Donation Rant

Okay so I have not yet made any kind of milk donation, but I plan to start donating some of my stash once my baby starts on solids. However, I am in a few donation groups on Facebook just to familiarize myself with how it works.

Lately, I’ve seen people becoming increasingly unwilling to do small things like replace storage bags for those that are donating to them. I’ve also seen some parents who are unwilling to meet the donating parent to pick up the milk and they expect it to be delivered to them. (Obviously there are cases where this is necessary, but that’s not what I’m referring to here) Personally, I think replacing the milk storage bags and going to pick the milk up yourself is the least someone can do for the mom that is donating her hard earned breastmilk to them.

As an overproducer who both nurses and pumps, it’s hard effing work. I’ve spent countless hours pumping, bagging milk, cleaning parts, and I’ve also spent a significant amount of money on pump parts, bags, and general supplies. I think it is totally reasonable to expect either a small monetary amount or the replacement of pump parts/ milk bags in exchange for a large amount of milk. Formula isn’t free, and pumping isn’t free for me, so why do others expect my milk be completely free to them?? Am I unreasonable in thinking this? Facebook seems to think so haha

**edit to add that I’m only planning on donating after baby starts solids because (as long as my supply stays roughly the same) at that time I should have a little over 1,000 oz in my stash and i would feel comfortable donating roughly half of that amount. We primarily nurse (I work overnight 3x a week so he only gets like 6ish bottles a week) so I know he’ll still be getting as much milk as he wants/needs even after we start solids☺️ I just want to keep a small stash for him and starting solids is just kind of an arbitrary starting point for me haha