There's Gold in Them There Hills!

The hills that I'm talking about aren't the hills where 300,000 people flooded in 1849 in the search for gold or the ones that are alive with the sound of music. The hills I'm referring to are the hills on my chest that have more recently resembled mountains since the birth of my son. Jim-Jim is a big eater, but he can't keep up with his mommy! I make much more milk than the boy can eat, and I've been stock-piling my breast milk in the freezer since the day we came home from the hospital.

It wasn't always easy, though. I had to work really hard to build my milk supply by pumping every hour that Jim-Jim wasn't eating so my production would increase. The motivating factor was the fear that once he went to daycare he wouldn't have enough milk to sustain him, but I believe I over-shot the mark. The simple solution would be to pour the excess down the drain, right? True, that is an option, but I can't bring myself to do it! Breast milk takes a lot of work to maintain, and, in essence, is the only thing keeping my son alive. For these reasons, I've grown somewhat attached to my breast milk, and the mere thought of pouring this liquid gold down the drain after hours spent pumping makes me queasy. With so little room left in the freezer for frozen pizzas, I figured out another option. Breast milk donation!(http://www.nationalmilkbank.org/) They send me a pump, collection supplies, and postage, and I send them my frozen breast milk to help premature and critically ill babies. We're both winners! They have breast milk to help sick babies, and I have more room in my freezer for frozen pizzas! I asked Jim-Jim, and he said he doesn't mind sharing.

Breast milk fact #1: Donor milk is dispensed only by prescription to babies with medical and nutritional needs.

Breast milk fact #2: To buy an ounce of breast milk can cost $5/ounce and it's not always covered by insurance.

Breast milk fact #3: 2-4 ounces of breast milk can support a preemie baby for a few days.

Breast milk fact #4: The complexity of human milk is that it contains over 100,000 unique biological components that provide nourishment and disease resistance in babies.
Thanks for sharing, Jim-Jim!

Kara