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He Piripono Waiū Milk Bank – Whangārei

Our milk bank collects and stores donations of milk from screened and tested donors and processes it for unwell or premature babies needing extra milk.

How the milk bank works

The milk bank is a free service for the pēpi and community of Northland. Our aim is to give your baby a good start and to give you and your whanau some breathing space while you increase your milk supply or find your own milk donor in the community.

Who can get donated milk

We would love to supply milk to all babies in need. If we do not have enough donated milk at any particular time, we use a triage system which prioritises unwell or premature babies.

We will usually supply donated milk for a few days and will do our best to help you maximise your own milk supply where possible.

Tracking the donated milk

Our processes mean we can track each pottle of pasteurised breast milk back to:

the exact date and batch of pasteurisation
the donor
when we received it.

While we keep detailed records of all this information, it is important to note that our donors remain anonymous to our recipients.

Becoming a donor

If you would like to become a donor you will need to:

complete a health and lifestyle questionnaire. This will include information about any medications you are taking, alcohol, tobacco and vape use, recent tattoos or blood transfusions and if you have been ill or around ill people during the donating period
have a free blood test to screen for specific viruses and illness that can be passed through breast milk.

We accept milk from parents with babies up to 2 years old.

If you want to become a donor, contact us on:

Phone 021 679 837
Email: Whangāreimilkbank@northlanddhb.org.nz

Supporting the milk bank

If you are unable to donate milk, you can still make a big difference by contributing to our fundraisers, donating cash or essential goods or simply by spreading the word. Every action helps makes sure more pēpi receive the vital milk they need.

For more information

Northland Community Foundation website

Locations and hours