Eats on Feets

I began pumping when Addie was one week old. I thought I should start early so I could start building up a stash of frozen breastmilk for when I went back to work after three months. Addie began sleeping through the night almost immediately it seems, but was consistently sttn around six weeks. I was so scared I wouldn't have enough stored milk so I would set an alarm for 3 AM every night to pump. By the time I went back to work when Addie was three months, I was pumping once in the mornings when I would wake up, around 7 AM.

When the time came, I was so scared I would quickly run out of frozen milk before realizing I was still pumping three times a day while I was away from Addie. Therefore, my freezer input was still more than the output that Addie was getting at my moms. Eventually (see now) the time came when I knew I would run out of room in my freezers. Yes, freezers. Plural. Something had to be done, and quickly!

The milk was close to expiring (it's only good in a freezer for six months unless it's a deep freezer) and it was taking over the space where my much-needed icecream used to go. I thought about donating it, but then found out the Milk Bank only takes screened milk. Crap. I had five months of pre-screened donor milk. Now what?

I came across Eats on Feets on Facebook, a place where moms can meet up with other moms to donate or accept breastmilk. I decided to post the other night and by the next afternoon, a mom in Kyle (45 minutes away) was asking if I would be willing to donate to her premie. Her beautiful daughter was born six weeks early and on the day she responded to my post, it was her due date. I was so touched and agreed to meet her the next day. I put as much milk as I could in our little icechest (so, about 400 oz, or around 80 bags) and drove to meet her. She shook Zac's hand but I felt like we had so much more of a connection and we immediately embraced. I feel so honored, and so humbled to be able to provide this milk to her baby. She shared with me that her daughter is thriving and has zero health problems, to which she contributes solely to the breast milk her daughter has received from various donors. I am so blessed to be able to share this gift with her.

As we were departing, I told her I was sorry I couldn't fit any more (I had about 600 more oz at home still) in the icechest but that I would add her on fb so we could become friends. She was so grateful and insisted I take a box of Lansinoh breastmilk storage bags she had in her car. I am so thankful to her! I didn't stop to think about how expensive even pumping is, but $10 a box for these bags does add up over time. So, thank you again Kathy and I can't wait to give your daughter more milk!