mothersmilk.org.nz - General Information

Mothers Milk NZ Charitable Trust

Stand for fundraising and championing for the establishment of Community Human Milk Banks in all main centers within New Zealand.

For breast milk to be the gold standard nutrition for all babies.

Making sure that pasteurized donor milk is available to all babies including our most vulnerable babies, when mothers own milk is not available. So we can give our full term, sick and premature babies the best start in life when they need it the most.

Supporting safe Mother to Mother milk sharing- via our FB page.

If you would like to help us out, you can find us on Give A Little or contact us directly.

General Information
Mothers Milk NZ was established in June 2009, after realising the need to promote and educate people about the huge benefits and of human donor milk, particularly for our most vulnerable babies in our neonatal intensive care units.

Firstly we launched a Facebook page called “Mothers Milk NZ” against the advice of some concerned professionals who were afraid of scaremongering and bad publicity, this never was the case and we now have a strong membership if 4,444 followers and growing.

I believe MMNZ has helped raise the profile and awareness of human milk and its benefits for all infants growing into an
online milk sharing community. Our Mission is to promote and inform people about the safety and the huge benefits of Human Milk and of Milk Banking, promoting how pasteurised donor human milk protects premature babies from infections and decrease the length of their stay in neonatal units. Donated pasteurised mothers milk can provide sick and premature babies with the best possible alternative nutrition when their mother's own milk is insufficient or not available.

In 2009 in NZ, unlike many other countries around the world who had hundreds of donor milk banks in operation, we had none. Brazil had 185, Australia 2 and US and UK many.

Finally in 2013 Christchurch Women's Hospital opened their Milk Bank they had worked diligently over many years to get their Donor Human Milk Bank opened CONGRATULATIONS!! and now Wellington we hear is on their way.
You might ask what's happening in Auckland? it is political at best...but the wheels have begun to turn.

We believe all NZ babies deserve the GOLD start in life and that is mothers own BREAST MILK or the gift of donor milk if mothers own milk is not available. We too have worked diligently and in June 2013 MOTHERS MILK NZ : Charitable Trust was established.

We plan to fundraise and to continue to champion and assist the establishment of community human breast milk banks in around New Zealand Aotearoa.

At present (2018) we assist mother to mother milk sharing, and ensure the donor mother is blood screened prior to her handing on her milk. This has come at a cost, in most areas of NZ the blood tests are not fully funded and so we have lost donor milk due to these fees. We have endeavoured to get grant funding for our 4 main areas to help cover these costs, we can help 48 women to get these tests. So that is a huge win for mothers in need of donor milk.