I pump once a day. I used to pump in the morning, but just switched over to pumping right before bed. Ivy has a long stretch when she first goes down at night, so it keeps me from getting too engorged.
Even though I have a lot going on, I really wanted to donate breastmilk this time. And since I'm not planning on getting pregnant again, I could probably keep pumping & donating for a long time if I wanted to (my milk supply plummets when I'm pregnant).
Here's Ivy on 2 1/2 months of breastmilk. I love her big button eyes.
that's awesome, rixa. i donated after our second child was born, but i tend toward oversupply so i chose not to do it again. (it's a longish story.) i knew i had a tendency toward mastitis and clogged ducts, but it wasn't until i went through the course work to become a lactation counselor that i realized how to manage my oversupply. i give you a lot of credit for sticking with it with with four kiddos! go you!
ReplyDeleteHow incredible! Good for you. My supply is always just enough for Alannah. It always dips around the 3 month mark and I had to fight to keep going. I admire your supply. Its great you donated for some sweet babies to have some liquid Gold!
ReplyDeleteI had the intention to donate after my 2nd babe was born because I think Eats on Feets is amazing. I worked up to pumping 20-30 ounces per day (pumping twice a day). I never dreamed the babe to receive most my donations would be my nephew born 6 months after my baby girl. My sister struggles with low milk supply and has had to supplement with formula. Fortunately I had a hug stash to give her and continued to pump until my daughter was 10 months old. My nephew is 6 months old and has never had formula! My sister thinks she has enough of my milk left to get him to at least 9 months old. I love knowing that I have been a big part of my nephew's life. I was also able to donate to my cousin. I love hearing about donation stories!
ReplyDeleteWow, Bri, that's really impressive. You basically were making enough for twins. I can only find time to pump once a day with all I have going on. It's so much easier at night, since I don't have to go anywhere or get people ready.
DeleteWow - that is awesome. Having relied on donor milk with my son, I am incredibly appreciative of women who donate. I can't even describe the joy I felt getting a huge box of milk on my doorstep (shipped overnight on dry ice) and the relief of opening my freezer and seeing all that milk!! It made a huge difference in my own ability to breastfeed - knowing I had breast milk to supplement actually relaxed me enough to help improve my own production. I was able to wean off the supplemented BM around 4 months and ended up BF'ing until my son was 20 months.
ReplyDeleteLast summer a fellow midwife friend contacted me about one of her clients who had been diagnosed with cancer at 28 weeks pregnant, induced at 35 weeks and started chemo right away. After a chemo treatment, she would have to pump and dump for 10 days and then could feed for 4 days before her next treatment. She needed 12 weeks of treatment.
ReplyDeleteI contacted several of my current and former clients to ask if they'd be willing to donate milk for the baby as mom really did not want to give him formula. We ended up collecting over 2000 oz of breast milk for this baby!!! Not once during mom's 12 weeks of chemo treatment did he ever get one drop of formula.
It was truly amazing watching these women come together - women picking up milk from "stranger's" houses, other strangers driving coolers full of frozen milk almost 2 hrs away to meet with dad and hand off the milk....there really are no words to describe how awesome it was!
Because of this experience, I have increasingly started recommending people look to donor milk if they are having any kind of supply issue. Not everyone goes for it, but some do.
Amazingng Rheadeja! LOVE IT!
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