Breast milk is more than a meal for premature and medically fragile babies in the neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU. It contains life-saving antibodies that protect against serious illness, including a dangerous intestinal condition called necrotizing enterocolitis.
6 out of 10 NICU babies need human milk beyond what their mothers can produce
Help NICU babies thrive: If you’re a lactating mother, you can donate your extra breast milk to WakeMed Mothers' Milk Bank. Here, donor milk is collected, pasteurized and distributed to NICUs across North Carolina and along the East Coast.
Start the Screening Process Today
Breast milk is in high demand, and becoming a donor is easy.
- Complete this online Breast Milk Donation Form.
- Create a WakeMed MyChart account.
- Receive a call from our donor intake coordinator.
- Complete donor questionnaire, consent and release forms.
- Have blood drawn at a WakeMed or LabCorp location.
- Become an approved milk donor and make your first donation!
Depending on the results of your screening, you may even be able to donate milk collected and frozen prior to contacting the Milk Bank.
Donating Is Quick and Convenient
Once you are an approved donor, you can drop off your breast milk at one of our locations statewide. Donations of 100 ounces or more can be dropped off at a donor depot location. Find a donation location.
Prefer to ship or schedule a pickup?
- Donations of 200 ounces or more can be picked up via courier (within eligible donation zones) or sent via overnight shipment in a cooler provided and paid for by WakeMed Mothers' Milk Bank.
- Bereaved donations qualify for courier or mail options with no minimum required.
Have questions about donating? Please call WakeMed at 919-350-8599, option 1, or email donatemilk@wakemed.org.