Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Update to Donating Breastmilk

I posted previously about donating breastmilk and my quest to find a mom who needed milk. The reasons I choose NOT to donate to a milkbank are: 1. They pasteurize it; 2. It costs $3.50 PER OUNCE, and that's with a prescription!

Through the website Milkshare.com I found several moms who were in need of breastmilk. Unfortunately, I don't produce enough milk to feed the masses. :-( Milkshare.com is a message board which is free for donors to post but asks a $20 donation from parents looking for milk. The website has more people seeking milk than donors so if you have milk to donate PLEASE post to this site and connect with someone!

Eats On Feets on Facebook has more donors than takers, so I directed several moms to that page and I heard from two of them that they were able to get milk through the referral. :-)


I had 200 ounces stored in the freezer and split it between two moms. One has another donor so she is taken care of. The other mom was introduced to me via our chiropractor and she was desperate for milk! Her little boy, John, was born two days after the twins and he only began to gain weight after she tearfully began feeding him formula. I'm so happy to have been able to help these two babies. And I will keep pumping for Little John for as long as it works for our family.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Donate Breastmilk!

The twins have flown home. What do I do with all this milk?

I posted an ad on Craigslist offering breastmilk for a baby in need, but I didn't get a response. There are two milkbanks in the area. Both pasteurize the donations which removes all the good stuff from the milk. And one of the banks is FOR-profit and sells theirs for $10 per ounce! And NO, none of that money is given to the donating mothers.

I wish there was a way to connect with a mother/baby that have a need for milk....


There IS a way! A page has been started on Facebook called "Eats On Feets" (the breastmilk version of Meals On Wheels). If you have milk to share, please find the Eats On Feets page for your area and post a note letting moms know that you have a supply of milk. Also search the Milk Needed section for milk requests and contact the parent in your area via Private Message.

I would love to see the surrogate community supporting mother-to-mother milk donation. We could help so many babies who NEED breastmilk.


Surrogates: Please re-post the Eats On Feets info on your blog so we can spread the word to lactating surrogates all over the country.