All the photos you see throughout the Milkin’ Mamas site are past donor mamas and their babies…
Ashley Busakula – Kansas I became a milk donor for a couple of reasons. I was producing more than enough milk for my son, so we had tons we were freezing. Secondly, friends had mentioned how donated milk is used to help preemie babies. As a new mother, the thought of my baby being attached to tubes just broke my heart and I wanted to help in any way I could. The quickest way was to donate my extra milk! I’m thankful the Lord has allowed me to help in some small way to those tiny tiny little babies and that it truly does help them and their families.
Amy Koeller – Washington Becoming a donor is a rare opportunity to be able to help infants if you are not in the medical field. By donating my excess milk, something I would probably have normally just washed down the drain, I have the simple pleasure of knowing I’ve assisted a tiny child to grow a little faster, to go home a little sooner. To know they are being nourished with something only breastmilk can offer them. I feel blessed I am able to give what others may not be able to provide. Having nursed all three of my daughters (5, 20 months and 4 months), it’s a great pleasure to know the Lord gave me just a bit more to be able to provide for others the way I was able to provide for them. Milkin’ Mamas is just an amazing company to do what they do and I am grateful I found them! And thankful my cousin implanted the idea into my head to donate to such a worthy cause!
Heidi McManus – South Carolina My Milkin’ Mamas experience all began in December of 2010. After preparing for a Valentine’s delivery in 2011, our son Jaxson decided to make his grand entrance two days before Christmas! Amid scary circumstances I delivered at 32 weeks. Jaxson was not only born premature at 3 lbs. 12 oz., but with a congenital heart defect. Jaxson’s 1st nursery stay was in the NICU of MUSC in Charleston, South Carolina. In an effort to give him the best nutrition and chance at survival Jaxson received donor breast milk while in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit until my own breast milk supply came in. I tirelessly pumped and pumped and pumped. It was the only way I could stay sane and in control during such an emotionally scary time. I religiously pumped for 2 months until Jaxson was physically able to nurse after open heart surgery. Jaxson was released to go home on his original due date of February 14, 2011! I continued to nurse and pump even after Jaxson’s nutritional needs moved us onto formula and caloric supplements. After learning about Milkin’ Mamas on the internet I knew my freezer full of milk could be put to great use to help other babies like Jaxson in the NICU. Just 2 weeks before Jaxson’s 2nd open heart surgery I was cleared and approved for donation. Today Jaxson is thriving and is about to celebrate his 1st birthday! As a Mama who sat for what seemed like months in a hospital holding the tiny little hand of my little miracle, I appreciate and understand the gift that mother’s milk can give! I am proud to think that our journey may cross paths with other Mamas and babies down the road.
Andrea Larson – North Dakota When I was breastfeeding my daughter 5 years ago, I was fortunate enough to have a surplus of breast milk that I ended up donating to a friend who was having trouble keeping up with the demand of her hungry daughter. With the birth of my son this year, I didn’t have any friends or family who were in need of my over supply. So I thought that I would just pump and store and then quit once I felt I had enough to get my son through his first year. When he was 6 months old, I had pumped and stored enough to get him through his first year. At that time, I realized once again how convenient it was for me and how healthy it is for my son to continue breast feeding. I didn’t have to worry about having milk thawed out or to have to warm up a bottle when we had a screaming hungry child in the middle of the night. So I decided to keep breastfeeding. It became apparent however, that if I was going to continue breastfeeding, I would need to somehow figure out what to do the extra supply that was taking up all my freezer space as I continued to pump and freeze. I did some research on donating breast milk and came across Milkin’ Mamas. Milkin’ Mamas appealed to me because their intense screening process assured me that putting babies first was their primary goal. Of course, the fact that they can use my extra supply for critically ill infants that need it most was an added plus for me as I feel that I am contributing to a very worthy cause. My goal is to donate an excess of 8000 ounces to this great cause and in so doing, be able to help others in need as well as free up my freezer space for cold food storage once again.
Marcie Ament – Maryland My daughter, Veronica, was born in April 2011 almost 16 weeks early, weighing only 1 lb, 4 oz. Immediately after she was born, I began pumping my breast milk because I knew the benefits of breast milk especially for premature babies. Veronica remained in the NICU for 119 days and overall, did amazingly well. I am convinced that one of the reasons she did so well was because of the breast milk. During her NICU stay, I consistently produced more milk than she was taking so I built up quite a supply. I was told once we got home we would go through the milk quickly, so the thought of donating it never really crossed my mind. But fortunately, once Veronica came home, she learned to nurse exclusively. So we were left with two freezers full of breast milk. But even then I was reluctant to donate it. I was selfish for the sake of my daughter – I didn’t want to give the milk away if there was a chance that she would someday need it. But when I finally heard about Milkin’ Mamas, I knew it was something I had to do. I was struck by the fact that the milk would end up going to extremely premature babies just like Veronica. The idea that I could be in a position to help those babies was something I could not pass up. I feel incredibly blessed that my daughter continues to do well and equally blessed that I was able to donate milk that will hopefully benefit other babies. Thank you Milkin’ Mamas and thank you to all who donate! Click here to watch a video showing Veronica’s NICU Journey.
Courtney Young – South Carolina Courtney shared her milk donation story with Fox News on October 27th, 2011 - Take a look!!! Click Here to watch the video
Serina Simpson – Arkansas I welcomed a healthy baby boy into this world on December 21, 2010. I knew before Elijah was born that I wanted to breastfeed and I wanted it to last as long as it could. We started off on the breast in the hospital and it lasted for about a week. Mommy needed a more flexible schedule. I started pumping right away. I got a little obsessed with the fact that I needed to pump as much as I could because I didn’t know how long my supply would last. I was pumping 50-55 oz a day and Elijah was only drinking half of that. I started freezing and haven’t stopped yet. The day came that my husband said something had to be done! The full size deep freezer was loaded down with nothing but milk. I knew that I couldn’t throw any milk out because it hurt me just to waste a drop! We first shared Elijah’s milk with a family friend and then again with a cousin. After that first time sharing, I knew it was time to research milk donations. I came across Milkin’ Mamas and knew right off that’s what I wanted to do. I felt connected the first phone call I received from Keri! I have made several donations equaling 5 large coolers and 2,352.5 oz of milk. It was a bittersweet day sending out my first shipment. Every time I sit and feed Elijah, I think about all the tiny babies and families we have saved and are helping! Thank you Milkin’ Mamas for being available for small town mamas and working with us to save lives. I feel so blessed.
Victoria Conarroe – Texas I always wanted to breastfeed my children. With my first son, I was able to provide breast milk until he was 11 months. Since I enjoyed the experience, I wanted to do the same for my second although he was completely different. He did not take to the breast right away and had severe heartburn and reflux so we had to use a bottle so he could sit up. I still pumped and sto…red because I thought I could get a head start. Well, my pro-activeness lead to overstock and my freezer jammed packed. I am an over producer as well. In between my two boys, my sister had twin girls early and they survived in the NICU for weeks. My sister started to have problems with breathing while in the hospital so she was given medicine and was unable to provide the girls breast milk for awhile. Luckily, someone donated to the hospital milk bank, which was able to provide them with nourishment. My sister was also an over producer and after the girls were old enough she was able to donate her remaining supply to a local milk bank. That’s what lead me on my search of what to do with my stock pile. I just did not want it to go to waste and I wanted to return the favor since someone helped my nieces. I live in a small town, plus with two kids, it was hard to travel very far. I was excited when I found Milkin’ Mamas and they were able to send everything to me. I feel fortunate to have been able to breastfeed my children and I hope that other children can benefit from it as well. Thank you for providing a way for me to donate even though I live in the sticks.
Deborah Stein – Virginia When Zoe was first born, friends told me I’d need to stock up on milk for when I went back to work. So, I started pumping away. I thought it was odd that friends told me they didn’t have enough milk stored up when they went back to work, since I was able to pump a ton. I didn’t realize until much later that I actually had an oversupply of milk. In addition to having more milk than I’d ever need if I went back to work, I wound up finding a job where I could work from home, so I didn’t need any of the frozen milk. I think I’ve used maybe 3 bags of frozen milk in the 8.5 months I’ve been nursing my daughter. Once she started on solid foods, my freezer got out of control. It became completely full of milk and food for the baby and there was no room for food for my husband and me. I didn’t want to toss the milk but I knew I’d never use it. I remembered someone mentioning milk donations in my mom’s group months earlier, so I decided to look into it further. That’s when I found Milkin Mamas and the rest is history. I am so lucky to have a happy, healthy baby and if I can pass that on to another baby, I consider myself doubly lucky.
Kristi West – California Like many other moms out there, I first came across Milkin’ Mamas because my freezer was overflowing with milk and I couldn’t bear to throw it away. I first started pumping when my son was in the NICU after he was born. He was able to receive donated breast milk there, before my milk came in. I will always be indebted to those women who donated so that my son could have breast milk since the day he was born. That reason led me to do what I could for others in my situation. I have been blessed to be able to donate over 1,000 ounces to Milkin’ Mamas. This has been such a blessing for me and I know that I have inspired other friends to donate as well! Thank you Milkin’ Mamas for providing this opportunity!
Robyn Bailey – South Carolina I became a milk donor out of necessity. My husband was going to throw all my frozen milk away because it had taken over our deep freezer which we had to purchase just for breastmilk. I knew there had to be a way to use this milk to help other babies so I started looking online and found Milkin Mamas. I was able to donate all my frozen milk knowing other premature babies were being helped. Through being a milk donor, I am able to help my sister’s twins currently in the hospital born at 35 weeks while her milk is starting to come in. That is a blessing knowing my nephews are able to benefit as well. I highly recommend Milkin Mamas for anyone thinking of donating or knows someone who can! What a difference you can make in someone elses life and maybe even your own personal circle!
Elizabeth Dvorkin – Illinois Caleb nursed wonderful for the first 4 weeks of his life and then he started to develop an aversion to nursing. At first we thought it was colic and my doctor told me to start pumping and giving him a bottle since he would only nurse for no more than 4 minutes before screaming. So I started pumping and freezing the excess. A few weeks later we found blood in his stool. T…hat is when we found out his digestive system couldn’t tolerate milk and soy proteins. I then went on a strict elimination diet. In the mean time I continued to pump and collect excess milk. This milk my son could not eat due to his intolerance. Therefore I started to look for a place I could donate my excess milk and that is when I found Milkin’ Mamas. They made the process so easy and I never thought twice about donating my milk that Caleb can’t digest to another baby who needs it.
Stacey Fuchs – Arkansas Life as a Mom doesn’t always go the way we plan, but our Heavenly Father always has a plan for us. Our first 2 babies were healthy, breastfed over a year, no problems or even complications during pregnancy or after birth. So when we were blessed with our third pregnancy we had no idea what changes were about to occur. Somewhere between weeks 11 and 19 our baby stopped growing, from that point we knew that our Lord Jesus had a special purpose for this baby! Over the next few months we would endure countless ultrasounds, bleeding and pains, to name just a few symptoms. All the while keeping our faith in the Lord’s plan we continued. When I was 33 weeks 6 days I went in for what had become a normal check up (consisting of non-stress test, doppler scan of the flow in the chord & the normal doctor visit), they sent me to ER to be monitored & I went into labor. The baby had continued to have HGR (human growth restriction) and was behind by 3 weeks. So if everything else going on wasn’t complicated enough to explain just add the difference of dates. Due to the labor my c-section went well & the baby was breathing when he came out. He weighed 3 lbs 2 oz and was 15 1/8″ long. I emphasized my concern that my baby was to be breast fed and not formula fed. It was comforting to know that I had the option to use milk donated by other mom in the event mine didn’t come in. The freezer space quickly became cramped to which we invested in a much bigger deep freeze. After a month of being home I really felt the Lord lay on my heart that all the milk sitting in our new freezer could benefit another precious miracle such as Asher, so I began to research and found Milkin’ Mamas. Today Asher is 9 months old, 12 lbs 5 oz and 24 1/2″ long. He may be small but he is a fighter! We spent 33 days in the NICU and on Dec. 25, 2010 we, our children (son 6 years & daughter 23 months) loaded up to pick up the most special gift of all, baby Asher! I breastfed my first 2 children for over a year of age and plan to do that for Asher. A Mom’s job is full of rewards!
Julia Nickell – South Carolina I breastfed my first baby and was planning on nursing my second child as well. When I was about five months pregnant, we found that he had a very serious congenital heart defect and would most likely be in the NICU for months. I still wanted him to have my milk, so some good friends went in and bought me a great breast pump. I pumped faithfully every day once Matthew was born. He used some of it, but because of multiple surgeries, he was on IV nutrition for the most part. I still pumped faithfully, waiting for the day when he would be able to come home and use it. Then, at seven weeks old, he died of complications that stemmed from his heart defect. I went home, devastated, to a freezer full of milk that I no longer needed. Every time I opened my freezer, I would start crying because it was a constant reminder that my son wasn’t there anymore. I almost threw it all away, but thankfully, someone mentioned the idea of donating it. After a lot of research I found Milkin’ Mamas and felt that it would be a great way to honor Matthew’s life. It sure doesn’t make up for missing my baby, but I am so thankful that I was able to donate and maybe, just maybe, help prevent another mom from having to go through the loss of their child. I am hopeful that when God blesses us with another baby, I will be able to donate again!
Danielle Cernohous – Wisconsin The decision to breastfeed was a very important one for me. I wanted, as I believe most mothers do, to give my son only the best. For me, the best meant breastfeeding. My breastfeeding journey, however, did not start off quite as I had imagined. Sawyer did not latch on until about 30 hours after delivery. After that, it was a constant battle to keep him awake when he was eating. I became concerned about my milk supply when he hadn’t quite gotten back to his birth weight at his 2 week check-up. I started pumping after every feeding in an attempt to increase my supply. Sawyer also began eating better, and slowly I began to build a reserve of frozen milk. I continued to pump after most feedings in order to stock up for my anticipated return to work. By the time I returned to work when Sawyer was 12 weeks old, I had a fair amount of frozen milk. Thankfully, I found that I was able to pump enough at work to supply my son with what he needed while we were apart. I was even able to continue to freeze a little extra each day. I continued to pump after feedings on the weekend, still leery that my supply would begin to diminish. By the time Sawyer was 6 months old, I had a quite a bit of milk frozen. I also had a beautiful, happy, healthy baby! I began thinking about what I would do with the milk since I wasn’t using it. I knew there must be a way to put it to good use, and I began looking into donating. That is when I found this wonderful organization ~ Milkin Mamas. Breastfeeding did not necessarily come easy for us, but I am proud of the fact that I worked hard to be able to breastfeed my son, and I feel very lucky that I have been able to donate the extra milk that I had to benefit other babies.
Michelle Charles – Georgia I began pumping milk when my daughter, Gianna, was 1 month old. Just enough to have bags if we were out and about or if someone would babysit. I had a huge supply in the morning so I would pump an extra bag every morning out of habit. On May 22, at 8 months, our Gia unexpectedly and without cause died. I was/am absolutely devastated (to say the least) and to add to my tragedy I had engorged breasts and an entire freezer full of milk. I had to continue pumping to relieve myself and was heartbroken at the thought of throwing out all that precious milk. That’s when I looked online and found Milkin’ Mamas. I felt this was a great solution to make use of the breast milk I had saved and one more thing I could do in honor of my beloved daughter. Milkin’ Mamas was wonderful, sensitive, and made everything as easy and convenient as possible. I am so glad I found Milkin’ Mamas and hopefully when we are blessed with our next child I can donate again. I like to think because of Gianna’s life that other babies may have a chance at living too.
Gisselle Miranda – New Jersey I am extremely grateful that I have been blessed with a plentiful supply of breast milk for my little one. Her health and happiness is the most important thing to me. I am happy to be able to share at least a little of that with other babies who for whatever reason are not able to receive that type of nutrition from their own mamas. Milkin’ Mamas made the qualifying process really easy and it has been a pleasure to become part of this family of wonderful mamas who want the best not only for the own child but for other children who need it!
Anu Thakur – California I can’t thank Keri and Alice enough for what they do to facilitate our milk donations. When my son was two months old a friend suggested that I start freezing milk just in case my production went down. As the freezer started to overflow I found Milkin’ Mamas and the rest is history. I thank my baby every time I mark a bag for donation. The way I look at it, he is sharing something precious with other babies. I hope that someday he will realize what he did and be proud of himself and his mommy. After all, isn’t that what we all want – for our children to be proud of us?’
Erin Marek – Pennsylvania Whoever coined the phrase “Don’t cry over spilled milk” obviously wasn’t breastfeeding their child. After my first child, Adalyn, was born last fall I would become devastated if I spilled any milk after pumping while trying to build up a stash for once I returned to work. The fear of wasting any of that mama goodness soon paid off because I had a few shelves of the freezer solely dedicated to breastmilk. My supply continued to improve and the stash continued to grow. Once I returned to work, I was pumping more every day than I needed for my daughter’s bottles while I was away. I found out about Milkin Mamas and immediately began to freeze and store my pre-work pump session milk. It was only 4-6 ounces per day but it quickly added up and I was soon able to send away a cooler full of milk. Shortly after I began the milk donation process my best friend gave birth to my God-daughter, Sofie, at 34 weeks and she required a 4 week NICU stay. The hospital where she was delivered, to my dismay, did not supply donor milk or human milk fortifier.This only increased my determination to donate as much milk as I was able to to Milkin Mamas. My hope is that in the future any baby who could benefit from donor milk has access to it. I fully support breast milk donation and am definitely looking forward to doing so again once baby #2 arrives! I was determined to give my baby the best start possible by breastfeeding and feel so fortunate that I was able to help other babies have a healthy start too! Thank you for helping me in this amazing journey!
Tess McHone – Tennessee My husband works at a children’s hospital in town and some days he comes home with stories that haunt my dreams but some times he comes home with stories of victory that warm my heart for days. When I got pregnant with my son I dreaded ever needing to visit the hospital on more than a lunch date with my husband and thank God I had a perfectly healthy little boy. I quit my job to stay home with him and started pumping right away so my husband could bond with him too. I’m not sure why, but my son didn’t want to take a bottle and after several tries I think it hurt my husband’s pride so we stopped trying. Unlike most of the mothers I have read about on here, I was not a super producer but by that point I had enough milk saved up that I was worried it would go bad before I got to use it. After my friend mentioned something about donating breastmilk, I looked into it and found Milkin’ Mamas right away. I shipped off almost 150 ounces a few weeks later. Not near what a lot of mothers can give but it was all I had. I was able to continue pumping and I still have plenty to mix with my son’s food until he is at least 1. After I met my son and have grown to love him, my heart goes out to all those parents that have had a child in NICU or, heaven forbid, have lost a child. I hope that while it wasn’t a huge amount, my donation helps some child out there to pull through and bless their family with such amazing love. I might not be a super producer, but every little drop adds up.
Malea Laymon – Utah Mama of the Month - March 2011 / Donated 3,024 oz I produced a lot of milk with Ellie, and luckily I was able to use it all up before it expired. I used it in her baby cereal and then I gave it to her in her sippy cups. I knew I would most likely produce a lot of milk with Jack so I started looking into selling it. I did not feel good with anything I found on the Internet. (I obviously had not found Milkin’ Mama’s yet!) I did all that I could to try to use up all the milk I had produced for him before it had expired, I even gave it to Ellie. But sadly the day came when I had to dump it all out. It broke my heart! I knew I had to find someone or something to do with my next batch. So along came Max, and I still wasn’t sure of what to do with all the milk I was about to produce! One of my friends had a baby 3 weeks earlier and could only breastfeed him for a month before she “dried up”. I asked her if she wanted my milk for her little guy and she gladly excepted. I loaded up her freezer right away. As I was gathering some info from the Internet on frozen breast milk for her, I came across Milkin’ Mamas. I read everything there was to read on the site. I felt good about it right away, but decided to sleep on it for a few nights before I jumped into it. After the second night, I was so anxious to call and start the process, I knew it was a good decision and called that morning. My husband and I had just purchased a second deep freeze for all my breast milk. With the last 2, our deep freeze had literally nothing BUT frozen breast milk in it. I got a call back from Keri that afternoon and I was on my way to donating! I was so happy! It took me a while to get through the whole process – but that’s just the life of a mom with 3 kids, a husband, a house and so forth. But the day came when the giant coolers arrived on my door step. I ended up donating 1,700 ounces that day, and still had more in the freezer. So a little while later 3 more coolers arrived on my door step. I donated another 1,325 ounces that day, for a total of 2,915 ounces. I was very humbled knowing that my milk – MY MILK – was going to help babies around the U.S. become strong and have a chance to really be a kid! Well, I still had lots of milk in the freezer and was still pumping a lot, so I was about to request more coolers when a friend of mine and her husband just received great news that they would finally be receiving a baby to adopt after 4 years of waiting. This little guy had heart and kidney problems. I thought that this baby is like the babies my milk is going to now, so I asked my friend if she would like my milk for her new son and she gladly excepted. This made my heart so happy! So, not only am I providing the best for my baby, but 2 of my friends’ babies and babies all over the U.S. This truly has been a great experience for me and my family. My daughter, Ellie, says that when she grows up she is going to give her breast milk to sick babies too. I am definitely coming back to Milkin’ Mamas with baby #4, not that #4 is on it’s way now, but in the future.
Kathy Eggleston – California My beautiful sweet little girl, Kyli Jo was born on 8/1/09, and little did we know she was born with Duodenal Atresia. It is a condition in which the first part of the small bowel has not developed properly. She had life saving surgery at 5 days old and was in the NICU for 3 (long) weeks. I pumped and pumped to maintain my breast milk, and low and behold, God granted me with more milk than Kyli needed! I chose to donate my breast milk because I saw numerous other babies in the NICU needing more breast milk than their moms could produce. This heart wrenching experience of having a baby in the NICU opened my eyes to how much breast milk is needed and I feel so privileged to have been able to help other babies and families in need.
Donna Saenger – Wisconsin Mama of the Month – January 2011 / Donated 4,650 oz I first became interested in donating breast milk after giving birth to my first daughter, but was unable at that time. When I became pregnant again, I saw the Milkin’ Mamas ad in a magazine and decided to find out how I could donate. My husband assisted wtih the packing and marking of the bags while my mother and grandmother offered emotional support. I am very thankful for the opportunity to be able to donate my breast milk so babies can have a good start in their long life ahead.
Carrie Acosta – Florida Carrie has lost 2 babies to Hydrops Fetalis, please consider donating to her project – Viviana’s Memory Boxes. She provides “Memory Boxes” to local hospitals for families that have just lost an infant to stillbirth, miscarriage or pre-term labor. These boxes will help bereaved parents find a sense of hope, healing and a small measure of comfort in the midst of their grief. My son Kaleb was born in April 2010 with a rare condition called Hydrops Fetalis. He survived for 3 days in the NICU. I had never been in a NICU before and didn’t realize how tiny some of the babies were until I saw my 6 pound son next to a 2 pound baby. After Kaleb passed away and I had a full milk supply, I knew I wanted to donate it. I came across many milk banks, but they were all for babies in other countries. When I found out Milkin’ Mamas donated to NICU babies my heart sank, I knew this was where I wanted to donate my milk. To help another family from not losing their precious baby gives Kaleb’s life a purpose.
Samantha Long – Utah I grew up with a mother who successfully breastfed 4 of her 7 children. When I was pregnant with my first baby she told me that breastfeeding was the only way to go. She said that she had noticed several differences between the health of her children that she breastfed and the ones she didn’t. I followed her advice even though it seemed pretty hard for my baby to latch on and I stuck with it. He is now a healthy and happy two year old and has never even had an ear infection. I also remember as a child visiting the neonatal unit where my uncle was a doctor and seeing all the sick babies. After doing some research on the internet and discovering that I could donate my milk (which I have an abundance of with my second child) I decided to donate. I want to help those who cannot help themselves. Every child deserves the best possible start in life.
Kenzi Larson – Texas When my best friend called to tell me that she was pregnant with her third child, I had just found out I was pregnant with my first one and only due a few weeks later. Melinda was passionate about nursing her children, and I watched her nurse her first two countless times. When her son and my daughter were 3 months old, Melinda was diagnosed with breast cancer. And once her chemotherapy was started, she was told that she couldn’t nurse her son anymore, yet another crushing blow and her heart was broken again. When she called to tell me, Iasked if there was anything in the world I could do. She wanted to know if I had any frozen breast milk that I’d be willing to give her for her son. I didn’t at the time (I was a “stay at home mom” and never thought I would need much extra), but without hesitation I told her I would start pumping that day. I continued to do it until her son was a year old. At my best friend’s funeral 6 months later, so many women that I didn’t even know came up to me telling me how Melinda had told them what I had done and how much it meant to her. I was embarrassed at first, not realizing that she’d told so many people, but also proud at the same time. So, with my second child, I decided that what better way could I honor Melinda’s memory than by helping those who can’t give their babies their own precious breast milk either. It was so important to Melinda, and it makes it even that much more important to me.
Christie Anastasia – Alaska I became a breast milk donor because breast milk is the most magical thing there is. It’s absolutely amazing that we’re more or less constructed to have the perfect mix of food for our babies and make them the healthiest they can be. Now, most things in life have not come easy for me, but both my sons latched on easily and are expert nursers. I seem to have just the right body to produce lots of milk. I know this is not the case for others and I want to help more babies start at the starting line with the healthiest bodies, minds, and spirits they can muster. It would break my heart if I wasn’t able to somehow give my kid’s breast milk (from my own body or from a donor). I donate so someone who can’t give it from their body can give it from their heart.
Brittney Jump – Maryland My son was born at 33 weeks by cesarean due to hypertension, weighing in at 4lbs 9oz. He quickly dropped to 4lbs 1oz overnight. He had to work too hard for colostrum and wasn’t getting enough to eat. It took nearly 5 days for my milk to come in. So we had to supplement him with formula and what little I was pumping, though I truly didn’t want him to have formula. For me carrying my precious liquid gold to the nursery for his feedings, I was so careful not to miss or spill a drop, knowing how important it was. When my milk came in I could feed an army of babies I thought. Logan came home drinking only 20cc’s and not strong enough to nurse. He was born October 20, 2008 and by the November 11, 2008 I had over 500 ounces frozen I had ran out of room in my freezer, so started to pump and dump. For me I wanted to cry every time I poured milk down the drain. Thinking of all the babies out there who could benefit from what I was throwing away. Then the thought came to mind to look up donating from my lactation consultant who was absolutely amazed that I was pumping 16oz a pumping session. And by this point my son only ate 2-3oz a feeding. She called me a super milking mom!! When I came across Milkin’ Mamas I knew this is was I needed to do. And considering my son couldn’t nurse until he was 6 weeks old and I had to return to work I have never put the pump down. It has to work for 20 minutes a session, 8 sessions a day on top of nursing. I have just become a qualified donor and plan on emptying out my freezer only to fill it up again. Now maybe I’ll have some room for my food. This to me is probably one of the most rewarding things I’ve done in my life. I know just how important it is for preemies to get a good start and I’m proud to be a part of that.
Kamisha Sullivan - California I first heard about the milk bank from my midwife- Candace Leach. I loved the idea of being able to participate in such a program. My son, Paul was born November 17, 2007. My desire to breast feed as soon as he was born was made possible with the help of a fabulous nurse named Dana. I had been induced, labored 42 hours, and eventually had a cesarean. Although many aspects of my birth had not gone as planned, I am grateful for the opportunity to quickly bond and be alone with my baby. Paul latched on quickly and gained weight steadily. When he was a couple weeks old, I started pumping to prepare for returning to work as a full time teacher. Before long, my freezer was filling up and that’s when I became a donor on-line. Now that I am back at work, I feel comforted to know my son is being nourished with milk I am able to supply to him. I also treasure the bonding we have in the evenings when I am home. Even more, I get to be empowered by the opportunity to share my milk with other babies in need. I know there are many situations where breastfeeding can be a challenge. I am excited to be a donor and to share in the amazing privilege of being a milk donor.
Beth Yelowitz – Kentucky I have two children, a son who is three and an infant daughter. Before I became a mom I have visions that I would give birth and that my children would latch on immediately with no issues. When my son was born we had issues. I was induced three weeks early with him due to preeclampsia. I was medicated after giving birth and basically incoherent for the first 24 hours of his life. I was hospitalized for the first week of his life recovering. Although he was healthy, I was not. I believethat the situation had something to do with the fact that I was not successful with nursing the first time around. After working with the hospital lactation consultants we still didn’t make much progress, so I pumped for his first 3.5 months. I wanted him to receive the benefits of breast milk. He received nothing but breast milk. However I reluctantly stopped pumping. If I could turn back the clock, I truly believe I would havetried again and again until we were successful. Throughout his first year he had chronic ear infections and at a year and a half he had pneumonia and a series of issues with allergies. We spent so much time with doctors during his first few years. I then vowed that my next child would be breastfed for at least the first year. I made the joke that if I had to spend the first few months with a lactation consultant I would. This time I started nursing my daughter minutes after birth. It was a normal complication-free birth. It took some time but within a few days we were on track, and when I did need help the hospital lactation consultants were only a phone call or short drive away. Breastmilk is best. My daughter is 5 months old and has yet to visit the pediatrician for anything other than a well baby visit. She is healthy. She is thriving. This time around is so much different than with my son. I truly believeit’s because she is breastfed. The benefits of breast milk are unmatched! As a donor I wanted to give needy babies the nutrition and benefits of breast milk. It is the best start in life, especially for the recipients of the donor milk. There is nothing better!
Jacelin Colosky – Texas I became a breast milk donor for two reasons. One, it’s a tradition in my family. My maternal grandmother actually paid part of her hospital bill when my uncle was born with donated milk for a pair of premies born while she was there. Second, it’s a Karmic Thank You for coming from that line of good milkers. I have been so blessed with both of my babies: both are so healthy and breastfeeding has been easy and natural for us; pure joy. I felt the need to share some of that luck and abundance with those less fortunate.
Susan Kelley – South Carolina Phew…it feels so good to have some room in my freezer and to be helping babies. I’ve been watching Oprah’s Big Give and there’s so much more stuff we can all be doing for one another, we just have to figure out where we can “plug-in” to this planet. As a mother of two small children, what I do for others has decreased due to the needs of my own family. Donating this milk really helps fill that desire in my heart. God has blessed me with two wonderful healthy children and so far an abundance of milk. “To whom much is given, much is expected” my mama always said. Thanks for the opportunity to participate with you girls in this service to babies.
Nicole “Mega Milker” Maddox – Connecticut It didn’t take long after I dressed my 1 1/2 month old child in 6-9 month clothing to realize the truth in what others had been saying to me – I must have some power-packed breast milk! And since I ended up throwing away 32 oz of milk per day with my first child, I knew that my new baby, Bryce, would never be able to keep up with his over productive mother either. Although I knew that I didn’t want throw away more milk again, I was told by many that donating milk was not likely an option in the United States. Finally, after waking up one morning with breasts full enough to feed the entire neighborhood, I decided to look it up for myself. I was thrilled to see that I could turn my seeming problem into a benefit for babies in need! I’m proud to be a “Milkin’ Mama”…and thrilled to reclaim all the space in my freezer! No longer crying over spilt milk.
Meagan Myers – New York I never really gave much thought to how important and special breast milk was until I got pregnant. During my pregnancy I read all that I could, wanting to be the best mom I could be, and all the literature screamed that breast feeding was the best thing you could do for your baby. My daughter Bailey, now 5 months old has had nothing but breast milk, and I wouldn’t want it any other way (I don’t think she would either). I started pumping when she was about 4 weeks old, wanting to prepare her for when I went back to work part time. Pumping was easy for me and I ended up with a lot of extra milk. I didn’t have enough room in my own freezer to store the milk so I was constantly taking it over to my parent’s house to store and bringing it back when I needed it. I thought about donating when Bailey was about 2-3 months old and began searching the internet. There were a lot of different organizations, but I chose Milkin’ Mamas because the milk stayed in the US as well as went to preemies. I’m so glad I did! I’vealways wanted to be able to help more in terms of charities, and donating milk is a way I can give back and help preemie babies.
Maura Redmond – California When my son was born 4 weeks premature it was a very trying time. We took him home from the hospital jaundiced and weighing only about 4lbs 14oz, less than a bag of sugar, and yet we knew we were determined to give him the best start in life. For us that meant breastfeeding exclusively. He was very hard to feed at first. He had a weak suck and was overwhelmed by my breast, but we stuck with it and he is now a robust 5 month old boy. In those early days I pumped daily to keep my supply up and get relief and as the time was running out for that milk to still be useful to my son I thought it would be a crime to throw it away. I became a donor to help the premies who are in much worse condition that my son ever was and continue to donate as I can.
JoAnna Sero – New York I had to return to teaching full time when our daughter Annabelle was 5 months old. I wanted to continue breastfeeding and hoped to be able to pump enough milk so that we wouldn’t have to supplement with formula. Her pediatrician warned me that I probably wouldn’t be able to work full-time and breastfeed exclusively. Many of my colleagues discouraged me from putting myself in a situation of having to pump during my work day. In spite of this I was determined to do whatever it took to try to give Annabelle this precious “liquid gold”. I pumped three times a day during the week and at least once on the weekends. I was so fortunate that I was able to supply enough milk for Annabelle, and constantly reminded myself of how lucky we were. I know of so many moms who wanted desperately to be able to breastfeed their sweet babies but weren’t able to. I feel as though the time I spend breastfeeding Annabelle is some of the most precious bonding time we have together. When Annabelle was about 10 1/2 months old she decided to stop drinking milk during the day while she was away from me. I found myself with extra frozen milk as well as fresh milk that she wasn’t using. After having to dump two bottles I told myself there had to be someone out there who could use our milk. I am so glad that we found Milkin’ Mamas and that we can share our extra milk with some special babies who need it.
Casey Golovko – California I have to be honest and say that I never thought that I’d still be breastfeeding my son at 8 months. None of the women in my family had ever breastfed any of their babies, so I was reluctant at first. I had such a hard time getting started that I wondered if I’d last three months! My son and I finally got the hang of it and I found myself looking forward to feeding times. It was, and still is, a way for me to just sit, relax and be with my son. I enjoy the quiet time that we’re able to spend together and the fact that I’m providing the perfect nutrients for his little body makes the time even more special. It breaks my heart to think that there are mothers out there that physically cannot breastfeed their babies even if they wanted to. It also breaks my heart to think that there are very ill or preterm babies out there that need the nutrition of breast milk. These are the reasons that I decided to donate. I feel very fortunate to be able to share the wonderful benefits of breast milk with the little ones that need it.
Laura Cade – Washington I have been nursing my son for 14 months now, which he still very much enjoys and gets most of his nourishment from. I remember reading about breast milk donation when he was a newborn, but I was feeling so overwhelmed at the time with trying to meet his near constant demands that I decided that it wasn’t for me. The idea of giving this magical substance to babies who need it the most really pulled on my heart strings, but I simply didn’t have the energy or determination to make a commitment back then. I totally forgot about it until about a month ago when I noticed an ad for Milkin’ Mamas on a forum website. All the feelings of compassion and warmth I had felt towards the babies I’d be giving my milk to came back full force. Now that my son is older and not a source of stress for me anymore, it feels natural to give this amazing source of nutrition to babies whose bodies and minds will be extremely grateful for it. I plan on letting my son, Quantum, wean himself and since that doesn’t look like it’s going to happen anytime soon I am excited about being a regular donor for months or even years to come. I’m reminded of an old Zen parable that’s called “The Giver Should Be Thankful” for there has never been a gift that I have given that comes close to the level of thankfulness I feel for being given the privilege of being a breast milk donor.
Francine Orozco – California I first saw the Milkin’ Mamas site when my son was only a couple of months old. I thought then, “No way am I doing that. As it is now, I’m worried about whether or not my son is getting enough milk. I can’t afford to give it away.” But when it came time to have to throw it away, I felt really bad. What a waste! Knowing my son will be weaning now that he’s starting solid foods, I figured I could now afford to donate my milk. I feel good knowing it’s getting used since I’m not doing anything with it. It’s selfish of me to NOT donate since I KNOW I do have a lot of extra milk. It does feel good knowing I can provide milk for my baby and others who need breast milk.
Kellye Dawn – California The trip to the trash can was a difficult walk to make as I held 300 ounces of breast milk expiring and just didn’t know what to do with it. It all went down the shoot, and I don’t remember ever feeling so guilty. Shortly after disposing of the breast milk I read an article about Milkin’ Mamas. I immediately contacted them and have been on the course of pumping for babies in need since then. I think it is a wonderful thing as a community and as women bonding for the future of the worlds’ children that we can do something as small as donating our unused breast milk to help those in need. It’s so refreshing to meet kind and sincere people like Keri and Alice that made the effort of initiation to be a tool to those who have and those who need. I recommend any one who is breast feeding or still lactating to donate anything they can, every little bit helps.
