This app makes donating breast milk way easier

Got an excess of breast milk… or not enough? There’s an app for that. Share The Drop is a mobile app that helps breast milk donors give their supply to recipients in need—and takes some of the logistics out of finding a donor near you.

If you’re a donor, the app is free to use. Recipients pay $9.99 a month to access the platform. You can make an account before you pay to see if there’s any liquid gold in your area.

Once you’re logged in, you can search by geographic area to find donors or families in need of donated breast milk. You can also get granular with filters for allergies, food sensitivities and more.

Once you find a match, you can message that user to connect. Then meet up in a public place and give or receive breast milk—for free.

“As a commerce-free app, we do not allow any payment between users in exchange for milk donations,” the website states. 

SNAP or WIC recipients can qualify for waived membership fees. The company is also giving a free, six-month subscription to those impacted by the Maui fires.

Is using donated breast milk safe for your baby? You can test the breast milk you get with alcohol testing strips, protein testing strips, or conduct home pasteurization. Home pasteurization can kill some viruses, which may be helpful if your baby is at higher risk for illness, but it can lower the nutritional content, too.

The app “leaves all safety matters to be handled between users, and simply provides a platform for them to meet and talk,” said Kelly Cox, co-founder of the app. “The hope is to give families agency and authority on how they choose to feed their infants.” 

The app also has resources on infant nutrition, breastfeeding and lactation. Once you’re signed up, you can connect with others in the Share the Drop to talk about all things breast milk.

Here’s another feel-good thing about Share the Drop: You can “feed it forward” by covering the subscription cost for a family in need, such as those impacted by cancer, natural disasters or anyone else who needs access to breast milk—and make it easier for families everywhere to feed their babies.