Meet the Donors
I became a breast milk donor for two reasons. One, it's a tradition in my family. My maternal grandmother actually paid part of her hospital bill when my uncle was born with donated milk for a pair of premies born while she was there. Second, it's a Karmic Thank You for coming from that line of good milkers. I have been so blessed with both of my babies: both are so healthy and breastfeeding has been easy and natural for us; pure joy. I felt the need to share some of that luck and abundance with those less fortunate.
Jacelin Colosky - Texas
I first heard about the milk bank from my midwife- Candace Leach. I loved the idea of being able to participate in such a program. My son, Paul was born November 17, 2007. My desire to breast feed as soon as he was born was made possible with the help of a fabulous nurse named Dana. I had been induced, labored 42 hours, and eventually had a cesarean. Although many aspects of my birth had not gone as planned, I am grateful for the opportunity to quickly bond and be alone with my baby. Paul latched on quickly and gained weight steadily. When he was a couple weeks old, I started pumping to prepare for returning to work as a full time teacher. Before long, my freezer was filling up and that's when I became a donor on-line. Now that I am back at work, I feel comforted to know my son is being nourished with milk I am able to supply to him. I also treasure the bonding we have in the evenings when I am home. Even more, I get to be empowered by the opportunity to share my milk with other babies in need. I know there are many situations where breastfeeding can be a challenge. I am excited to be a donor and to share in the amazing privilege of being a milk donor.
Kamisha Sullivan - California
Phew...it feels so good to have some room in my freezer and to be helping babies. I've been watching Oprah's Big Give and there's so much more stuff we can all be doing for one another, we just have to figure out where we can "plug-in" to this planet. As a mother of two small children, what I do for others has decreased due to the needs of my own family. Donating this milk really helps fill that desire in my heart. God has blessed me with two wonderful healthy children and so far an abundance of milk. "To whom much is given, much is expected" my mama always said. Thanks for the opportunity to participate with you girls in this service to babies.
Susan Kelley - South Carolina
I never really gave much thought to how important and special breast milk was until I got pregnant. During my pregnancy I read all that I could, wanting to be the best mom I could be, and all the literature screamed that breast feeding was the best thing you could do for your baby. My daughter Bailey, now 5 months old has had nothing but breast milk, and I wouldn't want it any other way (I don't think she would either). I started pumping when she was about 4 weeks old, wanting to prepare her for when I went back to work part time. Pumping was easy for me and I ended up with a lot of extra milk. I didn't have enough room in my own freezer to store the milk so I was constantly taking it over to my parent's house to store and bringing it back whe I needed it. I thought about donating when Bailey was about 2-3 moths old and began searching the internet. There were a lot of different organizations, but I chose Milkin' Mamas because the milk stayed in the US as well as went to preemies. I'm so glad I did! I've always wanted to be able to help more in terms of charities, and donating milk is a way I can give back and help preemie babies.
Meagan Myers - New York
When my son was born 4 weeks premature it was a very trying time. We took him home from the hospital jaundiced and weighing only about 4lbs 14oz, less than a bag of sugar, and yet we knew we were determined to give him the best start in life. For us that meant breastfeeding exclusively. He was very hard to feed at first. He had a weak suck and was overwhelmed by my breast, but we stuck with it and he is now a robust 5 month old boy. In those early days I pumped daily to keep my supply up and get relief and as the time was running out for that milk to still be useful to my son I thought it would be a crime to throw it away. I became a donor to help othe preemies who are in much worse condition that my son ever was and continue to donate as I can.
Maura Redmond - California
I had to return to teaching full time when our daughter Annabelle was 5 months old. I wanted to continue breastfeeding and hoped to be able to pump enough milk so that we wouldn't have to supplement with formula. Her pediatrician warned me that I probably wouldn't be able to work full-time and breastfeed exclusivley. Many of my colleagues discouraged me from putting myself in a situation of having to pump during my work day. In spite of this I was determined to do whatever it took to try to give Annabelle this precious "liquid gold". I pumped three times a day during the week and at least once on the weekends. I was so fortunate that I was able to supply enough milk for Annabelle, and constantly reminded myself of how lucky we were. I know of so many moms who wanted desperately to be able to breastfeed their sweet babies but weren't able to. I feel as though the time I spend breastfeeding Annabelle is some of the most precious bonding time we have together. When Annabelle was about 10 1/2 months old she decided to stop drinking milk during the day while she was away from me. I found myself with extra frozen milk as well as fresh milk that she wasn't using. After having to dump two bottles I told myself there had to be someone out there who could use our milk. I am so glad that we found Milkin' Mamas and that we can share our extra milk with some special babies who need it.
JoAnna Sero - New York
I have to be honest and say that I never thought that I'd still be breastfeeding my son at 8 months. None of the women in my family ever breastfed any of their babies, so I was reluctant at first. I had such a hard time getting started that I wondered if I'd last three months! My son and I finally got the hang of it and I found myself looking forward to feeding times. It was, and still is, a way for me to just sit, relax and be with my son. I enjoy the quiet time that we're able to spend together and the fact that I'm providing the perfect nutrients for his little body makes the time even more special. It breaks my heart to think that there are mothers out there that physically cannot breastfeed their babies even if they wanted to. It also breaks my heart to think that there are very ill or preterm babies out there that need the nutrition of breast milk. These are the reasons that I decided to donate. I feel very fortunate to be able to share the wonderful benefits of breast milk with the little ones that need it.
Casey Golovko - California
I have been nursing my son for 14 months now, which he still very much enjoys and gets most of his nourishment from. I remember reading about breast milk donation when he was a newborn, but I was feeling so overwhelmed at the time with trying to meet his near constant demands that I decided that it wasn't for me. The idea of giving this magical substance to babies who need it the most really pulled on my heart strings, but I simply didn't have the energy or determination to make a commitment back then. I totally forgot about it until about a month ago when I noticed an ad for Milkin' Mamas on a forum website. All the feelings of compassion and warmth I had felt towards the babies I'd be giving my milk to came back full force. Now that my son is older and not a source of stress for me anymore, it feels natural to give this amazing source of nutrition to babies whose bodies and minds will be extremely grateful for it. I plan on letting my son, Quantum, wean himself and since that doesn't look like it's going to happen anytime soon I am excited about being a regular donor for months or even years to come. I'm reminded of an old Zen parable that's called "The Giver Should Be Thankful" for there has never been a gift that I have given that comes close to the level of thankfulness I feel for being given the privilege of being a breast milk donor.
Laura Cade - Washington
I first saw the Milkin' Mamas site when my son was only a couple of months old. I thought then, "No way am I doing that. As it is now, I'm worried about whether or not my son is getting enough milk. I can't afford to give it away."
But when it came time to have to throw it away, I felt really bad. What a waste! Knowing my son will be weaning now that he's starting solid foods, I figured I could now afford to donate my milk. I feel good knowing it's getting used since I'm not doing anything with it. It's selfish of me to NOT donate since I KNOW I do have a lot of extra milk. It does feel good knowing I can provide milk for my baby and others who need breast milk.
Francine Orozco - California
The trip to the trash can was a difficult walk to make as I held 300 ounces of breast milk expiring and just didn't know what to do with it. It all went down the shoot, and I don't remember ever feeling so guilty. Shortly after disposing of the breast milk I read an article about Milkin' Mamas. I immediately contacted them and have been on the course of pumping for babies in need since then.
I think it is a wonderful thing as a community and as women bonding for the future of the worlds' children that we can do something as small as donating our unused breast milk to help those in need. It's so refreshing to meet kind and sincere people like Keri and Alice that made the effort of initiation to be a tool to those who have and those who need.
I recommend any one who is breast feeding or still lactating to donate anything they can, every little bit helps.
Kellye Dawn - California
In May 2006, I became a breast milk donor when my son Shad was 5 months old.
My body made tons of milk and I had stockpiled a freezer full. Everything was going great until I realized that my son was sensitive to dairy and wheat in my diet. For months I had been trying to determine why he threw up constantly (not just spit up) and why he had such terrible gas. Giving up wheat and dairy wasn't easy. I was already a vegetarian and this limited my diet even more, but I was determined to breastfeed so I did it. With this new information about my milk, I realized that I couldn't keep all the pumped milk I had stored in my freezer. The milk was still perfectly good, but just not for my baby. The idea of "throwing out all that milk", made me sick.
This is when my investigation began and I became a breast milk donor. Originally, I was just looking for a place to unload all my extra milk, but I decided to continue pumping for the bank. I loved that the milk went to help sick babies and I figured that this was a unique opportunity for me to share my milk and make a difference. My own son was born 4 1/2 weeks premature and at 6.3 lbs he was healthy and perfect, but had he not been I would have wanted the best for him, BREAST MILK. My sister Keri had a 7 week old baby of her own and she was so excited about milk donation that she signed up too.
If fact, my experience with breast milk donation has been so positive and rewarding that my sister and I opened Milkin' Mamas Breast Milk Bank in our own community of Seal Beach, CA. We hope to help make donating more accessible and to help promote breastfeeding and its many benefits not only for our own children, but to those most in need.
Alice Toth - California