News

Donating milk? Read our latest guidance on milk donation during Covid-19.

For all of you amazing milk donors out there, you may have concerns about doing the right thing at the moment. Donor milk is needed now more than ever, and we are hugely grateful for your generosity. As a critically important milk donor, we wanted to send some information on how you can help us […]

Can scientists grow breastmilk in a lab?

Can scientists grow breastmilk in a bioreactor? Multiple companies globally are now starting to receive millions of dollars to try. This article from The Atlantic, featuring HMF cofounder Dr Natalie Shenker alongside other academics, suggests money would be better spent in broadening access to screened donor milk and changing cultures to support mothers better. The […]

Could you run the Royal Parks Half Marathon to support us?

Last year this incredible bunch raised over £5000 to support The Hearts Milk Bank and some amazing new projects later this year (watch this space)! This year, you can join them! We have 30 places reserved for runners to run the Royal Parks Half Marathon. If you think you can get round 13 miles of […]

An amazing night at The Funding Network London

On Thursday last week, Natalie and Flic presented the work of the Human Milk Foundation to over 100 members and guests of The Funding Network. We were one of four charities able to talk for 6 minutes about our vision and some of the families we have supported, and then answer questions. Incredibly, the audience […]

Our first year – what have we done?

The importance of safety and training

As the clinical and scientific evidence for the importance of supporting mums to breastfeeding and protect vulnerable babies from non-human milk, more hospitals are using screened donor milk from non-profit human milk banks to bridge the gap between the baby needing feeding, and mum’s full milk supply coming in. All milk banks follow very strict […]

What is donor milk?

If you have questions about what donor milk is, how it is used, and our vision at the Human Milk Foundation for improving access for parents across the UK, watch this new video by Professor Amy Brown.

Natalie interviewed on Woman’s Hour!

It’s our birthday!

How does milk pass through the Hearts Milk Bank?

Why unequal access to donor milk can be so cruel

Image credit: Eva Bee/ The Observer A beautiful piece written by Francesca Segal on the impact milk donation made to her and her twins when they were born prematurely was published in the Observer and Guardian Online over the weekend. Francesca sums up the experiences of so many mothers who have lived through the NICU: […]

The Hearts Milk Bank featured on the BBC

Find out more about our work supporting mothers facing a cancer diagnosis, and how donor milk can give hope at the darkest time. Milk for Yulia’s baby was funded entirely by donations to the Human Milk Foundation and Mummy’s Star. If you can us to support more mothers like Yulia, please help by donating what […]

British Medical Journal stops advertising infant formula

Many of you will be aware that the British Medical Journal announced yesterday (18.03.2019) that they will stop advertising breastmilk substitute products in the BMJ and across their sister journals. This has been a huge team effort – along with the pieces published by the BMJ last year by Dr Chris van Tulleken and Dr […]

The Great Formula Milk Scandal – what can you do?

The Channel 4 Dispatches programme, the Great Formula Milk Scandal, shown on Monday 18th March highlighted the actions of the formula industry that put their profits before the health of babies and mothers. The Human Milk Foundation was not part of the making of this programme, but we understand that the issues it raised may […]

Yulia’s story

I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma a month before giving birth. As I was preparing for labour and becoming a new mum, breastfeeding was fundamental to me. I can’t describe how important it was. After the diagnosis was made, they told me that I wouldn’t be able to breastfeed during chemotherapy. That was a huge […]