon from this world and you would like to help another baby in their memory.

There are so many reasons why you may wish to donate your precious breast milk, and we honor each and every one of them!

To say “thank you” for so generously offering to donate milk to feed a baby for three months, we will send you this gorgeous gift box containing:

⭑ A gold or silver plated necklace honoring the baby that caused you to produce milk in the first place

⭑ A Medela pumping bra

⭑ 100 Medela breast milk storage bags

⭑ 3 Medela micro-steam sterilization bags

⭑ Tiny Human Supply Co. nipple cream

⭑ A hand written ‘Thank You’ note from our founders

We are not a milk bank. While we are so, so grateful for the wonderful, life-saving work done by traditional milk banks, we aim to forge Cosmic Connections between donors and recipients that transcend the boundaries of simple nutrition.

What we’re asking for

3 months.

Are you able to commit to 3 months of pumping breast milk to help a baby in need?

Traditional milk banks ask donors to commit to providing 300 ounces of breast milk. Donors remain anonymous and faceless; their milk is mixed with the milk from dozens of other donors and pasteurized to ensure consistency and safety for the premature and immune-compromised babies that milk banks serve.

At Holden’s Milky Way, we hope to foster personal connections between donors and recipients. Donors will meet with their Cosmic Match as frequently as they decide between themselves, to exchange milk for cuddles and news of the baby they are helping to flourish <3 Some babies will only require a little milk for supplementation; others will require enough milk for every meal of every day. For this reason, we try to match individual needs with individual donors.

We hope that our milk donors will become sources of friendship, support and comfort, as well as sources of nutrition.

How are donor matches made?

Our donors are matched with a family in their area based on many factors, including:

Location
Age of the recipient
Age of the Donor’s baby (the nutritional profile of milk produced for a newborn is very different from that produced for an 18 month old)
The amount of milk the recipient needs (will donor milk be used to supplement mother’s milk, or will donor milk be used as a complete diet?)
The milk production capacity of the donor (some mothers are already feeding their own child and have enough to help supplement another baby; some mothers have lost their own child and are therefore able to provide milk for multiple children)

What what we require from you

If you are interested in becoming a breast milk donor, please message us using the form below. You will receive an information packet and questionnaire that will ask you questions like:

Why you are interested in donating your milk?
How much milk you think you will be able to donate, and how frequently?
How far you are able to travel to meet with your Cosmic Connection, and how frequently?
Will you be able to engage with us on social media and update us regularly on your budding friendship with your Match?
What is your health history: do you engage in potentially risky behaviors and do you have a history of certain diseases?

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you screen your donors?

All donors are screened for:

Detailed written medical and lifestyle histories
Medications being taken (prescription, over-the-counter, herbal and ‘alternative’ remedies, mega-dose vitamins)

We also ask all our donors to commit to the responsible use of alcohol, to refrain from all illegal drug and tobacco use and to avoid risky behaviour that could expose them to pathogens.

How much does donating milk cost?

Traditional breast milk donation can be incredibly expensive, once you factor in pumping and milk storage supplies, sanitation, freezer space and shipping.

Holden’s Milky Way was established to eliminate the financial barriers to breast milk donation. We will help cover the cost of pumping and sanitation supplies like milk storage bags, micro-steam sanitation bags, milk transportation coolers and ice packs.

We will take your location and ability to travel into account when matching you with your Cosmic Connection.

Why should I donate?

Aside from the indescribable feeling of being able to feed a whole human with your own body, there are so many reasons why a person might choose to donate their breast milk to a baby in need.

Friendship : First and foremost, we hope that you will gain a friend in your Cosmic Connection. You are sustaining a child through their first few months of life and sharing a beautiful connection that few ever get the privilege to experience.
Support : Some of our Mamas are blessed with bountiful milk because of a baby who is no longer with us. Helping to nourish another baby is an incredibly selfless way to honor their memory. Holden’s Milky Way was established for this exact reason – to find a sliver of hope and good in heartbreaking sadness. If you have suffered the loss of your infant and are considering donating your breast milk, please go to this page for more help and support.
Helping the underserved : Traditional milk banks must prioritize the needs of the most fragile and hospital-bound infants, with remaining milk distributed based on availability to community-dwelling fragile infants and older infants with illnesses that respond better to human milk. Most babies age out of milk prescribed by traditional milk banks by 3 months of age, as there is simply not enough milk to go around after this age. Purchased breast milk can cost over $4 per ounce, which makes it cost prohibitive to the vast majority of parents. Adoptive parents, women who have had mastectomies or a history of certain cancers, transgender parents and a whole host of other parents who have perfectly healthy babies, but who are unable to produce breastmilk themselves, are not served by traditional milk banks.

Who can donate?

If you can:
1 – Produce breast milk
2 – Pass our health screening & commit to a healthy lifestyle while pumping
3 – Are willing to commit to 3 months of pumping
and
4 – are willing to travel to meet with your Cosmic Connection,
we would love to help you connect with a family in need!

I can't make breast milk, but I would love to help in some other way!

Our mission to eliminate the financial barriers to breast milk donation and use depends on the kindness and generosity of people like you!

There are so many different ways you can help:

Head over to our shop, where you can find different ways to sponsor a donating Mama or a baby who receives donated breast milk, as well as plenty of adorable Holden’s Milky Way gear. All Holden’s Milky Way swag is made and printed in the USA from sustainable, eco-friendly materials.
Add us as your Amazon.Smile charity. Whenever you purchase something from Amazon, they will donate 0.5% of the total purchase price to us at no extra cost to you!
If you’d like to donate in a different way, please email us: Support@holdensmilkyway.com