Informal Breastmilk/Chestmilk Sharing

Risks and Recommendations

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Informal breastmilk/chestmilk (referred to as breastmilk for the rest of this document) sharing means feeding a baby human milk that is not from the parent or from a certified human milk bank. For your child’s health and safety, as well as the health and safety of other patients, we strongly recommend against the use of informally shared milk.

Seattle Children’s encourages and supports you by giving your baby your own breastmilk by breastfeeding/chestfeeding or pumping. If your milk supply is low, it may be tempting to use milk from someone you know or to buy milk over the Internet. However, this informal milk sharing can put your baby at risk for life threatening infections and other health and safety concerns such as exposure to drugs, medications or contamination. It is Seattle Children’s policy to not allow the use of informally shared milk for babies while they are in the ICUs (NICU, PICU, CICU) or if they have never been home, meaning they have been hospitalized since birth. Exceptions may be made for non-ICU inpatients admitted from home who were previously using informally shared milk at home. We will work with you to find the best and safest ways to nourish your baby.

What is informally shared breastmilk?

Informally shared breastmilk is milk that comes from someone other than the baby’s parent. It could be from family members, friends, unknown donors on the internet, or from another source that is not a certified human milk bank. This milk has safety risks.

Informally shared milk is NOT donor breastmilk, which comes from a certified human milk bank. Donors to milk banks are carefully screened and tested and donor milk is screened, pasteurized, tested, and considered safe for any baby.

What are the safety risks of informally sharing breastmilk?

Informally shared breastmilk bought online or received directly from another person without screening can put your baby's health at risk.
Risks include:

Infections and viruses: Diseases like HIV, hepatitis, syphilis, and CMV (a virus that causes illness in infants) can pass through breastmilk. Even donors who seem healthy can carry these infections without knowing it.
Drugs and chemicals: Shared milk can contain prescription medications, herbs, tobacco, marijuana, or illegal drugs. In studies, most milk bought online contained traces of tobacco, and some were mixed with cow's milk.
Bacteria and food poisoning: Breastmilk spoils quickly if it is not pumped, stored or shipped correctly. Most milk sold online contains high levels of bacteria that fail safety standards used by official milk banks.

Before giving any informally shared breastmilk to your baby in the hospital, you must discuss the risks with your baby’s doctor and sign the Seattle Children’s Acknowledgement of Risk Form.

Can I buy pasteurized donor milk from a human milk bank?

You can buy pasteurized donor milk from any HMBANA (Human Milk Banking Association of North America) milk bank (hmbana.org). You will have to pay for it yourself, and you might need a prescription from your pediatrician.

Contact HMBANA about how much it costs to have the donor milk shipped to your home or the hospital. The HMBANA-certified milk bank closest to Seattle is Northwest Mothers Milk Bank in Portland, OR. Call 503-469-0955 or toll-free at 800-204-4444 or visit donatemilk.org.

Pasteurized donor breastmilk from a HMBANA milk bank can help lower the risks of a serious intestinal disease called necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in very premature babies.

Because pasteurized donor milk is a limited resource, we reserve it for babies with specific problems, like babies who were born very preterm.

What are other options?

When parents’ milk or pasteurized donor milk is not available, infant formula is a safe, nutritious, and well-studied alternative for feeding. It is carefully manufactured and regulated.

What if I have more questions about safely feeding my baby?

Please talk with your child’s attending physician or clinical provider.

To Learn More

Lactation Services
206-987-1420
Ask your child’s healthcare provider
seattlechildrens.org/patient-education

Free Interpreter Services

In the hospital, ask your nurse.
From outside the hospital, call the toll-free Family Interpreting Line, 1-866-583-1527. Tell the interpreter the name or extension you need.

Seattle Children’s offers free interpreter services for patients, family members and legal representatives who are deaf or hard of hearing or speak a language other than English. Seattle Children’s will make this information available in alternate formats upon request. Call the Family Resource Center at 206-987-2201. This handout has been reviewed by clinical staff at Seattle Children’s. However, your needs are unique. Before you act or rely upon this information, please talk with your healthcare provider.

08/01/2026

PE2470