Benefits of Donating Breast Milk After Being a Surrogate

What are benefits of donating breast milk after being a surrogate? Whether you’re a surrogate or carrying your own baby, pregnancy will cause your body to begin producing breast milk. But as a surrogate, you’ll need to choose what you’d like to do with that breast milk after delivery. Donating breast milk provides nutrients to babies including premature babies, supports mothers who cannot breastfeed, and offers benefits for you, yourself. You can make a meaningful difference in the lives of infants and families by donating your milk!

• Provides vital nutrients to premature babies.
• Supports mothers who cannot breastfeed.
• Promotes positive emotions and helps reduce stress.
• Burns calories and helps you physically recover faster.
• Offers emotional satisfaction from helping another family.

Donating Your Breast Milk to Your Intended Parents

During the contract phase of the surrogacy process, you will have already discussed whether you’ll provide breast milk for your surrobaby. Both you and your intended parents will come to an agreement on this before you even become pregnant.

Sometimes shipping breast milk to your intended parents is logistically impossible due to distance. And in some cases, the intended mother may induce lactation and be able to breastfeed on her own! Of course, not every surrogate can or wants to provide breast milk, and it’s pretty common for surrogates to choose not to pump. But becoming a breast milk donor after surrogacy is a great option for those who don’t want their breast milk to go unused.

Why Breast Milk is so Beneficial for Babies

Breast milk is highly nutritious: The first fluid that mothers produce is called colostrum, which is rich in immune-boosting compounds and contains nutrients that contribute to a baby’s development.

Breast milk has an adaptive composition: The truly amazing thing about breast milk is that the composition of nutrients and sugars within the milk changes as the baby grows. As the baby grows, the diversity of sugars changes, and breast milk comprises more fats and nutrients to support the baby’s growth, gut, blood vessels, nervous system, and endocrine system.

Breast Milk Donation Helps Pre-Term Babies Thrive

• It’s estimated that around 500,000 babies are born prematurely in the US every year, and there’s not always enough milk to go around for them.
• Breast milk can improve their chances of overcoming necrotizing enterocolitis by a whopping 79%. Breast milk is rich in protein, antibodies, and other nutrients that help premature babies thrive.
• One study has even shown that babies born before 33 weeks gestation who were fed breast milk had better brain connectivity than those who were not.

Breast Milk Donation Supports Moms Who Cannot Breastfeed

Not all mothers can breastfeed due to:

• Premature birth
• Medical conditions
• Certain medications prevent this
• Complications during delivery

For these moms, donated breast milk means their baby can still receive the nutritional benefits they need, even if it hasn’t come from her own body.

Breast milk is easier for babies to digest than formulas. Breastfed babies tend to have fewer bouts of diarrhea or constipation because breast fed milk contains the right amounts of lactose, protein, and fat for a developing digestive system.

It’s Good for YOU, Too!

• You can burn up to 500 calories a day just by pumping. Many postpartum women find this is a great way to lose a little baby weight.
• Pumping stimulates the nipples, causing your body to release oxytocin. This hormone triggers muscle contractions and helps your uterus resume its pre-pregnancy shape and size.
• Oxytocin and prolactin help alleviate stress and promote positive emotions. It’s even been found that moms who pump are less likely to suffer from postpartum depression.
• One study has found that for every 12 months a woman breastfeeds or pumps, her risk of breast cancer decreased by 4.3% compared to women who didn’t pump.

Minimal Risks, Substantial Benefits

A human milk bank is an organization that collects and dispenses breast milk donated by lactating women.

• Donor breast milk is screened and pasteurized to destroy any bacteria before being provided to infants who need it.
• Breast milk banks improve the health outcomes of many babies and reduce hospital costs.

Learn More About Donating Your Breast Milk as a Surrogate

As you can see, there are countless benefits of donating your breast milk after being a surrogate. If you’re interested in postpartum breast milk donation, discuss the possibility with your case manager. We’ll be happy to recommend a reputable breast milk bank and provide instructions on how to pump, store, and ship your breast milk!

Related Blogs

• Postpartum Breast Milk Donation for Surrogates
• Shipping Breast Milk: Why & How Surrogates Can Do It
• Yes, You Can Breastfeed Your Baby Born Through Surrogacy!