Milk

I have been expressing milk for ONE YEAR (plus a couple of weeks but whose really counting?). I can't believe it. When I first had Arden, I decided that I would pump from the get go since I was going back to work (THAT was short-lived!)and I didn't want to have any problems getting her to take a bottle so we went straight to the bottle. I also felt it was very important to give her breastmilk if I was able to for all the nutrients and immunities that you can't get from formula. I was gonna do whatever it took to reach my goal of one year. How quickly, in those first couple weeks my goal changed to three months. That's all. I just wanted to make it to three months. Three months passed and I said, "well maybe I can go to six months." Then Arden turned six months old and pumping was second nature to me. I was on a schedule like Arden, pumping 5 times a day, until a few weeks ago, I dropped down to four.

At the beginning, they told me I would have to supplement. There was no way I could give Arden breast milk exclusively because pumps 'just aren't as strong as a baby's mouth in getting milk out" so I wouldn't produce enough pumping alone. The first 4 days of her life, I supplemented with formula, until my milk started picking up. The third week, she was having a growth spurt and I had to give her formula for one feeding. She had one taste and threw it up. Since then, we never looked back.

I have produced so much milk that three times, I have donated it to other babies. Approx. 300oz each time and I'm about to donate again.

My first donation of frozen milk taking over our freezer when Arden was 5-6 months old



That first donation went to a three year old boy with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. He is confined to a bed or wheelchair that lays flat and can't talk, move or digest proteins and since breast milk is broken down, it's one of the best things for him.

Second donation when Arden was 8 months old



My second and third (at 10 months old) donation went to a little girl who is a few days younger than Arden. She was slow to grow and ro get on the charts.
There is a group called milkshare that I joined to find recipients. I'm sure some people think it's the weirdest thing to have your baby drink someone else's breast milk and I'm not saying I'd ever do it, but there are a lot of people out there who feel that it truly is 'liquid gold' and the best thing for their babies even if it is someone else's.
When I first decided that I needed room in the freezer for food and I should probably get rid of some milk and I couldn't keep up with rotating it, I looked into donating it to the US Milk Bank but you have to be tested before you package the milk up you want to donate and since I already had some that needed to go, I found MilkShare- a group of people looking to donate and a group of people looing to receive. Also- it's very disappointing that the Milk Bank charges an arm and leg for milk they get for free!

My Medela became my best friend. That thing has been everywhere. I pump in the car, while feeding Arden, while sewing, and apparently while sleeping. One night, so very long ago when I was back at work, I was EXHAUSTED and pumping my last pump for the day. It was about 10PM and I fell asleep. I woke up TWO HOURS later...still pumping. ouch.

I am so thankful that I was able (and still am!) to give Arden the best milk for her first year. I plan to continue with it until winter is over for the immunity factor. I figure if she's going to drink milk anyway, why not.