Mom Business Adventures 101: Selling Boob Milk on the Black Market

If I was a cow, I would be the sought after cash cow on the farm.  I have good birthing hips and I produce milk in abundance. 

Now some mom’s are reading this post and are thinking shiiit, I wish I had your problem.  Other people are thinking, gross, I think I’ll stop reading now. 

If I still have you, let me tell you my story as an over achieving milk Mama.  

Wanting to have enough milk when I returned to work I pumped like crazy during my way too short 12 weeks of maternity leave. As a result, my body thought that I was nursing twins and started working double over time.   Thus creating a well-stocked freezer containing my breast milk stash.

After making the decision to stay at home with Madeline and only work part-time the stash of liquid gold wasn’t needed.   Knowing that money would be tight on one income, I was excited to see a Good Morning America report on black market breast milk.

Dang, my ship just come in.   People were paying $1.00-$2.50 per ounce!  I quickly did the math in my head and decided that I could bring in at least $50 a week.    

It is basic economics at work.  Supply and demand.  I certainly had the supply, now I just needed the demand.

I immediately created a specific email address to conduct business and was anxious for my first sale.  Boy was I disappointed when the only person interested in my milk was a skivvy man.   Gross! 

Thinking I could help out a friend who wasn’t producing enough for her son, I offered her the stash.   Lord knows what she thought of me.  I guess it is a good thing we are close friends.   

After graciously declining my offer she suggested that I donate my milk.   After a little research I found Helping Hands Milk Bank 

I filled out half the application online and then stopped.  I realized that I would have to get paper work signed by my doctor, Madeline’s pediatrician and have blood work drawn and DNA samples taken.

Too much work for this mama.

After a phone call from Helping Hands and a few answered questions I realized that the process was much simpler that I had expected.    The company sent all the necessary paperwork, set up an appointment to have blood drawn in my home (this can also be done at your place of work or another location of your choice) and supplied all of the necessary materials. 

Donating your milk is super easy.  Helping Hands sends you a cooler and packaging label, you fill the cooler, phone UPS to schedule a pick up time and UPS picks the cooler up from your front door.  You don’t even need to leave the house!

In the end I donated four coolers of milk for a grand total of over 300 ounces.  The best part is that the milk is used to create a formula for premature babies.  It is an amazing feeling to know that my excess milk can be used to help premature babies survive. As an added bonus, I received a check for $300 to cover the cost of my breast pump from Helping Hands!   

I know some people may find the thought of donating breast milk to be gross but hopefully in the future it will regarded in the same way as someone donating blood at the Red Cross.   The basic idea is the same and in the end lives may be saved.

I encourage all nursing moms who have a milk abundance to look into the program.   It is well worth your time and effort.