There are days when I think, “WTF, boobs, stop leaking! We are over a year postpartum.” Then there are days when I think, “Thank you, baby jesus. If I couldn’t produce breastmilk, we’d be up a creek with a giant bill for formula.” (Formula moms – I can’t imagine your stress of buying formula every month. That sh*t adds up so fast. Even with coupons.)
As you may know, Spawn did/does not take a bottle. Ie. she is “EBF” – exclusively breastfed. (Let me just say that I am thankful that I can work from home, which allows me to nurse her anytime.) This whole EBF thing was tough, too, because that means we were bound together almost 24/7.
Blah blah tears, woe is me, yadda yadda. Fast forward to the good stuff.
Since Spawn wasn’t taking any in a bottle, I was able to donate all the “newborn” breastmilk I had stashed in the freezer. I had been pumping every few hours since she was born, and thankfully, it added up.
- I’ve donated to a mom whose infant had an allergic reaction to her breastmilk.
- I’ve donated to a dad whose wife couldn’t produce enough milk for their infant.
- I’ve also donated to a friend. Boobs. They’re magical.
Helping me pack up frozen breastmilk
Got Magic Boobs?
If you have a surplus of breastmilk that you can part with, I strongly encourage donating it to a parent in need. Not through milk banks that charge parents. But through these two groups: Eats On Feets and Human Milk 4 Human Babies.
I know they sound sketchy, but they are legitimate volunteer-run groups. You can find them on Facebook. (Their websites kind of suck. Who still formats their webpages with Comic-Sans? Shady font aside, they do good work.)
These groups and the local FB mom groups I’m in have let me do a good thing for my virtual-to-real-life community.
When you gotta pump, even at a blogger conference! Thanks @shape_magazine for accommodating a breastfeeding #fitmama! #ShapeMeetTweet #fitnessbloggers #breastfeeding #breastpump @medela_us #normalizebreastfeeding #pumpingmom
Even now, as we are in toddlerhood, I see so many posts asking for breastmilk. The need is neverending.
If you’re a mom who also has magical boobs, consider breastmilk donation! There are so many parents who are in need of breastmilk for their babies.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m taking a break to pump.
Gotta do what I gotta do. Pumping in the car.
You are awesome! I had an oversupply for the first three months and donated the breast milk to a friend with twins. I wish I would have been able to keep it up more. It is so nice to be able to donate to babies in need. You are doing such an amazing thing!
All 3 of my kids were EBF. I had a major overabundance of milk but for some reason I couldn’t pump a drop. If I could have I would have gladly donated.