Breast Milk Donation: Saving Lives in Bengaluru

Understanding the Donation Process

When we talk about breast milk donation, we are talking about saving lives. Many premature, abandoned, or sick babies in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) cannot digest formula and depend entirely on donor milk to survive.

If you have a hyper-lactation or oversupply situation, you are uniquely positioned to help. However, milk donation is not casual. It is a medical donation, similar to blood donation, and follows strict protocols:

• Storage: Always use BPA-free breast milk storage bags or sterilized glass bottles. Pre-sterilized bags are best because they require no cleaning.
• Freezing: Milk must be deep-frozen in your home freezer. This preserves the nutritional value and prevents bacterial growth until it reaches the milk bank.
• Pasteurization: Once donated to a certified milk bank, the milk undergoes pasteurization. This process heats the milk to 62.5 degrees Celsius, eliminating viruses and bacteria while maintaining its immunity-boosting properties.

Ethics and Safety

Please remember that selling breast milk is illegal in India. Any request to sell milk or purchase milk through informal channels is unethical and unsafe. We strongly discourage informal peer-to-peer sharing without proper screening.

Our role at Bangalore Birth Network is to bridge the gap between willing donors and government-run human milk banks. We provide the information you need to ensure your donation is handled correctly, from maintaining the cold chain during transport to understanding which hospitals have the capacity to accept donations.

If you feel called to donate, start by reaching out to us. We will guide you to a registered bank where your gift can be screened, processed, and given to a baby who truly needs it.