Information for donors
Thank you for your interest in donating your milk. Listed below are the steps involved in becoming an approved donor. If you are currently pregnant, please contact us once your baby is born and lactation is established.
Telephone Screening with the Ohio Milk Bank:
Please call 614-544-0810 to talk with Diane to begin the screening process or if you prefer, send an email to milkbank@ohiohealth.com with your name, phone number, and a convenient time to call you back. This screening is similar to blood donation screening and takes about 10-15 minutes. During that time, they will answer any questions you may have about the donation process. If you have been a blood donor in the past and are not taking any medications on a regular basis that would affect your milk, you are most likely a good candidate to donate milk.
Donor Interview Packet:
Once you have passed the telephone screening, you will be sent a donor interview packet. This includes a 4-page medical health history, which asks information about health and lactation history and includes a medical release to be signed by both you and your baby’s healthcare provider. Simply complete and sign the top portion of the release forms and return them with the rest of the packet. We will send them to your healthcare providers.
Collection of Milk:
Closely follow the milk collection and storage procedures provided in the packet. We prefer that your milk be stored in our containers and that your first donation consist of a minimum of 100 ounces. If you have milk that was stored prior to your calling our office, we can accept it as long as:
a) you were not ill and/or taking any medications not approved on our list;
b) the milk is less than 3 months old and stored in a regular refrigerator freezer or 6 months if kept in a deep freeze (stand alone freezer unit)
c) and the milk is stored in a clean, food-grade container. Typically, it takes donors 3-6 weeks to collect 100 ounces. After the initial donation, milk can be delivered in any quantity and you may continue to donate until your baby reaches 1 year of age (although blood tests need to be repeated every 6 months). Remember to pick up additional containers each time you drop off milk.
Lab Work:
Once you have passed the initial screening process, we will help you complete the required lab tests. Please contact the Wisconsin representative regarding details on where labs can be drawn. All lab fees are covered by our organizations. Donors must have negative results on the blood test for HIV1&2, Hepatitis B and C, HTLV 1&2 and Syphilis.
Donor Approval:
The entire screening process typically takes 2-3 weeks to complete. After the completed forms and blood test results are available, the Mothers’ Milk Bank of Ohio will evaluate your file for approval. They will contact you regarding your eligibility but will not share that information with MMAW, please call us yourself to let us know when you have finalized arrangements with Ohio. It's very important that you let us know what your status is so that we can follow up with the collection and shipping process! Thanks!
Thank you for your truly priceless gift of health
