I am so excited about this blog post. I have been waiting for several weeks to blog about this. I wanted to be far enough into the process so I could share how it went.
Ok. So, I breastfeed the Professor. I did with the girls too. I have been so blessed that I make enough milk. I am also blessed because about 4/7 nights the Professor sleeps all night long (10-12 hours). But, since the wonderful little man sleeps that long I ended up with this.
It is a huge blessing to have all this frozen milk, but the Professor will not take a bottle. One night my husband and I were joking about what to do with it. On a complete whim I googled something like, "Help! Our freezer is overflowing with breastmilk!" Believe it or not it took me to this
site. My interest was piqued and I began reading. Helping Hands Milk Bank is looking for milk donors! When I had the girls, I had checked with our local hospital about being a milk donor and was told I would have to come to the hospital and pump there. I just assumed that was my only option. I started reading up on Helping Hands. I read all about it and requested to become a donor. They called me that evening and said my package was on its way. Here is what came to door step a few days after applying online.
My next step was to open this up and inside was a thermometer for our freezer. I placed it in the freezer and for the next 48 hours I recorded what the temperature was inside the freezer. After that was approved, I was ready for the next step. There were two forms to print out and get to our doctors. Then there was a DNA swab to do. Today was my final step in becoming a donor. Blood testing. This was the only step I did not like, LOL! But Helping Hands Milk Bank makes it SO easy! They have someone come to your house to do the test. Shipping? They have it covered! My package came with prepaid FedEx envelopes. So today when it was 7 degrees out, I have my blood drawn from the comfort of my own home! Soon FedEx will be here and my blood will be overnighted to their lab. Becoming a milk donor would be the best Christmas gift for me! I am so hoping that I am approved by Christmas. Truly. It would be a gift for me to be able to be a milk donor. If I am approved they will pay to ship my frozen milk (they prefer about 25 bags per shipment and hey, they will even supply me with bags!). I CAN use my already frozen milk, so once I am approved I will have a shipment ready to go! As a bonus, for every usable ounce that I donate, Helping Hands will donate $1 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. But the biggest reason to donate is for the babies it will help.
I hope that in a few weeks there will be a post telling you that I am a donor. Wish me luck!!
11 comments:
I love it! Kristen I donate to The North Texas Milk Bank and it is a cinch as well. They even provide the containers so I don't have to buy the freezer bags. Charlotte of course takes a bottle since I'm a work but I make about an extra 12 ounces each week that I send their way. Also check out Eats for Feets which is a group that gets milk directly into mother's hands. They prefer if you have already been cleared as a donor through the milk bank. I've been able to donate to a Mom in a local hospital who had a heart condition right after childbirth and was placed on a medicine that was incompatible with breastfeeding. The process to get breastmilk would have taken about a week so she needed some milk to tide her over. I was able to take up enough to get her through and since I'm an approved donor and could show her my clean donor certificate from the Milk Bank she was able to trust my milk.
Also a quick tip on the milk freezing to keep your freezer more clear. I fill the Lansinoh bags and lay them flat on the bottom of my freezer to freeze. Once frozen in a nice thin and flat form I have a shoebox in my freezer that I "file" the milk in according to date. No more round, clumsy balls of milk taking up my entire freezer!
Thanks for sharing Heather! I love the tip about the freezer bags. I had wondered how those would fit. I will start doing that tonight =)
Awesome! I will remember this!!!
This is awesome! Wish I could do it, but I never make enough for myself! HA!
What a lovely gift!
Would you ever be able to make any money doing this? I've heard of that, but never looked into it...
Jess- No, I will not receive any money. The best thing is knowing my milk might go to babies in the NICU all across the US. It is amazing to even consider...something so small and easy for me to do and it could make a big difference to a family. Best Christmas gift I could ask for!
Love this! Made me tear up (prego hormones). What a wonderful thing for you to do!
This is so fantastic! I've been considering looking into donation after I wean Baby S (or if she SSTN anytime soon lol). Good luck and I can't wait to hear how it goes!!
This is awesome! I've been considering looking into donation either after Baby S weans or if she ever starts STTN. I can't wait to hear how its going!
That is amazing. I've done some looking into milk banks, but hadn't heard of Helping Hands. I'm hoping that when I do have children, that I'll be able to pump and donate breastmilk to help other families.
I hope you'll approved in time for Christmas.
Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Thats so cool! I knew about this being able to donate your milk while I was nursing my youngest; I had tons because she didn't take a bottle either. I never took the time to look into and I so wish I had.
Wow! This is so cool! We will be moving soon and I have been wondering what to do with my frozen breastmilk. I love this idea!
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