Milk Donation

About 2 and a half years ago I found myself producing more than enough milk for my five month old and my almost two year old nurslings. I would pump the extra but neither of my children would drink what I pumped. They preferred it straight from the tap I guess. I couldn't bring myself to toss it so I looked around for other options. First was milk banks. Milk banks are great. Especially for hospitalized babies. But many families can't afford the $4-$5 an ounce that banks charge. That was only one of the reasons I chose not to go that route. I was also treating postpartum depression. I was on a breastfeeding safe antidepressant but I had read that banks won't take your milk if you regularly take meds.
So, I went the informal route and found a mom of a little girl named Emerson. Emerson's mom would send me a cooler and milk storage bags. I'd fill it up and the UPS man to take it to Emerson. I donated 800+oz to baby Emerson and she was able to make it to her first birthday completely on breastmilk. I'm extremely happy to say that I was one of the milk donors that made it possible. To the right is the cooler I filled a couple of times for her.


Not long after Emily was born I realized that I, once again, had oversupply. Over active letdown accompanied it and was making things difficult for Em. She would choke and pull off at let down. She'd also end up eating more than she needed and silent reflux began to show up. I could tell she was in pain. After nursing she'd gag and the look on her face told me it was coming back up in her poor little throat. I had to do something to help her out so I started pumping just to slow down the flow, hoping I wasn't making things worse. It worked. Then Em got an ear infection and had a hard time nursing off one side. That took care of the over supply on that side but since she was doing most of her nursing on the other, that side's supply increased. I'm now pumping again to make it comfortable for her and am easily getting 5 oz a day. She will not take a bottle but even if she would, she'd never drink the 81oz I have stashed in the freezer. I posted on facebook that I was ready to just embrace my oversupply and pump to donate. A friend commented saying that she had a friend that could use my milk. That was perfect because I wanted to find someone local this time. She put us in contact and now the milk in my freezer is for little baby London. I'm really excited to be able to do this again. Pumping when it was just to remove the extra milk to make breastfeeding easier was sometimes a pain. It's all changed now that I'm pumping to give the milk to a child that needs it. I'm more than happy to pump for London.

Do you have extra milk? Here's a few links for banks and informal donation groups:

Human Milk Banking Association of North America

Milk Share (where I found Emerson's mom)

Human Milk 4 Human babies

Eats on Feets

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© Mama Dani's Musings

Week in Review: Week 10

Even though it seemed like we had a busy week this week, I really don't have much to report. It felt like a busy week mostly because it was a week of adjustments as one of my daycare kids went full time. To make up for the lack of updates, I have more pictures to share than normal. 

Over supply/over active letdown = an occasional milk bath

  Sean's solution to "boys can't nurse" is a sling and a bottle in the pocket

Smiles!!

Sibling love! They just had to join sissy.         

Daddy time! ..melts my heart 

Lincoln logs = a good time

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© Mama Dani's Musings

Car Seat Safety Revisited

Last March I wrote (with help from a car seat safety tech friend) a four part series on car seat safety. Car seat safety is my number one passion and I'm very out spoken about it. Friends know that I'll speak up if I notice a chest clip too low or straps too loose. Some even come to me with their car seat questions. I loved last year's posts because I believe I covered most, if not all, the basics. For that reason, I believe it's worth repeating.


If you missed it last year, here it is again:

Emily in her Graco MyRide

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Please share!

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Week in Review: Week 9

This week Emily recovered from her first ear infection and had her 2 month check up. She also laughed for the first time! What a wonderful sound!! Maddy's doing wonderfully with potty training. I don't hesitate to take her out in underwear. The only thing is she does not poop in the potty. ..and I don't know why. Sean, he's his normal crazy self but he's back to taking naps daily. It's wonderful and he's less moody. Just don't tell him he naps. He thinks he just lays in bed waiting for the music on the alarm clock to come on.

Walking to Grandma's after a lazy day at home.

They dressed themselves..

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© Mama Dani's Musings

Kids Say: February

Maddy- "Emily's a baby. She came out of your belly. It hurt. It don't hurt anymore!!"

Sean, pointing to the middle of my chest "Boys don't have these things. ..these deep things." ...yea, he was talking about cleavage.

Sean saw a picture of Dierks Bentley and said he had "rubbly" ...beard stubble.

Sean telling us how big something was "It's 10 feet hundred!"

Sean on a warm but windy day (windows were open) "Mama, you need to close the window so the wind will stop bugging the curtains."

Maddy to me "You have problems. " Me- "No, you do." Maddy- "I don't have problems! I have a computer!"

A little bonus this month. Sean made up a lullaby for Emily:

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Emily: 2 Months

That's my little 2 month old! She's such a happy baby! She nurses great now that I have my over supply under control and she still sleeps wonderfully. What more can I ask for!? She's "talking" a lot now. Unfortunately, she's camera shy. She just lights up when Sean talks to her. I love it! We've tried introducing bottles and pacis but she won't have any of it. She however, likes to suck on her fist. She didn't like it much a month ago but Emily has started enjoying rides in the sling. It's a good thing too because that's the easiest thing to use around the house; it's the fastest to put on.

Emily's stats from her check up today:
10lbs 6oz - She's dropped from the 50th percentile to the 25th
23in - looks like she was working on height this month more than weight!

I was happy to hear that even though there's still some fluid in her ear, Emily's ear infection has cleared up. I also brought up the spot on Em's chest this appointment. At her newborn and 1 month check up, the doctor thought it was just a birth mark, possibly a third nipple. It's an odd place for a third nipple but it looks like one...they run in the family so it didn't surprise me. He also mentioned a branchial cleft abnormality. He really didn't think it was that because it wasn't leaking and didn't seem to be attached. He told me to keep an eye on it and let him know if I noticed any changes. ..I have noticed something. When she nurses, usually when she's nursing fast or gulping, the spot goes in and out. Doc says it could be just the fact that the skin is thin there but it would be best to get it looked at and have the branchial cleft abnormality ruled out. He's sending us to a ear, nose and throat doctor.

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© Mama Dani's Musings