S3 Ep. 109: Kelly Cox | Share the Drop: Breast Milk Donation App

Connecting Communities Through Milk Sharing with Kelly Cox

When I first heard about Share the Drop, I knew this was something special. On this episode of The Mama Making Podcast, I sat down with Kelly Cox, founder of Share the Drop — a real-time, zip-code-based matching app for breast milk donors and recipients. What started as a grassroots effort in her community has grown into a full-fledged platform changing the way families access donor milk and connect with one another in meaningful ways.

Kelly’s journey to this work is as inspiring as the app itself. From her roots in mental health therapy to founding a yoga studio, and eventually supporting hundreds of families as a prenatal yoga instructor and doula, Kelly’s passion for community has always been at the center of everything she does. And like many powerful ideas, Share the Drop began with a deeply personal story.

The idea was sparked by a series of real-life moments that stayed with her: a client who had experienced a stillbirth and wanted to donate her milk, the families in Kelly’s circle who faced feeding challenges, and her own diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer. Over time, Kelly became a natural connector in her town, helping match milk donors and recipients by email and word of mouth. She found herself increasingly acting as a hub for a growing network of parents looking for support.

"I was emailing two moms to match them for milk and then got a Bumble notification. That was the moment it clicked," she said. "Why can I match with a stranger online but two families in the same neighborhood can’t easily connect to share milk?"

From that moment on, she knew there had to be a better way.

How the App Works

Share the Drop is a web-based app (accessible from both desktop and mobile browsers) that allows users to create a donor or recipient profile, filter by zip code and dietary preferences, and message potential matches directly within the platform. It’s built to be intuitive and accessible, with safety and simplicity at its core.

Donors use the app completely free, while recipients pay a small monthly fee — one that Kelly waives for any family on WIC or SNAP benefits. The app doesn’t ship or store milk and doesn’t take a cut from any donations. Everything is based on mutual trust and informed consent.

"The entire premise is based on informed consent," Kelly explained. "We don’t ship milk or handle logistics, but we encourage people to 'date their donor'—ask questions, meet in public, get to know each other."

Safety is key. Donors are not allowed to be paid (to ensure equity and reduce exploitation), and the team manually screens profiles to prevent misuse. The app includes optional medical badges for those willing to share health screening information, and users can filter matches by dietary details like dairy-free, caffeine-free, or allergen-specific.

It’s About More Than Milk

What stood out most in our conversation is that Share the Drop isn’t just about breast milk. It’s about rebuilding the kind of village that many of us have lost.

"We used to raise babies next to our aunties, grannies, and neighbors," Kelly said. "Now we don’t have that, but we need it more than ever."

Every feature in the app, every family story, and every milk connection is about something deeper: restoring relationships, trust, and shared care. Kelly sees the app as a tool for rebuilding what once existed naturally — a village where families supported each other in everyday, life-changing ways.

She shared stories that left me both teary and hopeful: a NICU baby in need of milk after a viral news story prompted a mother to reach out and donate; two moms who met through the app and now meet weekly at the park, kids in tow; a grandmother raising her grandson who was able to receive donor milk during an unexpected transition.

There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to the families using Share the Drop. There are single parents, foster parents, queer families, families navigating grief, and those welcoming babies through surrogacy or adoption. Kelly honors all of them.

"I love when people find each other," she said. "That’s the heart of it."

Combating Shame and Offering Options

We also dove into the emotional load many parents carry when it comes to feeding their babies. The pressure to exclusively breastfeed, the shame around using formula, and the societal expectations layered onto new parents can be overwhelming.

Kelly doesn’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach.

"We don’t shame formula here," she said. "Feeding your baby in a way that feels right to you is what matters. We just want people to know they have options."

We talked about the stories we tell ourselves — the internal dialogues about what makes us a good parent. Kelly’s perspective was a breath of fresh air: what if we trusted ourselves more, shared our stories more honestly, and let support come from unexpected places?

Whether you're choosing donor milk from day one, turning to it during postpartum recovery, or exploring it after a medical complication, Share the Drop is a safe space to land.

Growth, Gratitude, and Giving Back

As Share the Drop continues to grow, Kelly remains hands-on. She self-funds the platform and manages day-to-day operations with a small but mighty team. Every email, every story, every bug fix goes through her.

She’s also building new features that reflect the community’s evolving needs: donor profiles that show visual "bottle fill" progress (a bit like fundraising thermometers), trusted referral systems for families who want extra assurance, and improved filters for things like pumping frequency and milk storage preferences.

One of my favorite additions is the Feed It Forward program, which lets anyone purchase a subscription on behalf of a family in need. Whether you've received donor milk or simply want to support the system, it's a beautiful way to pay it forward.

Kelly shared that many parents who received milk during a tough time later come back to give — a full-circle moment that speaks to the generosity and goodness at the heart of this work.

"At the end of the day, I have to believe people are good," Kelly said. "This app only works because they are."

Final Thoughts

As someone who has felt the isolation of new motherhood, I left this conversation feeling grounded in hope. Share the Drop isn’t just a platform. It’s a modern village — one built on generosity, consent, and connection.

If you’re in the thick of postpartum, searching for support, or simply curious about how technology can bring people together in deeply human ways, I can’t recommend this episode enough.

TL;DR

In this episode of The Mama Making Podcast, Kelly Cox shares the story behind Share the Drop — a community-centered app connecting breast milk donors and recipients. From navigating grief and illness to building a digital village rooted in trust and generosity, Kelly’s mission goes far beyond milk. This conversation is a powerful reminder that support, choice, and connection should be at the heart of every parenting journey.

How to connect with the guest:

IG: @sharethedrop

Website: www.sharethedrop.com

Extras: Feed it Forward: Donate to cover a mama’s membership

The Mama Making Podcast Mom podcast, Motherhood Podcast, Motherhood Journey, Postpartum Mental Health, Pregnancy, New Mom Support, breast milk donation, Share the Drop, parenting, community support, app development, donor milk, motherhood, lactation, health, wellness