Milk that has been in the freezer for six months or less can be donated once the donor screening process is finished. Milk donation can occur if:
- Milk is stored in single-use, sterile breast milk pump bags or bottles
- We do not accept milk stored in glass jars, ice cube/milk trays, zip bags or containers not intended for breast milk storage
- Each bag or bottle is dated with the date the milk was pumped
- Do not combine different pumping sessions from different dates
- Do not mix temperatures when combining milk (only mix cooled milk with cooled milk)
- Milk is frozen within 4 days (less than 24 hours preferred) of pumping
- Milk is not scalded/heated before freezing or thawed and then re-frozen
- It does not contain restricted medication or alcohol
- Pump parts have been cleaned using hot, soapy water after each use
Learn how to keep your breast pump kit clean (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
Storing, Thawing, Handling Donor Milk (Source: Best Practice for Expressing, Storing, and Handling Human Milk in Hospitals, Homes, and Child Care Settings, 4th Edition, 2019, HMBANA.)