Human Milk

Supplement Options: Donor Breastmilk, Milk Banks, and Formula

This past week, we released one of my most favorite episodes on The Boob Group: Low Milk Supply: Donor Milk, Milk Banks, and Formula.  I had the esteemed pleasure of interviewing Amber McCann, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, fierce supporter of all things mothering, and dear friend.  I wanted to know what options were out there for mothers who needed to supplement their babies, as well as the pros and cons of each.

I pulled out the most salient points for this blog article, but you can click here to listen to the Boob Group episode in its entirety: Low Milk Supply: Donor Milk, Milk Banks, and Formula.

 

What are your options if you need to supplement your baby?

When feeding an infant, the World Health Organization lists a hierarchy:

  • Milk taken directly from the mother’s breast
  • Expressed milk from baby’s mother
  • Expressed milk from another mother (wet nurse, donor milk, milk from a milk bank, etc.)
  • Breastmilk substitute (formula)