Nov. 11, 2025 – Informal breast milk sharing is more common than many may realize – and it comes with safety considerations. Nearly 50,000 first-time mothers each year report feeding their babies milk from unpaid donors, who are often complete strangers.
The new estimate – roughly 1 in 27 first-time moms in the U.S. – was published last week in JAMA Network Open, based on survey responses from 1,909 women from diverse backgrounds, with an average age of just under 30.
"Shared milk is really under the radar. People don't talk about it, and there’s some hesitancy to potentially disclose that to a health care provider because it's not regulated," said study author Jill Demirci, PhD, RN, an international board-certified lactation consultant and an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh.
If you’re considering donor milk, read on for important safety tips and best practices to keep in mind.
Why Moms Turn to Shared Milk
The reasons for feeding donor milk range widely – from low supply or difficulty breastfeeding to work demands and scheduling challenges. Some are influenced by social media trends encouraging moms-to-be to "stash" large supplies of milk, creating organized networks of women who find themselves with more milk than their own children need.
The 2022 baby formula shortage, triggered by a major supplier’s shutdown after bacterial contamination, also affected feeding decisions.
"At that point, parents were worried about not only the safety of formula, but if they were using formula, they had to ask, ‘If I don’t have access to it anymore, how am I supposed to feed my child? '" Demirci said.
Just this weekend, the FDA recalled two batches of organic ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula due to a potential link to 13 infant botulism cases spanning 10 states. By Tuesday, the case count had grown to 15 babies in 12 states, and the company decided to recall all batches of the formula. No deaths have been reported, but all of the babies – who range in age from 16 days to 22 weeks – have been hospitalized. Symptoms can take weeks to appear.
The Cost Barrier
Formal milk banks charge about $4.50 per ounce, Demirci said, and most insurance plans don’t cover it. Supply is often reserved for infants in neonatal intensive care units or babies with special medical needs.
As a result, many families turn to social media groups and donor boards, where posts often mention hundreds of ounces available due to lack of freezer space. Photos of labeled milk bags and handwritten date signs are common – a way to deter scammers from reposting fake ads.
How to Share Milk Safely
If you’re considering groups like Human Milk 4 Human Babies or Eats on Feets, or if a friend or relative offers to share milk, Demirci recommends key safety tips and important questions to help reduce risk:
- Don’t ever pay for milk or shipping.
- Ask about safe collection and storage practices.
- Review the donor's health and medication history. "I would ask for as much complete information on their medical history and medications background as I could get, and if the donor is willing to share their prenatal records or something concrete, that would be like the ultimate if you could have that sort of confirmation that what they're saying is true," Demirci said.
- Meet in person, if possible. "As a parent, you develop a pretty good barometer of seeing somebody in person. Maybe [the donor will] bring the baby along with them. … If anything seems off, I don't think I would give that milk to my baby, even if everything else checked out."
- Do a 'smell test.' Demirci said she could smell alcohol in her own milk after a drink, so she advises trusting your senses.
- Start small. Give your baby a small amount first and see how they respond.
Where to Find Reliable Guidance
Few parent-friendly resources exist – most are written for doctors – but Demirci recommends the following:
- An American Academy of Nursing consensus statement on human milk sharing compiles research on flash heating procedures developed for HIV-positive parents. While these can reduce bacterial growth, they are not the same as milk bank pasteurization and don’t get rid of all pathogens.
- An Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine position statement on informal milk sharing includes tips for safe handling, screening, and home heat processing. Parents can ask pediatricians to review these health provider guides with them.
For many, milk sharing becomes deeply personal. "It can be very painful to end up throwing away all of your hard work," Demirci said. "Donation feels really good. I've heard people say that not only were they able to breastfeed their own child, but also feed another child. They see that baby grow up and see their milk help two babies thrive and develop. And that's a really powerful thing."
