Milk and Moon Lactation Counseling LLC is now a convenient, approved milk depot and donor milk dispensary partnering with the Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes to bring donor milk to the Illinois Valley. The Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes is a non-profit milk bank accredited by The Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA). The World Health Organization states “Infants who cannot be fed their mother’s own milk, or who need to be supplemented, especially low-birth weight infants, including those with very low birth weight and other vulnerable infants, should be fed donor human milk.”
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Milk Dispensary
A donor milk dispensary is a community location where a family whose baby needs donor breast milk can purchase the milk and take it home. Access up to 10 bottles per family without a prescription.
When lactating parents are unable to produce enough breast milk for their babies, donor milk can bridge the gap of supplementation by providing important nutrients and immune factors that will allow infant’s to thrive.
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Milk Depot
A community milk depot helps make milk donation accessible and convenient for mothers with extra milk to share the gift with infants in need. That milk is then transported to a milk bank for processing and distribution.
♡ “Breast milk is love turned into food and it takes someone special to share that love.”
☆ 2022 the Depot accepted 2,100oz of donor milk!
☆ 2023 the Depot accepted nearly 9,000 of donor milk!
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Become a Milk Donor
To sign up to be a donor, contact the Mother’s Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes contact 847-262-5134 or email info@milkbankwgl.org.
Complete the milk bank’s Donor Interest Form. They will contact you within a few business days by phone to discuss your interest.
Providing safe donor milk at a community level is necessary. This is why every milk donor has been screened using a very strict application process and pasteurization method that meets HMBANA standards.
➜ The Donation Process
To sign up to be a donor, contact the Mother’s Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes contact 847-262-5134 or email info@milkbankwgl.org.
Complete the milk bank’s Donor Interest Form. They will contact you within a few business days by phone to discuss your interest.
After your phone interview, you will complete a written application that asks for details about your health and household, diet and medications, milk storage, lifestyle factors, and more. If you are a candidate for donation, the milk bank will contact you for your blood screening.
The milk bank will help you arrange your blood screening at no cost to you.
Donors are expected to follow certain guidelines given by the milk bank for storing, handling, dating and maintaining their expressed milk and breast pump. Frequent check-in’s with the milk bank to ensure that all health information is up-to-date.
Once you are an approved donor, you will receive a donor number and instructions on handling your donations. Please call or text Joleen Bice, CLC, CLS to schedule your drop off or to purchase donor milk (815) 503-9521
➜ Accessing Donor Milk
Families may purchase pasteurized donor milk by contacting Joleen Bice, CLC, CLS at (815) 503-9521 or by using the Donor Milk Request Form located below. Access of 10 bottles per family without a prescription from health care provider.
Families may access donor milk during pregnancy or anytime after the birth of their infant(s). Donor milk from the Milk Bank is stored in 4oz increments in sterile bottles and requires a consent form to be signed by the recipient at the scheduled pick-up. Each 4oz bottle of pasteurized donor milk is $20 USD and is non-refundable. Credit card payment and HSA/FSA payment taken at location.
Milk and Moon Lactation Counseling LLC does not bill client insurance for donor milk. Out-patient referrals or prescriptions from providers for human donor milk can be faxed to Joleen Bice, CLC, CLS at (815) 732-2133. A prescription does not defer payment for donor milk.
Downloads: Referral Form
➜ Insurance Coverage
At this time, Illinois Provider Issue Notice has guidelines for insurance coverage of human donor milk. Families must meet criteria for coverage of pasteurized human donor breast milk per the Public Act 101-0511. “Coverage is based upon a prescription from a licensed medical practitioner (i.e., physician, advanced practice nurse, physician assistant) and the infant must meet the qualifications listed” in the Act. Insurance companies typically require prior approval or pre-authorization for coverage of human donor milk.
You can attempt to pursue reimbursement for donor milk using the supplied superbill but coverage is not promised and all transaction(s) are final.
Helpful links: WGL Milk Bank File on Public Act 101-0511
