Nursing and the MMBA

Hello All! I wanted to write about something that's been on my mind lately.

If you had asked me last June through maybe September/October how nursing was going, I would have told you that I was counting down the months until I could be done with it. It was stressful, difficult, and time consuming. Most of you know the story of the girls' birth, but I will remind you of a few details.

They were born at 34 weeks and although early and little, they were healthy weights and doing amazingly well. They only needed to be in the NICU for 5 days, until they were 35 weeks, and then when they passed all their tests and were thriving, we got to bring them home. Now thankfully, the girls were born in a smaller hospital and were the only ones in the NICU. So I didn't have all the stress of seeing other tinier babies who were really sick and not doing well. I was worried enough about mine at the time. And while my situation was a really good one, I still developed a heart for preemies and babies in the NICU.

I was unable to nurse the girls at the hospital, but I was pumping all the time. They had formula until my milk came in (almost 2 days) and from then on, they had my milk. I credit their good health to breastmilk. When we came home, they didn't have a clue how to nurse and were addicted to bottles and pacifiers. It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do and it was really frustrating.

I tried to nurse them, but decided to continue pumping and bottle-feeding so I could still give them my milk and yet keep my sanity. I tried to nurse them at least once a day though. This took so much time and I hated to make the girls wait while we warmed up their bottles. But I kept going...thank goodness for time flying by! :) By the time they were almost 3 months old, I had them nursing fairly well. Then it was difficult with 2 babies, since it hurt to nurse them at the same time but I had to listen to one cry and wail with hunger while I nursed the first one.

Anyways, I just had a really tough time. I guess I have been nursing them together now for about 2.5 months now. It still hurts more than doing it one baby at a time, and the girls tend to mess with each other, but it takes less time and I am soooooooooooo stinking proud of myself for sticking it out! They are 10 months old now, and I will start to wean them in June...not that far away at all!!

Now that you all have the background, here is what has been on my mind....I have been freezing a LOT of milk away since the girls were born. We used some of it and had to throw some of it out when we'd had it longer than 6 months. It made me sad to throw it away. I knew that somewhere there was a NICU baby who could use it. I finally did some research on BreastMilk Banks and found one in Austin. I am so excited about this, and not writing about it to "toot my own horn", but it is just such a great opportunity.

The MMBA, or Mother's Milk Bank in Austin, is about to celebrate their 10 year anniversary. They have women donate their frozen breastmilk and then the milk is screened, pasteurized, and distributed to sick babies who will benefit from the breastmilk. A year ago, I didn't even know this existed. Now I get to send my excess milk to someone who can actually use it before it expires!! This makes me so happy! Plus it is something I can do for sweet little NICU babies.

Yesterday, I got my bloodwork done to screen for diseases, yada, yada. Today, I am mailing in my paperwork and legal forms, then early next week, the girls and I are going to make a quick drive to Waco where we will drop off our frozen milk at a drop-off location. My freezer is currently full and I need the room. Plus, they provide all the containers to put your milk in...I don't have to buy any more bags. I am really happy that milk banks exist and hope to get more involved in years to come. Even when I am done donating milk, I hope I can stay involved and help out!!

If you know anyone who is breastfeeding, this could be a great option for them too. You only have to commit to donating 150 ounces right away and then donate for at least 2 more months. It is really simple and easy! I'll let you all know how it goes at a later date. Have a great day!!