learn
Guides for donors, families, hospitals and employers.
We have lots of information and resources to share. Tell us a little about your situation and the list narrows to the guides written for you.
Who are you?
Where are you in your thinking?
Showing all 18 guides.
Workplace lactation resources
Start with an employer webinar, practical planning questions, and current government guidance.
Do I have extra milk?
Your freezer fills faster than your baby empties it. What that pattern usually means, and what it does not mean about you.
My freezer is full
You are out of room and the dates on the bags are creeping up. What is still good, and what your options are now.
Who receives donor milk
Who is actually on the other end of a milk donation, and why donor milk is the only safe option for them.
How milk banking works
Follow a bag of milk from your freezer to a baby, step by step, including every test it passes on the way.
Informal sharing vs. milk banking
You could hand it to someone you know. Here is the honest difference between the two paths, without the lecture.
Become a donor
What screening actually involves, what it costs you, and why your own baby always comes first.
Donor milk for your baby
Your baby needs donor milk, or may soon. How families get it, what it costs, and what to do if you cannot afford it.
Help with the cost of donor milk
What the processing fee covers, and how the Medical Relief Fund makes sure the cost never decides whether your baby gets milk.
How to request donor milk
The steps from first call to milk in your hands, and where to pick it up. Most families have it within a day.
The real cost of NEC
What a single case costs your unit, in dollars and in bed days, before you count the outcome for the baby.
Is your supply reliable?
A fill rate looks fine until the week it does not. How to tell whether your supply is a plan or a hope.
Bioactivity and pasteurization
Holder versus shelf-stable, with the retained-component numbers and the studies they come from.
How to evaluate a milk bank
An eight-point checklist your team can put to any provider, including this one. Yours to fill in.
Working with The Milk Bank
Fill rate, cost, and the clinical evidence in one place, for the conversation with your committee.
Request materials or a presentation
Request brochures, presentations, bereavement kits, a tour, or help connecting your community with The Milk Bank.
Why donor milk has a processing fee
The milk is donated. See the screening, testing, processing, storage, distribution and compliance work the fee supports.
Stories from families and milk donors
Real experiences from recipients, milk donors and bereavement families featured in The Milk Bank's 2025 Impact Report.
Nothing matches that combination yet. Try widening one of the filters above.
resource library
Current guides, reports and clinical resources.
Download the resource that fits what you are trying to understand or share.
impact
2025 Impact Report
Current impact statistics, stories, Medical Relief Fund results and community reach.
hospitals
Hospital Partner Booklet
Clinical outcomes, cost, bioactivity, nonprofit advantages and partner standards.
clinical
Standard of Care
A concise overview of safety, ethical sourcing, reliable supply, clinical value and cost.
bereavement
Bereavement Lactation Standard of Care
Evidence-based guidance and The Milk Bank services for lactation after loss.
parents
Welcome to Parenthood
Donor milk, lactation support and storage guidance for parents after delivery.
related reading
Healing for Families
A Milk Bank article for families navigating grief and bereavement support.
if you would rather not choose
Most people arrive with one of three questions.
If none of the filters felt right, start with whichever of these sounds most like your week.
you have milk
“I am making more than my baby needs.”
Start with understanding donation and how your baby comes first.
your baby needs milk
“Is donor milk safe for my baby?”
The safety and science behind donor milk and how you can receive it for your baby.
you buy for a unit
“I am responsible for a NICU's supply.”
Fill rate, cost, and the clinical evidence, gathered for the committee conversation.
free for expecting parents
Still expecting? Start here.
The Infant Feeding Planner is our free 25-page guide to getting ready for breastfeeding, understanding your milk supply, and knowing what your choices are if you end up with more or less than your baby needs. It is the one guide here written for parents whose baby has not arrived yet.
whenever you are ready
Next Step, Made Simple.
You can start donor screening, ask about milk for your baby, or talk with someone about your hospital's supply. We’re here when you need us.