What is the yellow bag and washout period?

By donating to a Prolacta-affiliated milk bank program, your excess breastmilk allows critically-ill, premature infants in the NICU to benefit from a 100% human milk diet. To help the fragile infant population we help serve, let us review common terms and important reminders, such as, when to contact the milk bank, what is a washout period and how to handle the milk, and what is a yellow bag.

When do you need to contact the Milk Bank?

Be sure to contact your milk bank coordinator if:

• You or a child you are nursing becomes ill,
• You are newly diagnosed with a medical condition, illness, etc.,
• You take a medication, vitamin, or supplement,
• You would like to use an essential oil,
• You need to undergo a procedure, treatment, or surgery,
• You undergo acupuncture treatment,
• You are thinking of getting a piercing, tattoo or permanent make-up,
• You experience an accidental needle stick
• You receive a vaccination/shot,
• You travel or intend to travel outside of the United States,
• Something happens to your milk (i.e. milk is blood-tinged, milk was left out, milk appears to have thawed, milk has odd odor or color, etc.), and/or
• Something happens to your freezer (i.e. Power outage, food and/or milk appears to be thawed, etc.).

Non-pharmaceutical topical products:

Prolacta does not require you to report non-pharmaceutical, topical products such as makeup, sunscreen, insect repellent and the like. However, both sunscreens and insect repellents are products which are known to have some level of absorption through the skin. Since it has always been Prolacta’s policy to operate with an abundance of caution, we ask that donors avoid the use of insect repellents that contain DEET. Sunscreens with active ingredients zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, Avobenzone or Mexoryl SX are preferred.

What is a washout period?

A washout period is a period of time during which milk expressed is not eligible for use in production. Milk expressed during this time milk must be appropriately marked and separated. Should you encounter any of the situations above while donating, please contact the milk bank for your wash-out period and instructions. When in doubt, please ask!

How do I mark the bags that were pumped during a washout period?

1. Like any milk storage bag, be sure to write your donor ID and date milk was expressed on the bags.
2. If you were given washout instructions, please mark each affected bag with an “X”.

If you are keeping wash-out milk home: - Be sure not to include your “X” wash-out milk with your unmarked milk. If you are sending in wash-out milk in the provided yellow bag: - Complete the Donor Shipment page and indicate the name of the medication, if any, as well as the reason for the wash-out (i.e. mastitis, yeast infection, UTI, etc).

What is the yellow bag for?

Milk that was expressed during a wash-out period needs to be packed separately from clear bag milk that can be used in production. The yellow bag provides that separation. All milk bags should be appropriately marked as instructed by the milk bank.

• Yellow-bag milk will not be used in the production of our products.
• Donors are encouraged to keep milk expressed during a washout period whenever possible, as yellow bag milk may be discarded. There’s no requirement to ship it to us. Deciding to keep yellow bag milk won’t negatively affect your donor status.
• Donors are paid for yellow-bag milk received only if, they have notified the milk bank and separated the milk according to the instructions provided by the milk bank.

Should I be concerned that I am sending in too much yellow bag milk?

We understand that donors and their families become ill and that is often unavoidable. Donors are not penalized for that. If, when reviewing a donor’s file, we have any concerns about a chronic illness that may not have been disclosed or a donor not being able to meet the criterion of being considered generally healthy, we will get in touch to gain a better understanding of the donor’s current health status. For any specific questions or concerns, please contact the milk bank for more information.

Do donors retain the option to keep yellow bag milk at home and only send in clear bag milk?

It is critical that each donor contact the milk bank any time her health information changes so that wash-out period information can be provided. Yes, donors can choose to keep the wash-out period milk for personal use and only donate clear bag milk, but they should still contact to milk bank to obtain proper washout instructions. Donors should check with their pediatrician before giving the “wash-out period” milk to babies or children, to be sure this milk is safe for them.

If I can’t meet the minimum volume requirement of 1400 oz per qualification period because I choose not to send in yellow-bag milk, should I be concerned that I won’t be able to requalify?

No. The intention of the minimum volume requirement is to ensure we are working only with moms who have an excess milk supply. Being temporarily ill would not affect a donor’s ability to requalify. For any specific questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact the milk bank.

Do I need to send back unused yellow bags?

No. Please keep a few yellow bags and zip ties on hand in case you are instructed, by the milk bank, to use them for purposes of a wash-out period. Otherwise, please feel free to use unneeded yellow bags for your own household purposes. They are sturdy bags!

If I can’t fit all of my yellow-bag milk in the yellow bag, can I use the clear bag or some other bag to pack it into?

No. Milk that was collected during a wash-out period should only be placed inside the yellow bags provided. If you need additional yellow bags, please the milk bank and we will be happy to send more. Some of our donors hang onto unused yellow bags and zip ties should they need them in the future. It’s not a bad idea to have a few on hand!

I ran out of room in the clear bag, can I just put the rest of my milk into the yellow bag or some other bag I have on hand?

No. Milk that is clear of wash-outs and is intended for donation, in order to be used in production of our products, can only be placed into the clear bags provided. If you find that you need additional clear bags, please contact the milk bank and we will be happy to send you more.

At the beginning of the process, I was told I could not donate some of my previously collected milk because there was a wash-out period provided. Can’t I just place this milk into the yellow bag and send it in?

No. If you were previously told that some of the milk you collected was unacceptable for donation, this milk, regardless of the date of expression, cannot and should not be shipped to Prolacta. If you are unclear on which milk you can send in and which milk you should keep for home, please contact the milk bank for clarification.

How should I pack yellow bag milk?

Items Needed: If any of these items are missing or need to be replaced, please contact the milk bank for help. Please do NOT ship without these required items. We understand that packing coolers with yellow-bag milk can be a challenge. You may find that your entire cooler (370 or more ounces) is completely full of yellow-bag milk, or the cooler may be filled with only a small amount of yellow-bag milk. Check out these suggestions shared by a donor mom, Kabarielle, on how to pack yellow bag milk in Prolacta coolers - with these instructions, she fit over 520oz into the cooler! If you emailed the milk bank for a wash-out period and instructions, please do not ship any milk until you have received your instructions. If you have any questions, please contact us. Remember to allow 48 (business) hours for your response. If you are ill and need to take a medication, please do! We don’t want you to suffer!

• 4 gel bricks that have been frozen for at least 48 hours
• One, or if needed, two yellow bags
• One zip tie for each bag
• Completed donor ID sheet
• When completing your Donor Shipment page, please write the total number of milk bags placed in the yellow bag (s) for that cooler.
• Write the number of bags on the Donor Shipment page, as well as any medication name and the reason for the washout (i.e. mastitis, UTI, yeast infection).

1. Fill bags with 6 oz of breastmilk
2. Freeze each bag flat, on both sides (Click here to view instructions on how to pack and freeze milk donations using the cookie sheet method )
3. Add frozen gel bricks at the bottom of the cooler, before you place the two yellow bags into the cooler
4. Place the two yellow bags, side-by-side
5. Lay 19 bags in the first layer of the first yellow bag
6. Lay 19 bags in the first layer of the second yellow bag
7. Lay 17 bags in the second layer of the first yellow bag
8. Lay 17 bags in the second layer of the second yellow bag
9. Add 9 bags onto the third layer of the first yellow bag
10. Add 9 bags onto the third layer of the second yellow bag
11. Tie each yellow bag
12. Add final gel bricks above the tied yellow bags