Why am I so passionate about getting breastmilk to babies? Imagine the following scenarios:
Scenerio #1
You take great care of your nutrition before and during your pregnancy to ensure the best outcome for your baby. The big day comes and you have a precious bundle eager for his first drink of mommy's milk, made just for him. The first few days you are not worried because it can take some time for your milk to come in. More days pass and still nothing. You begin to pump, seek a lactation consultant, advice from friends, nothing. Eventually you end up diagnosed with Insufficient Glandular Tissue and those 3 words break your heart. You did everything right, how could this happen? Now what? You check out the milk banks only to find the price is too high at $3-5 an ounce and even if you could afford the steep price, this milk is handed out on a need basis (as it should be), premature and the sickest of babies first. Even if you did qualify to receive breastmilk, there are very few milk banks out there and they are not the easiest to donate to so their supplies are always low. You think your only option now is formula.
Scenario #2
Like the above scenario, you did everything right before and during pregnancy but since you have to go back to work you decide formula is the option you want. A decision you are fine with until you give baby that first bottle and the formula does not agree with her. You try another formula and yet again, baby is sick. Another formula, same thing. A friend offers you some of her excess milk she pumped, you gratefully accept and for the time being baby is back to her happy self. But that supply runs out. Now what?
Scenario #3
You adopt a beautiful baby and you know breastmilk is the best. Enough said.
Scenario #4
You are the mom of a baby who decided to make his entrance into the world a little too early. While your sweet baby is in the NICU, you begin pumping like mad to ensure he has enough food. Turns out you are a milk making machine and you quickly fill up the deep freezer with more milk than your baby can drink. The nearest milk bank is over a state away making donation very difficult. It breaks your heart to pour that liquid gold down the drain, but what else are you going to do with it?
These are pictures of milk that was donated in Minnesota. Awesome!
My dear friend Emma Kwasnica had the sound mind to link these women together. It started out with the occasional plea on her very active Facebook page for breastmilk for a baby whose mom had suddenly passed away or a mom whose milk had dried up due to an unexpected pregnancy. A movement was born.
Now there are chapters in nearly every state and in many nations across the globe. To find a chapter near you visit Human Milk 4 Human Babies at http://www.hm4hb.net
Even little ol' North Dakota has a group (overseen by me).
Questions? Please, ask away!
What a great donation!
There is also Yahoo's "MilkShare" group and "Eats on Feets" on Facebook as other sources of breastmilk. Wouldn't it be wonderful if all babies had breastmilk, and if all moms knew of the importance of breastmilk!
Posted by: TracyKM | March 11, 2011 at 08:34 AM
Super like! As my friend Emma says, "Breastmilk is not some sort of scarce commodity; it is a free flowing resource." I hope that someday milk sharing will me less taboo, just like breastfeeding is becoming.
Posted by: Melanie Hoffman | March 11, 2011 at 08:38 AM
I LOVE HM4HB!! I'm about to be in situation #3 (yippeeeeee!!) and want so desperately to give her breastmilk, for so many reasons. Thank you for writing about this!
Posted by: Carolie | March 11, 2011 at 06:31 PM
That's wonderful, Carolie! Congratulations! I'm so excited that HM4HB's is helping getting milk to adopted babies possible. Happy dance!
Posted by: Melanie Hoffman | March 11, 2011 at 09:29 PM
I struggled with feeding through three children until I was diagnosed this time with Insufficient Glandular Tissue. Because of a connection through EOF I was able to find someone willing to donate so that I could supplement with breast milk this time instead of formula. I'm so grateful!
Posted by: Tina | March 13, 2011 at 05:40 PM
Oh Tina, thats so wonderful! Thank you for sharing.
Posted by: Melanie Hoffman | March 14, 2011 at 09:29 AM
Wonderful post! I too wish milk sharing was less taboo, and a more common practice!
I fall into category #1. When my son was two weeks old I had an IBCLC diagnose me with tuberous breast deformities and a particularly severe case of insufficient glandular tissue. I followed a strict routine of nursing for 20 minute on each side, followed by 15 minutes of double pumping. I ate foods conducive to milk production, took fenugreek and blessed thistle, and drank mother's milk tea by the gallon, but after three months of following all my lactation consultant's advice for potentially improving my milk supply, I only managed to go from 1 oz per day to 1.25 oz per day. At the time, I had never heard of homemade infant formula and the sheer cost of obtaining breast milk from a milk bank was prohibitive, so I supplemented my son with commercial baby formula.
I am currently 13 weeks pregnant with our second child and will be doing things differently this time around. First, I've read that for some women with IGT the condition is caused by low progesterone levels during pregnancy and that, in those cases, taking natural progesterone during and after pregnancy can greatly improve mammary development. (I will be visiting my lactation consultant in a few days to ask about this option) I'm also just beginning to look into milk sharing, as I really feel that being able to provide my future baby with breast milk is of great importance to his/her health. Thank you so much for the resources!!
Posted by: Kerri | March 30, 2011 at 05:57 PM
We as women havan amazing ability to be connected, i was googling ec split pants and came accross your site, i'm part of hm4hb in vctoria Canada!
Posted by: Amanda | September 21, 2011 at 12:15 PM
Nice to meet you, Amanda! :-)
Posted by: Melanie Hoffman | September 21, 2011 at 12:58 PM