Mothers Milk Co-op, Prolacta Bioscience, and the Human Milk Banking Association of North America are well-known organizations in the US that are hospital approved and complete rigorous screening checks. [2] X Research source
Most mothers who are selling their breast milk will complete a short telephone interview with the milk bank before moving on to the rest of the screening process. Milk banks require donor mothers to be in good health. They are looking for women who are not on most medications or supplements. Women also need to be willing to undergo blood testing (usually at the milk bank’s expense). [4] X Research source
Milk banks also will not accept milk from mothers who have a positive test result for HIV, HTLV, hepatitis B or C, or syphilis. [6] X Research source Because milk banks regularly provide breast milk to hospitals for babies who are premature or high risk, they take extra care to not potentially introduce any bacterias or viruses to the babies.
Milk accepted by mail should be sent via overnight shipping in a cooler and kept on ice. Some milk banks may arrange this for you, whereas others will let you incur that cost.
Online milk communities generally have recommended standards for health, screening, storage, and transportation guidelines but do not police them. Babies need between 19 and 30 ounces of breast milk daily, so if you are able to produce 25 ounces of milk per day, you can make almost $23,000 a year by selling your milk. [9] X Research source
Because these sites aren’t as regulated as milk banks, setting yourself apart from the rest of the sellers is key to having a consistent business.
If you are sharing your health records with someone, black out any personal identifying information, like your last name, address, and social security number.
Explain in your ad how you package and deliver your milk. Are you requiring the buyer to pay for shipping? Do you freeze your milk and ship it overnight? Are you available for face-to-face transactions? If you have preferences about who you will or will not sell to, this is the place to clarify that. If you don’t want to sell to men, put this in your ad and be very clear. Write something like “Donation to a baby only. No adult wet nursing. No pictures. No videos. ”[13] X Research source
Never top off your breast milk with other substances, even bovine milk. If this is consumed by a baby with a milk allergy, it can be life threatening. [15] X Research source Breast milk can be stored in the fridge for no more than 5 days and in the freezer for up to 2 weeks, so it is best to sell and transport it as quickly as possible. Individuals who are receiving the milk are responsible for the pasteurization process.
