When Giving Feels Like Receiving

My friend’s pregnancy overlapped mine by a few months and, after my baby was born, I said, “Please let me know if something happens and you need any milk!” And I meant it. I had abundant breastmilk for my third baby, and everyone who knew me knew I was saving up to donate to a . . . → Read More: When Giving Feels Like Receiving

Becoming a Milk Donor: Shipping Liquid Gold

I did it! I saved and donated 200 ounces of breastmilk to the Mother’s Milk Bank in Columbus, Ohio!

Earlier, I posted about my journey to get here, how I needed to supplement my milk for my first son and now, thanks to tandem nursing, I have milk to spare with my third son.

Truly, . . . → Read More: Becoming a Milk Donor: Shipping Liquid Gold

Breastfeeding Without Birthing: Changing Plans

Christine Barker was still nursing her third biological child, a toddler, when her family began looking to adopt a fourth child. Barker had had no issues nursing her first three children and was serving as a La Leche League leader. She felt well-informed, committed to breastfeeding, and it never occurred to her that her . . . → Read More: Breastfeeding Without Birthing: Changing Plans

Becoming a Milk Donor: An Update

A few months ago, I blogged about signing up to donate my breastmilk to a milk bank. Since then, I’ve been slowly squirreling away extra milk. I’m up to 75 ounces in my neighbors’ deep freeze. 

Does that seem as strange to you as it does to my family? They were a little taken . . . → Read More: Becoming a Milk Donor: An Update

Donating Breastmilk: Tips for Stay-home Moms

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I’ve signed up to be a milk donor with the Columbus milk bank. I’ve got 50 ounces of breastmilk on ice so far–25% of my 200-ounce minimum donation!

Because I stay home with my younger two kids, I’ve been finding it challenging to find time to pump . . . → Read More: Donating Breastmilk: Tips for Stay-home Moms

Becoming a Milk Donor

I’ve never had a comfortable relationship with the breast pump. I fell victim to a number of booby traps with my first son and wound up unable to express any milk for him while I was at work, even though he nursed directly from the tap until he was 27 months old. Along the . . . → Read More: Becoming a Milk Donor

Breastmilk Research in the News: Responding to Recent Milk Sharing Publications

A few months ago I signed up to participate in a study looking to speak with both mothers who have informally shared and informally received breastmilk. The study is called “The Anthropological Contexts of Milk Sharing (AnthroCOMS).” While I was never a habitual recipient of donated breastmilk, both my boys have drunk donor milk in . . . → Read More: Breastmilk Research in the News: Responding to Recent Milk Sharing Publications