Breastmilk donation

[[email protected]]

I emailed someone today about possibly donating all this extra milk that I
seem to produce. I'm guesstimating that I have about 300 oz+ in my
freezer. I'm totally out of room, so I'm going to have to start dumping if
I can't find something to do with it. I've pumped twice today (before work
and at 9 am) and already have 25 ounces and DS only eats 20 oz. out of a
bottle in a day. I know this is stupid to complain about when some people
have so many problems maintaining supply, but I feel like I'm never going
to be comfortable again. No matter what I do, there's still more milk. My
fridge is constantly filled with little milk bottles. I'm reluctant to try
anything to actually reduce my supply though because I'm afraid that could
go terribly wrong and end up with not enough milk!

I'm really hoping that I'll be able to donate this to help someone else.
All this effort should benefit someone!

Manda

[Plissken]

> wrote in message ...
> I emailed someone today about possibly donating all this extra milk that I
> seem to produce. I'm guesstimating that I have about 300 oz+ in my
> freezer. I'm totally out of room, so I'm going to have to start dumping if
> I can't find something to do with it. I've pumped twice today (before work
> and at 9 am) and already have 25 ounces and DS only eats 20 oz. out of a
> bottle in a day. I know this is stupid to complain about when some people
> have so many problems maintaining supply, but I feel like I'm never going
> to be comfortable again. No matter what I do, there's still more milk. My
> fridge is constantly filled with little milk bottles. I'm reluctant to try
> anything to actually reduce my supply though because I'm afraid that could
> go terribly wrong and end up with not enough milk!
>
> I'm really hoping that I'll be able to donate this to help someone else.
> All this effort should benefit someone!
>
> Manda

Why don't you just start pumping less? Just pump what he would eat in a day.
You will probably want to do this gradually as you will most likely become
engorged.

Nadene

[[email protected]]

Plissken > wrote:

> > wrote in message ...
>> I emailed someone today about possibly donating all this extra milk that I
>> seem to produce. I'm guesstimating that I have about 300 oz+ in my
>> freezer. I'm totally out of room, so I'm going to have to start dumping if
>> I can't find something to do with it. I've pumped twice today (before work
>> and at 9 am) and already have 25 ounces and DS only eats 20 oz. out of a
>> bottle in a day. I know this is stupid to complain about when some people
>> have so many problems maintaining supply, but I feel like I'm never going
>> to be comfortable again. No matter what I do, there's still more milk. My
>> fridge is constantly filled with little milk bottles. I'm reluctant to try
>> anything to actually reduce my supply though because I'm afraid that could
>> go terribly wrong and end up with not enough milk!
>>
>> I'm really hoping that I'll be able to donate this to help someone else.
>> All this effort should benefit someone!
>>
>> Manda

> Why don't you just start pumping less? Just pump what he would eat in a day.
> You will probably want to do this gradually as you will most likely become
> engorged.

I'm already doing that and it doesn't seem to be helping. Before I went
back to work, I'd pump every morning after he ate and freeze that. I'd
usually pump for 15 minutes and get about 10 ounces. A lot of my freezer
stash is from a month of doing that. I had continued to do that on the
weekend because it's painful not to. I've been trying not to do that on
the weekend and I'm uncomfortable all day - plus he doesn't take the
breast well when I'm full like that because I have a pretty forceful
let-down. He fought nursing all day yesterday because I didn't pump.

Now that I'm back at work, I'm pump in the morning around 5:30 (before I
leave home) and then at 9, 12, and 3. By the time it's time to pump, I'm
lumpy and uncomfortable. Most thimgs I've read say that you need to pump
for 15 minutes to maintain supply. I usually pump for 10 minutes in the
morning and afternoon and 15 minutes at lunch. When I turn off the pump at
my morning pump, I'm usually still 'flowing', but my collection bottles
are full. I limit my work day pumping to the amount my bottles hold (about
24 oz.), but I could easily pump more if I left the pump on. My breasts
are never really 'soft' until after my afternoon pumping session (where I
usually only get about 6 - 7 oz.).

I got a reply back from the milk bank and they won't take the milk I
already have (which I assumed), but I can begin the screening process to
donate in the future. They don't take shipped milk and it's a 3 hour drive
away, so I really have to determine whether to make this committment or
not. I really want to be able to donate my milk. Of course, in the back of
my head, I'm paranoid that I'll give my milk away and then I'll need it
for my baby...

Manda

[Mary W.]

wrote:

> Now that I'm back at work, I'm pump in the morning around 5:30 (before I
> leave home) and then at 9, 12, and 3. By the time it's time to pump, I'm
> lumpy and uncomfortable. Most thimgs I've read say that you need to pump
> for 15 minutes to maintain supply. I usually pump for 10 minutes in the
> morning and afternoon and 15 minutes at lunch. When I turn off the pump at
> my morning pump, I'm usually still 'flowing', but my collection bottles
> are full. I limit my work day pumping to the amount my bottles hold (about
> 24 oz.), but I could easily pump more if I left the pump on. My breasts
> are never really 'soft' until after my afternoon pumping session (where I
> usually only get about 6 - 7 oz.).

I think you could really cut back on the pumping. It may take some time
for your supply to regulate, but in the long run you'll be happier. You could
start by dropping the 5:30 pump - to do this you might start just pumping
less each day, then skip a day or delay a pump (ie. don't pump before
you leave for work and pump when you get there) then you could put off
your 9 pump a bit and gradually merge pumpings. You want to be careful
to do it gradually so you don't get plugged ducts. For a while you may
pump 3 times one day and 2 times the next.

It sounds like you respond great to the pump, so I wouldn't worry about
supply. If you get to the point where you aren't keeping up with your baby's
intake, you can just add in another pump seesion.

I too had a great supply, combined with a baby that hated the bottle, I
had a ton of milk. I quickly went from 3 to 2 pumping sessions a day.
When she started solids, I was pretty much pumping for comfort once
a day because she took so little from the bottle.

> I got a reply back from the milk bank and they won't take the milk I
> already have (which I assumed), but I can begin the screening process to
> donate in the future. They don't take shipped milk and it's a 3 hour drive
> away, so I really have to determine whether to make this committment or
> not. I really want to be able to donate my milk. Of course, in the back of
> my head, I'm paranoid that I'll give my milk away and then I'll need it
> for my baby...

I donated to the milk bank in North Carolina (Triangle milk bank?). They
paid for fedex shipping and took my stored milk, even though I had pumped
it before I got my blood work done. At the time they were pretty much at max
capacity and weren't really taking new donors, I don't know if that has changed
or not.

Mary

[Anne Rogers]

where are you located? perhaps you could advertise locally, there might be
a needy mother out there who would be very greatful, I know I'd have taken
some donated milk if I'd seen any advertised.

[[email protected]]

*top-posting out of frustration*

I just wrote out a lengthy response to you than lost it *sigh*. The basic
idea was that I have been attempting to decrease supply and I'll try some
of your suggestions, but I'm always worried that then I won't have enough
on the weekends. Thanks for your advice...

Manda

Mary W. > wrote:

> wrote:

>> Now that I'm back at work, I'm pump in the morning around 5:30 (before I
>> leave home) and then at 9, 12, and 3. By the time it's time to pump, I'm
>> lumpy and uncomfortable. Most thimgs I've read say that you need to pump
>> for 15 minutes to maintain supply. I usually pump for 10 minutes in the
>> morning and afternoon and 15 minutes at lunch. When I turn off the pump at
>> my morning pump, I'm usually still 'flowing', but my collection bottles
>> are full. I limit my work day pumping to the amount my bottles hold (about
>> 24 oz.), but I could easily pump more if I left the pump on. My breasts
>> are never really 'soft' until after my afternoon pumping session (where I
>> usually only get about 6 - 7 oz.).

> I think you could really cut back on the pumping. It may take some time
> for your supply to regulate, but in the long run you'll be happier. You could
> start by dropping the 5:30 pump - to do this you might start just pumping
> less each day, then skip a day or delay a pump (ie. don't pump before
> you leave for work and pump when you get there) then you could put off
> your 9 pump a bit and gradually merge pumpings. You want to be careful
> to do it gradually so you don't get plugged ducts. For a while you may
> pump 3 times one day and 2 times the next.

> It sounds like you respond great to the pump, so I wouldn't worry about
> supply. If you get to the point where you aren't keeping up with your baby's
> intake, you can just add in another pump seesion.

> I too had a great supply, combined with a baby that hated the bottle, I
> had a ton of milk. I quickly went from 3 to 2 pumping sessions a day.
> When she started solids, I was pretty much pumping for comfort once
> a day because she took so little from the bottle.

>> I got a reply back from the milk bank and they won't take the milk I
>> already have (which I assumed), but I can begin the screening process to
>> donate in the future. They don't take shipped milk and it's a 3 hour drive
>> away, so I really have to determine whether to make this committment or
>> not. I really want to be able to donate my milk. Of course, in the back of
>> my head, I'm paranoid that I'll give my milk away and then I'll need it
>> for my baby...

> I donated to the milk bank in North Carolina (Triangle milk bank?). They
> paid for fedex shipping and took my stored milk, even though I had pumped
> it before I got my blood work done. At the time they were pretty much at max
> capacity and weren't really taking new donors, I don't know if that has changed
> or not.

> Mary

[Anne Rogers]

> *top-posting out of frustration*
>
> I just wrote out a lengthy response to you than lost it *sigh*. The basic
> idea was that I have been attempting to decrease supply and I'll try some
> of your suggestions, but I'm always worried that then I won't have enough
> on the weekends. Thanks for your advice...

sounds like you have plenty of milk, what is likely to happen is you baby
will need to eat for a little longer and more frequently at the weekends
and on mondays you might suffer with overfullness, you'll just have to try
it out and see what works for you.

[Mara]

In message >, wrote:


> I got a reply back from the milk bank and they won't take the milk I
> already have (which I assumed), but I >can begin the screening process to
> donate in the future. They don't >take shipped milk and it's a 3 hour >drive
away, so I really have to >determine whether to make this >committment or
> not.

Manda,

It is well worth the commitment. Once you are screened and set up, several
of the milk banks will take smaller, continuous amounts rather than requiring
a minimum of 100 ounces. Many of them will also take shipped milk. If you
need the addresses to *all* of the milk banks, let me know.

>I really want to be able to donate my >milk.

I was in a similar situation. I had well over 2,000 ounces of milk but could
not donate due to having had a blood transfusion during labor. I donated
my milk to:

Lois D.W. Arnold MPH, IBCLC
President & CEO
National Commission on Donor
Milk Banking
8 Jan Sebastian Way #11
Sandwich, Massachusetts
02563
Telephone: (508) 888-9366
Telefax: (508) 888-8050*


They do research on quality and pasteurization issues in donated breast milk,
as well as research on breast milk components such as hormones and antibodies.
My milk went all over the world, to Oxford and beyond, and they learned SO
much from it, particularly since I had the *time* written on each bottle,
not just the date (something to think about doing). Lois is a fantastically
nice person. You may want to give that a shot as well.

Mara

[DeliciousTruffles]

MARA!!!!!!

How are you????? I haven't seen a post from you in ages!

--
Brigitte aa #2145
edd #3 February 15, 2004
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/j/joshuaandkaterina/

"Readers are plentiful; thinkers are rare."
~ Harriet Martineau

[Kerry D]

wrote:...
>
> I got a reply back from the milk bank and they won't take the milk I
> already have (which I assumed), but I can begin the screening process to
> donate in the future. They don't take shipped milk and it's a 3 hour drive
> away, so I really have to determine whether to make this committment or
> not. I really want to be able to donate my milk. Of course, in the back of
> my head, I'm paranoid that I'll give my milk away and then I'll need it
> for my baby...
>
> Manda

I'm about to send my second shipment down to the San Jose milk bank.
They do overnight fedex, so it wasn't a problem to ship from Seattle
to CA. I had to get all the blood work done before the first
shipment, but they did accept milk I had already pumped. I'm not sure
if this is their standard practice or whether they were especially
eager to get milk pumped for a 34wk premie, but it might be worth a
shot if you're anywhere close to CA...

Kerry

[Shannon G]

"Kerry D" > wrote in message
om...
> wrote:...
> >
> > I got a reply back from the milk bank and they won't take the milk I
> > already have (which I assumed), but I can begin the screening process to
> > donate in the future. They don't take shipped milk and it's a 3 hour
drive
> > away, so I really have to determine whether to make this committment or
> > not. I really want to be able to donate my milk. Of course, in the back
of
> > my head, I'm paranoid that I'll give my milk away and then I'll need it
> > for my baby...
> >
> > Manda
>
> I'm about to send my second shipment down to the San Jose milk bank.
> They do overnight fedex, so it wasn't a problem to ship from Seattle
> to CA. I had to get all the blood work done before the first
> shipment, but they did accept milk I had already pumped. I'm not sure
> if this is their standard practice or whether they were especially
> eager to get milk pumped for a 34wk premie, but it might be worth a
> shot if you're anywhere close to CA...
>

Yes, San Jose milk bank also accepted my initial donation pumped previously
(and frozen) once blood tests were completed. It is my understanding that
all milk, once processed, is pooled together with many, many donors before
distribution.

Shannon

[Bach]

this site has some milk bank info near the bottom of the page
http://www.breastfeeding.com/all_about/all_about_milk_banks.html


wrote in message >...
> I emailed someone today about possibly donating all this extra milk that I
> seem to produce. I'm guesstimating that I have about 300 oz+ in my
> freezer. I'm totally out of room, so I'm going to have to start dumping if
> I can't find something to do with it. I've pumped twice today (before work
> and at 9 am) and already have 25 ounces and DS only eats 20 oz. out of a
> bottle in a day. I know this is stupid to complain about when some people
> have so many problems maintaining supply, but I feel like I'm never going
> to be comfortable again. No matter what I do, there's still more milk. My
> fridge is constantly filled with little milk bottles. I'm reluctant to try
> anything to actually reduce my supply though because I'm afraid that could
> go terribly wrong and end up with not enough milk!
>
> I'm really hoping that I'll be able to donate this to help someone else.
> All this effort should benefit someone!
>
> Manda

[Mara]

In message >, DeliciousTruffles
> wrote:

> How are you????? I haven't seen a >post from you in ages!

Sorry it took so long to respond; I don't get many opportunities to jump
online lately.

Andy and I are doing well. We bought a 36' fifth wheel RV at the beginning
of the year and have been travelling and living in it ever since (his company
sends him all over the country for work). We're currently on a six-city "U.S.
tour" (Boston, Tampa, Houston, Dallas, L.A. & San Francisco), seeing new
places, meeting all kinds of neat people, and reuniting with old friends.

Speaking of which, we met Richard, Lily, and Micaela this summer, and just
met up with them again last month. They are absolutely wonderful -WONDERFUL!-
and Micaela is the sweetest, happiest little doll you ever wanted to meet.
We can't wait to see them again. :)

We still have very bad days, but they're fewer and farther between. This
Christmas seems to be harder for me than last Christmas for some reason.
I work when I can to keep myself occupied (as well as bring in some extra
cash); sitting around staring at the walls all day was driving me back to
a bad place. Andy (and several friends and family members) are pestering
me to start writing a book, but as of now I'm still lacking the confidence,
and dreading delving back into it so soon.

Other than that, there's not a whole lot going on. I don't check in here
too often (for obvious reasons) but sometimes curiosity brings me back and
I want to see how everyone's doing. Looks like you're all doing fabulous,
and it's good to see familiar faces here.

I always hold all of you in my thoughts, and I hope every one of you has a
wonderful Christmas/Hanukah/Solstice/New Year.

Mara

[DeliciousTruffles]

Mara wrote:

> In message >, DeliciousTruffles
> > wrote:
>
>
>>How are you????? I haven't seen a >post from you in ages!
>
>
> Sorry it took so long to respond; I don't get many opportunities to jump
> online lately.
>
> Andy and I are doing well. We bought a 36' fifth wheel RV at the beginning
> of the year and have been travelling and living in it ever since (his company
> sends him all over the country for work). We're currently on a six-city "U.S.
> tour" (Boston, Tampa, Houston, Dallas, L.A. & San Francisco), seeing new
> places, meeting all kinds of neat people, and reuniting with old friends.
>
> Speaking of which, we met Richard, Lily, and Micaela this summer, and just
> met up with them again last month. They are absolutely wonderful -WONDERFUL!-
> and Micaela is the sweetest, happiest little doll you ever wanted to meet.
> We can't wait to see them again. :)
>
> We still have very bad days, but they're fewer and farther between. This
> Christmas seems to be harder for me than last Christmas for some reason.
> I work when I can to keep myself occupied (as well as bring in some extra
> cash); sitting around staring at the walls all day was driving me back to
> a bad place. Andy (and several friends and family members) are pestering
> me to start writing a book, but as of now I'm still lacking the confidence,
> and dreading delving back into it so soon.
>
> Other than that, there's not a whole lot going on. I don't check in here
> too often (for obvious reasons) but sometimes curiosity brings me back and
> I want to see how everyone's doing. Looks like you're all doing fabulous,
> and it's good to see familiar faces here.
>
> I always hold all of you in my thoughts, and I hope every one of you has a
> wonderful Christmas/Hanukah/Solstice/New Year.
>
Sounds like you are doing well, indeed. You are such a strong person.

I am also so jealous of you that you got to meet another family that is
so strong as well.

Keep well, and I'll look for your posts. :-)

--
Brigitte aa #2145
edd #3 February 15, 2004
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/j/joshuaandkaterina/

"Readers are plentiful; thinkers are rare."
~ Harriet Martineau