For all new moms or new moms to be, are you aware of the concept of milk sharing? That is, if you are unable to feed your baby breast milk (or enough break milk), for the variety of reasons that can occur, there are very possibly women in your area who are willing to pump and share their extra milk FOR FREE. This is for no other reason than that the milk sharers believe in the health benefits of breast milk, even for babies not their own, and will put their boobies where their mouth is. Or rather, where the baby's mouth is. Okay, babies' mouths, plural.
Anyway, I just love stuff like this, where we go at it old school.
World Milksharing Week was in September, so I'm a little behind the curve, but I suppose it's always the right time to pass along a good idea, just in case it helps somebody. There has been quite a bit of discussion about milksharing at my sister's blog these days, so I am going to direct you that way. The posts you're looking for (if you don't get side tracked by all the other hilarious and interesting things she writes about) are from late September, early October 2011. She supplemented with donor breast milk for her son, Bennett, as she wasn't able to supply him with 100% of what he needed. She has recently been working on the other end of things, helping to find donors for our friend, who was at her wit's end with formula (and who wrote this moving post at her cool blog).
If you have extra milk or need milk, you could start at this link to find a recipient or donor in your area. I also saw some face book pages that were U.S. state specific. Others of you more in the know, feel free to mention further resources in the comment section.
2 comments:
Great post, sis! Isn't milksharing the best? I mean... the BEST?! I love it too. I don't get super jazzed about many things, but that is at such a basic level of health, wellness, community, sharing... all that stuff bundled together in one swell concept. I just love it. Love it.
And I love you.
Oooh! Just now taking a few minutes to read blogs - something I haven't taken any minutes to do lately...
#1 - I LOVE your post about the bum trip to Bismark, Belding, Bumtown - whatever the name of that blasted town where everything was closed was! Laughed out loud.
#2 - Yes, the 2 pages on Facebook where I have found lots of my "milk mamas" (as I like to call them!) are "Eats on Feets" and "Human Milk for Human Babies".
#3 - I agree, milksharing is pretty much the coolest, most inspiring, most "humanity is not so bad after all" experience I have had in a very long time. :) Thanks for bringing more awareness to it. I wish I could tell everyone - because I have this new theory: There are some mommies in our communities who don't make enough for their babies. There are some mommies in our communities who make too much for their babies. If we put all that milk into a huge pot - it would equal out to be EXACTLY what every single baby in our community needs. To the last drop. I really believe it. And I have been so incredibly blessed by my experience with it.
#4 - Zoralee is the cutest little girl who ever walked the face of the planet. And this is coming from a gal with 4 nieces who are ALL gorgeously beautiful...so that's sayin' a lot! Just don't tell them I said that about Zoralee. Please. ;)
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