Your baby can get donor human milk at home

For babies at home

Donor human milk (DHM) is a limited resource. Until supply outpaces demand, our highest-priority recipients are preterm and sick hospitalized babies. Once hospital babies are fed, our remaining milk goes to babies at home. All babies with a medical need for human milk can get donor human milk by prescription, and when possible we also supply milk to healthy babies. We’re also able to provide up to 40 ounces of milk without a prescription or letter of medical need.

To receive donor human milk for your baby, call us with the following information:

• name and contact info of primary contact for your baby
• name and phone number of prescribing physician (if you need more than 40 ounces)
• baby’s insurance information (private or public, Medicaid or Tricare)

If you live locally, you can pick up milk during our business hours. If you’re outside of the Austin area, we ship milk to your door via next-day delivery, with dry ice to keep the milk frozen as it travels to you. It’s your responsibility to contact us by 3pm CST Monday through Thursday to order milk for next-day delivery.

For physicians

Outpatient physician responsibilities

1. Fax the prescription and a letter describing medical necessity to 512.428.8950
   • The prescription should include:
     • Name and birth date of recipient
     • Amount of milk needed per day or week
     • Number of refills allowed
     • Prescriber’s name, address, fax, and phone number
2. In the letter describing medical necessity, include the diagnosis of the recipient that warrants donor human milk and the DRG code for this diagnosis
3. Ask a family member of the patient to call us and provide contact and insurance information

Medicaid and Tricare: Medicaid and Tricare clients require specific forms to be completed by their physician before milk can be dispensed. Milk bank staff will fax these forms to the physician once an order for DHM has been received, and then send them to the appropriate offices to obtain authorization.

Currently hospitalized babies

If your baby is receiving donor human milk as an inpatient and is being discharged, we recommend asking the hospital to send you home with enough milk to feed your baby until your shipment arrives.

If your baby is in or near Austin, milk can be picked up at the milk bank upon discharge during our business hours, as long as we’ve received the prescription and necessary paperwork and you’ve scheduled a pick-up.

Common diagnoses

Common diagnoses of donor human milk recipients include:

• preterm birth, especially VLBW or ELBW infants
• failure to thrive
• malabsorption syndromes
• short-gut syndrome
• renal failure
• inborn errors of metabolism
• Immunological deficiencies
• Formula intolerance
• Cardiac anomalies
• Gastro intestinal anomalies, including gastroschisis
• Intrauterine exposure to drugs

Financial assistance

We’re committed to caring for all babies with a medical need for human milk. A processing fee is charged for each ounce of milk dispensed to hospitals and community recipients. Our philanthropically supported Charitable Care Program covers the cost of donor human milk for families who can’t otherwise afford it.

Our Charitable Care Program ensures life-saving donor human milk is provided to all babies with a need, regardless of the family’s ability to pay. As one of the few milk banks in the country to offer a Charitable Care Program, we make sure the sickest and most fragile babies are helped and no baby is denied milk due to a lack of insurance or financial resources.

For our milk recipients who lack insurance or financial resources, we encourage you to apply for our Charitable Care Program.

To be considered for charitable care benefits, a recipient family receiving donor milk from us must:

• Submit an Application for Charitable Assistance (available at the bottom of this page)
• Submit an Agreement for Services (available at the bottom of this page)

We’ll review these submitted forms and determine eligibility. If you’re not eligible to receive donor human milk for free, we may be able to establish a billing plan where the milk processing fees are paid over time.

If you receive free or discounted milk from this Charitable Care Program, we encourage you to get creative with ways to give back. Your contributions will help babies with a medical need, like yours.

Free counseling services for Austin-area families

If your child spent time in the NICU within the last 3 years, you can qualify for 8-12 free counseling sessions through our partner Hand to Hold. We highly recommend applying for this free service if you live in the Austin area. Learn more and apply online.