I truly believe in nature’s most “powerful prescription”, donated human breast milk. I have two beautiful little boys that have two very different stories as to how they were fed. When my first child, Cooper, was born in 2006 I knew there was a milk bank, but unfortunately that’s all I knew. Cooper was born at 34 weeks and remained in the NICU for over 3 weeks, mainly with gastrointestinal issues. I know how rich in antibodies and immune fighting properties breast milk is, so I did everything in my power to breastfeed him. However, I was unable to produce adequate breast milk, so his only option was formula. I remember feeling like such a failure. After 2 years of chronic illness including ear infections, diarrhea and vomiting, Cooper was diagnosed with an immune deficiency (CVID) and food allergies (EE), including milk and soy. Cooper now receives weekly infusions to build his immune system and we watch his diet closely.
Fast-forward 4 years and 2 days and my second child, Cash, was also born preterm at 35-36 weeks. Knowing our history, I began looking at my options with the milk bank prior to his arrival. I had two concerns at that point—first, how could I afford to buy the milk and second, how safe is the donated breast milk? Since I am a Registered Nurse specializing in mother baby care for over 11 years, I spoke with the staff at the milk bank and researched their website. I learned the milk is pasteurized and the donor mom’s are tested for certain diseases, which made me feel confident that donated milk was a safe choice for us. I am willing to have a blood transfusion from donated blood and I felt donated breast milk was the same concept.
My second concern was about the cost. I called the milk bank and spoke with whom I now believe is our guardian angel, Kim Updegrove, about my options of payment. I was told that we could file a claim with insurance since I had a strong family history of the immune deficiency and food allergies and we had a prescription from our doctor. I will admit I did not start Cash on the donated breast milk immediately because I was scared of the costs and how I would pay for it. Therefore, the first few weeks of Cash’s life I fed him formula (milk and soy) and he immediately began to vomit and spit up after each feed, and eventually developed a rash on his face and chest. I remember I called the milk bank crying about how sick Cash was—and with that one call, our lives changed. The milk bank stressed to me that getting Cash well was the most important thing, so we discussed a payment plan since insurance had not given approval yet. Wow, I still get tears in my eyes when I reflect back on how caring they were. At that point I knew the milk bank was not about money, but about helping babies in need—and my baby was definitely in need.
The next day I received my first shipment of breast milk and literally cried when I got it. I knew my baby’s immune system was going to be so strong and he would no longer be sick. After a few days Cash was no longer vomiting, his rash started to clear up and he started sleeping better. After a few weeks he was a completely healthy, normal newborn who was thriving on the breast milk. We continued to receive our milk week after week while we waited for insurance to make their decision. Even when the milk bank’s supply of milk was low, they went out of their way to find us milk from another milk bank to make sure we received what we needed. After a few months, our insurance agreed to cover the cost of the milk and Cash continues to grow and thrive on the breast milk.
We are so fortunate that, up to this point, Cash has not been sick, nor does he have any signs of the immune deficiency like his older brother. Call it what you want, but I believe he is healthy because of the selfless mothers who are willing to take a few extra minutes a day to pump, so babies like my son Cash can enjoy the wonderful benefits of breast milk. I truly believe if my first son had received breast milk he would have a completely different story regarding his immune deficiency.I encourage you to help spread the word about the milk bank! If you are considering becoming a donor, think of the mom’s out there like me who
are unable to give the gift of breast milk to our babies. DONATE TODAY for them and SAVE A BABY'S LIFE. I would also suggest for recipient mom’s who receive the donated milk to please recycle your empty milk containers and give back to mother earth the same way a mother gave back to you!Blessings,
Michelle
Recipient Mom
Beautiful story!
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