My daughter Avery was born premature at 32 weeks. Upon my admittance to the hospital at a little over 28 weeks pregnant, I was informed of the opportunity to elect donor breast milk for our baby if it would be needed if I was unable...
My son was born prematurely at 23 weeks 6 days. He received some donor milk initially until I started producing to supply his needs. Unfortunately he passed away at 18 days old. Since he was so small, he did not take a lot of milk....
I've always been lucky to make a lot of milk and pump much more than my babies eat during a typical work day. With my first child, however, we lived elsewhere and there was no easily accessible milk bank. I also fell into the trap...
My son and I were so fortunate to be able to share breastmilk with other babies in need. I was a lucky "over producer" from day one and quickly began to run out of freezer space. I knew that milk donation existed from working in...
At 35w 6d gestation, I had a placental abruption and The Starfish was born 29 days early. She spent a week in the NICU at Tampa General Hospital, where she received donor milk while we were waiting for my milk to come in. Even though...
When I gave birth to my daughter Nova, sleeping on 11/9/21 at 26 weeks 6 days, the thought of my milk coming in never dawned on me - until my milk came in. I was grieving and had no idea what to do with my...
Having premature twins in the NICU is no easy thing, but then bringing them home with eating difficulties and health issues makes it even harder. Our twins never were able to latch due to oral aversions and severe reflux making eating a bad experience, so...
It was after my freezer was packed with milk, I decided to call my local NICU. They explained how important donor milk is and encouraged me to contact the Mid-Atlantic Mothers' Milk Bank, where they receive milk from. My daughter is now 9 months and...
I was a donor from mid 2018-late 2019. It was a humbling journey for me. I ended up going back to work full time and still pumped to give my boy the milk he needed while helping other babies thrive from my liquid gold. In...
“How much are you producing when you pump these days?” I asked my friend who sat perched on the chair next to me with the breast pump securely fastened to one of her breasts. Three of the four women in the room were engaged in...
Khaleesia was born with many complications. She ended up having a stroke and needing a feeding tube. I pumped milk for the first year of her life. However, my supply started to run out. We tried numerous formulas and nothing worked. She would get so...
My son was a NICU baby and breastfeeding him gave me a feeling of control in an out-of-control situation. I breastfed him for 20 months and after our journey ended, I found out about milk banks. I was hoping to be able to donate milk...
I turned to the Mid-Atlantic Mothers Milk Bank when my pumped supply started to dwindle. Pumping at work never yielded what I was able to produce at home, despite all the tricks I tried. Since my daughter was still nursing at home, I didn't mind...
The milk bank provided us with the mother's milk that my preemie so desperately needed. The staff was always helpful, professional and friendly. From submitting the necessary paperwork to working with my insurance company and pediatrician they left no stone unturned to ensure a smooth...
I never thought that I would be able to proudly say that I am a human milk donor. When our daughter was first born, I was afraid that I wasn't going to be able to produce enough for her or for how long. She was...
My little fighter was born 2 months early weighing 2lbs 15oz. Since being transitioned from breast milk she began to have serious stomach issues even while in the NICU. After being home for weeks the issues remained. I felt horrible because I could not produce...
I was blessed with an oversupply of breastmilk and was happily able to donate many ounces to the milk bank. Although my last donation was almost a year ago now, reflecting on how I was able to help the region’s tiniest babies still gives me...
Chloe was born premature with a congenital heart defect called ‘hypoplastic left heart syndrome.’ The left side of her heart did not develop properly during the first eight weeks of pregnancy and without surgical intervention Chloe would not have survived. Immediately after birth, Chloe was transported...
Twins Tristan and Carson made their way into this world 10 weeks premature at Magee-Womens Hospital, three hours away from home. Carson weighed only 2 lbs. 8oz. and Tristan was a little over 3lbs. They were doing great, then after three weeks the unthinkable happened...
Gideon was born full term and passed his newborn screening with flying colors. At seven weeks, however, his family began to notice weakness in his body movements and functions. At one point, he turned blue in his car seat from not being able to hold...
My son Caleb’s birth was a bit of a roller coaster – he came out very quickly. In addition, I had a postpartum hemorrhage after he was born. The next morning, he was diagnosed with tachypnea, which is fast breathing due to fluid in his lungs,...
My son was diagnosed with a congenital pulmonary airway malfunction (CPAM) at 20 weeks. After a discussion with the doctor, a genetic counselor and listening to the wide-ranging possibilities for the remainder of the pregnancy, I was numb. At the same time, I was prepared...