Because of this wildly popular life stage that many of us are in, I’m going out on a limb today! And gentlemen, you’ll soon find that this post is dedicated to the ladies. You’re off the hook this week :)
When Owen was born, I ventured into the mysterious realm of nursing, as many moms do. I loved it! It was a great way to bond with Owen, easy, convenient, great for my little guy, free and a good excuse to sit down every 3-4 hours. Many other nursing mothers who had gone before me had stressed to me the importance of building a milk stash in your freezer. Milk for emergencies, for back up, for times when you just don’t want to have to wear a nursing friendly shirt or a bra that dismantles, for times when you just need a break. And so I learned the skill of pumping. And pump I did. By the time my little guy was a few months old, our freezer was PACKED full of milk. Nary a frozen pizza or popsicle could fit. It was then that I came to a crossroads…what on earth do I do with all of this?! I’m a stay at home mom, I was hardly ever using any of it, it won’t last forever and everyday there is more to add to the stash. And so I turned to the all- knowing source for life’s most important questions. I Googled: what to do with a lifetime supply of breast milk. Just kidding. But seriously, I did sit down at my computer to start researching milk banking and milk donation. I had never really heard much about it, but
after reading about this approach to saving lives, I was hooked.
I was super excited to happen upon Mothers’ Milk Bank of Austin. They’re a non-profit organization that works hard for a cause they believe in. After a few inquiry e-mails and a phone interview, we were ready to go! They sent me the information that I needed to complete in order to be an official donor, sent me to get my free lab work done and thanked me a million times over for becoming a Donor Mom. I thanked them for what they do and was so excited to get started.
It was a win/win! I got to restock my freezer with things that sustain my WHOLE family…things like chicken breasts and ice cream, all while making a huge difference in a little bitty tiny fragile life.
Here in Corpus Christi, the local area drop off is at Driscoll Children’s Hospital. You just take your donations there, leave them with the ladies in the Mom’s Place and you’re done. From there, they send it through the pasteurization process and get it to the little tiny ones that need it the most.
As soon as we found out we were expecting our 2nd I had to put a halt on my donating, but I’m eagerly awaiting the arrival of Baby #2 so that we can start up again! They will accept a one-time donation {there is a minimum donation requirement}, but they really thrive on the frequent donations. I took my initial stash, then pumped once a day alternating one day for Owen’s stash, one day for the milk bank. Our little system worked great. Owen was all too happy to share.
As a busy mom, it’s hard to find ways to feel like you’re making a difference. Especially to feel like you’re making a difference for anyone outside of your own little family. It takes a LOT to keep life going. Laundry doesn’t do itself and dinner doesn’t magically appear on your table each night {but I’ve waited just to see several times}. This is a great way to show love to a new little life – and also a way to show love to the family that cares more about that new little life than anyone in the world! What a rewarding gift!
If you’re not able to donate cold milk, they also accept cold cash :) MMBA is
experiencing a serious shortage here in Texas and could use any and every donation!
Here’s an article that was recently written about MMBA, the importance of milk donations and how donated breast milk can actually save a life! http://www.kens5.com/
news/health/Breast-milk-like-medicine-to--125189639.html
They need 500 donors in order to keep things rolling and they only have 250 so far this year. Could you be #251? And if you’re one of those people that will do anything for a free t-shirt, look no further! You’ll get one, I promise.
Share the Love, if you can. I’ll be right there with you, come September.
For more information…
Mothers’ Milk Bank Austin – www.milkbank.org
Or contact them at 877-813-6455
- Bekah
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