Speak to a maternal child health nurse
Call Pregnancy, Birth and Baby to speak to a maternal child health nurse on 1800 882 436 (Opens in new tab) or video call. Available 7am to midnight (AET), 7 days a week.
Donor breastmilk and milk banks
Key facts
What is donor breastmilk?
Donor breastmilk is human milk that is expressed and donated to a milk bank or given through informal milk-sharing arrangements.
Your breastmilk is the best possible nutrition for your newborn baby. Breastmilk provides your baby with all their nutritional needs for their first 6 months.
If you are unable to produce enough milk for your baby, pasteurised donor human milk is the preferred alternative to feed your infant.
Is donor breastmilk safe?
In Australia, breastmilk that is donated to milk banks is safe for your baby.
Breastmilk is a human bodily fluid. It can carry and transmit viruses such as HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and hepatitis (Opens in new tab) as well as bacteria (Opens in new tab). For this reason, when human milk is donated, the milk bank has strict protocols to store, test and pasteurise the milk (Opens in new tab). This makes sure there is nothing in the milk that can harm your baby.
The milk bank will also screen anybody that is interested in donating their breastmilk.
Donor breastmilk from private networks may not be properly processed or pasteurised. It's important you understand the possible risks before you use a donor's milk for your baby.
Where can I get donor breastmilk?
You can get donor breastmilk through:
- milk banks — usually connected to a hospital neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)
- informal networks on social media or in the community
When can donor breastmilk help?
Donor breastmilk is the preferred alternative for your baby when they are unable to get breastmilk from their parent. Breastmilk gives your baby all the energy and nutrients they need during their first few months of life.
Donor breastmilk is especially important for very low weight preterm babies. Compared with infant formula, human donor breastmilk helps neonates develop, grow and reduces their risks of infections and complications.
If your baby was born premature, it may be hard for you to make enough milk. Breastmilk has special proteins called antibodies.
A baby does not have to be premature or low birth weight to get donor breastmilk. For example, donor milk can help when:
How do milk banks work?
A milk bank is an organisation that collects donated breastmilk and then processes, tests, stores and distributes the milk to infants who need it.
Milk banks have strict guidelines that make sure the milk your baby receives is safe for them. Formal milk banks screen donors to make sure they are healthy.
The milk bank pasteurises the milk to kill any viruses or bacteria. Milk banks do not pay donors.
These milk banks give human donor milk to hospital NICUs in Australia:
- Australian Red Cross Lifeblood's Milk Bank (Opens in new tab) (New South Wales, Queensland, and South Australia)
- Mothers Milk Bank Charity (Opens in new tab) (Queensland and northern New South Wales)
- Mercy Health Breastmilk Bank (Opens in new tab) (Victoria)
- The Perron Rotary Express Milk (PREM) Bank (Opens in new tab) (Western Australia)
- The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (Opens in new tab) (New South Wales)
Many of these milk banks have sites at hospitals across Australia. You can source donor breastmilk informally, through social media networks or your local community. These groups put parents in touch with donors and they share breastmilk privately. Unlike milk banks, the milk provided through the community is not pasteurised or checked according to a milk bank's guidelines. Consider these safety issues before you accept milk.
Can I donate breastmilk?
To donate breastmilk to a milk bank, you need to meet the milk bank's specific criteria. They will check that you are eligible by:
- asking you questions about your lifestyle and medical history
- requesting you do a blood test (Opens in new tab) screen for infectious diseases such as HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) (Opens in new tab), hepatitis and syphilis (Opens in new tab)
The milk bank will:
- teach you to pump, store and transport breastmilk in a clean and hygienic way
- give you containers or approve containers to store your breastmilk
If you donate your breastmilk, the milk bank is committed to honouring your privacy and confidentiality.
If you are interested in donating your breastmilk, contact your local milk bank.
Can I use baby formula instead of donor milk?
Sick and premature babies need extra nutrition and fluids so they can 'catch up' with their growth. Breastmilk is best, but it is not always an option for parents. Special baby formula designed for pre-term babies will also meet their nutritional needs.
For other babies, commercial infant formulas have enough nutrients for healthy growth. Formula is the only safe alternative to breastmilk for babies under 12 months of age.
Resources and support
- If you have questions about breastmilk, contact the Australian Breastfeeding Association's (Opens in new tab) National Breastfeeding Helpline (Opens in new tab) on 1800 686 268.
- The Mothers' Milk Bank Charity (Opens in new tab) is based in Queensland but it also services other states and territories.
- Australian Red Cross Lifeblood (Opens in new tab) has information about donating and receiving breastmilk.
- Organisations that provide information on private milk sharing and connect donors with parents include eats on feets (Opens in new tab) and Human milk 4 human babies (Opens in new tab).
Other languages
- The Australian Breastfeeding Association has breastfeeding resources (Opens in new tab) translated into a variety of community languages.
- NSW Health has information on pasteurised donor human milk (Opens in new tab) translated into a multiple community languages.
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples
The Australian Breastfeeding Association has breastfeeding resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families (Opens in new tab).
Find out how we develop and review our content.
Last reviewed: February 2025
Need more information?
These trusted information partners have more on this topic.
Expressing breast milk – Ngala
Common reasons for expressing breast milk There are many reasons why mothers may want to express their breast milk. Their baby may be sick or premature and unable to suckle....
Donating your breast milk
Some mothers have difficulty producing enough breast milk while others produce more milk than their own baby needs.
Breast milk - expressing, handling and storage factsheet
Expressing is when you use your hands or a breast pump to remove milk from your breasts. It is important to handle and store breast milk properly to make sure it is safe for your baby.
Donated breast milk for new parents | Australian Red Cross Lifeblood
If you’ve had a premature baby, check with your doctor if donated breast milk is an option. See how we can help.
Expressing and storing breast milk
There may be times where you need to express your milk such as when you return to work, your baby was born prematurely or is unwell, is unable to suck well, is away from you, or if your breasts are too full. This page includes information about expressing, storing, cleaning equipment, transporting and preparing expressed breastmilk for your baby.
Expressing colostrum before baby is born | Australian Breastfeeding Association
Discover why some mums express colostrum before birth, when it’s helpful, and how to do it safely, with tips and support from the Australian Breastfeeding Association.
Mastitis, blocked milk ducts & breast abscess: what to do
Blocked milk duct symptoms include a sore lump in the breast. You can treat this at home. For mastitis or breast abscess symptoms, see a GP as soon as possible.
Breastfeeding - expressing breastmilk | Better Health Channel
Expressing breast milk by hand is a cheap and convenient method.
Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding in the Newborn | Ausmed
Vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB), previously known as haemorrhagic disease of the newborn (HDNB), was first identified over a century ago. It describes bleeding in the newborn that is not due to traumatic birth or haemophilia. Caused by vitamin K deficiency due to insufficient prenatal storage of vitamin K, combined with insufficient vitamin K in breast milk, HDNB presents as unexpected bleeding, often with gastrointestinal haemorrhage, ecchymosis and intracranial haemorrhage.
