Milk Sharing – How this precious gift helped my family. | #breastfeeding
When you think of Milk Sharing, what’s the first thing that pops into your mind? Eww, maybe? Gross? For me, the first thing I think is that, in our lives, it’s truly been a life saver.
When Braxton was little, I had supply issues because, unknown to me, his care providers were sneaking him formula because they did not think that breastmilk was sufficient. I was uneducated about breastfeeding at the time and did not know what was going on. I wish, now, that I’d have known more about breastfeeding and milk sharing once I realized the issue. By the time we figured out what was going on, sadly, I thought it was it was too late for my supply. We resorted to the only thing we knew – formula.
When Hawk was a couple of months old, I did some tests that required me to take a radioactive pill. The nurse told me that I needed to wean my son. Not realizing that she was talking to a mom who was bound and determined to nurse her son for as long as he wanted. I simply told her that it just wasn’t going to happen, and I took a plan of action.
I called on my lactating friend. I ended up having one friend who expressed breastmilk for Hawk, and I had two friends who rotated times to act as a wet nurse for him.
For ten days, other moms shared their milk so that I would not have to wean my son.
This year, I’ve called on Baby’s Breastie a couple of times, to help me find donated milk for Jett while I went out of town on a few trips. The breastfeeding community hasn’t failed me.
I am unable to pump in amounts larger than 1 ounce at a time, so it’s not easy for me to collect enough milk to sustain my son (or anyone else’s baby) while away. With milk sharing, Andy was able to feed Jett without having to resort to formula while I was out of town. If took us a few tries to find a bottle that he would use, but once he got the hang of it, he did fine.
I occasionally see posts on Facebook all the time with people who are in search of donated milk for babies in need. It’s a precious gift. Probably one of the most precious gifts someone can afford a baby in need.
Benefits of Milk Sharing
(a few points from EatsonFeetsResources.org)
- Normalizes breastmilk as the primary food source for babies, wet-nursing and the sharing of breastmilk.
- Rapid response in acute situations
- Affordable
- Likelihood of obtaining age-specific milk
- Builds community with other parents
If you’re looking for more information about breastfeeding and milk sharing, check out BabysBreastie.com. It’s important to be involved in a community that can help you with breastfeeding issues, support, and even milk sharing.
I had a supply issue when my son was born and was blessed to know an awesome group of mamas who donated milk to us. Thanks for sharing this resource!