A CALL TO ACTION FOR NURSING MOMS: DONATE NOW TO THE MOTHERS' MILK BANK

So I typically don’t post things like this on the blog but this landed in my inbox and it really hit home for me and I wanted to share it with all of you. In a nutshell, the mothers' milk bank is low on its breast milk stock. If you are one of those nursing mothers that has so much milk in storage you don’t know what to do with I urge you to really consider calling the mothers' milk bank (877-375-6645) to see if you are eligible to donate some of your breast milk. 

Now some of you may be thinking, why on earth would I want to donate MY breast milk that was produced for MY child? I can assure you, this is not the way of thinking to have at all. The reason why this hit so home for me is because almost two years ago I needed to tap into that mothers' milk bank supply myself for my premature daughter. On September 18, 2012 I gave birth to my second child three months early. She was not due until 12-12-12. I didn’t have time to dwell on why it happened or what I could have done differently; all I knew is that I needed to do what I could as her mother to make sure she got the best care she could. 

Since I had failed miserably at attempting to breastfeed my first born, I was not optimistic at all about being able to provide the breast milk that my premature daughter needed. But none the less, I gave it the old college try. But, with such a small baby there was absolutely no way that she could latch on so I pumped my little heart out. But after 2.5 months of pumping (and I returned to work in the mean time while she was in the hospital) I never really produced a lot of milk for her. So, at one point my breast milk was supplemented with breast milk from a milk bank. 

At first when the doctor’s and nurses mentioned it to me I was taken aback; like you seriously want me to give MY child someone else’s breast milk? But, they say it takes a village to raise a child and where I fell short I am grateful that the option to have supplemented breast milk from the milk bank was available.

Now, almost two years later my little angel is the happiest, sweetest, most lovable gift I could have ever asked for. 

With all of that being said, again, if you are a nursing mother with breast milk coming out of your ears; I urge you to contact the mothers' milk bank now.  

More about mothers' milk bank:

The nonprofit Mothers’ Milk Bank is supported by donors from many states who ship milk to the facility where it is tested and pasteurized for the most vulnerable infants.  Most moms who are eligible to donate blood are also eligible to donate milk.  To find out more call the Mothers’ Milk Bank at 877-375-6645 or visit online www.mothersmilk.org and at facebook.com/freshestmilk.

MOMMY'S CLOSET: MUST-HAVES FOR THE BREASTFEEDING MAMA

It's no secret that breast milk is the absolute best for your baby. Some women know before their baby is born that they don't want to breastfeed. Those that do decide to breastfeed are not without challenges such as a delay in breast milk coming in and maintaining an abundant supply. For me one of the biggest challenges has been producing enough and in order to do so I've tried every trick in the book from herbal tea, to eating bars and even drinking beer. Ultimately however, sticking it out and getting the results you want depends on you and your lifestyle because there are so many factors that can play a role in the amount of milk that you produce such as stress levels and the amount of fluids you consume (you can't produce enough fluid if you're not taking in enough fluid). Check out some of my must-haves for breastfeeding mama below...

1. Traditional Medicinal's Organic Mother's Milk Tea, $10 (2pk) soap.com: Organic Mother's Milk promotes healthy lactation* and is traditionally used to increase breastmilk production.* This traditional combination of anise, fennel and coriander has been used for centuries by European women, often recommended by lactation counselors and medical herbalists. Organic Mother's Milk is a pleasantly aromatic balance of sweet, spicy and slightly bitter.

2. Lansinoh Breastmilk Storage Bags, $24 (3pk) diapers.com: These storage bags are compact and take up very little space in the freezer. Each has been pre-sterilized for preservation of milk quality and has an easy-to-carry design for comfortable portability. Place these bags under warm tap water to defrost the milk.

3. Divine Mama Bars, $30 (12 bars) divine-mama.com: Divine Mama Bars are a delicious, delightful way for breastfeeding moms to maintain an abundant milk supply. Divine Mama Bars are 100% all-natural and made with lactogenic (milk-producing) ingredients, with no artificial sweeteners, no processed starches, and no new food technology.

4. Simplisse Breast Pump Cleaning Wipes, $9 drugstore.com: For quick cleaning of Breastfeeding parts that's safe for mom and baby. Cleans effectively with a water-based formula that's safe and non-toxic. The easy pop-up case makes cleaning fast and easy.

5. Non-Alcoholic Beer, walmart.com: There is several research that links the ingredient 'barley'(found in beer) to an increase in prolactin levels and breastmilk production. Consuming alcoholic beverages while breastfeeding can actually cause babies to take in less milk so opt for non-alcoholic.


6. Medela Tender Care Lanolin, $10 target.com: Ease nipple pain while breastfeeding with the Tender Care lanolin cream by Medela. This cream glides on smoothly and gently for comfort, and is safe for both mom and baby. Available in a convenient travel size, you can easily keep it in your diaper bag.

7. Medela Calma Breastmilk Feeding Set, $18 amazon.com: The Medela Calma is the only scientific based feeding device that helps to support the similar sucking behavior of the baby that breast feeds. Calma requires a similar sucking behavior to breastfeeding using the tongue to create a vacuum making it easier for babies to switch between breast and Calma. Breastfeeding should be well established before introducing Calma, Calma is recommended for breastfed babies and not those who are currently bottle fed as they may find it difficult to feed.

8. Medela Pump In Style Advanced Breastpump, $300 babiesrus.com: Designed for moms who pump several times a day, this daily-use breast pump features 2-Phase Expression technology that mimics the two distinct phases of how babies breast-feed and offers portable convenience for quiet, discreet pumping anywhere.

Stay Stylish Mamas,
@Vintagedee