Pumping to donate tribe? - Page 4

[Carinthia]

Thank you for the info danniedb!

[Rico'sAlice]

So, it seems best to start pumping and freezing first and then look for a recipient after I have a better idea of what my supply is like. Does that sounds right?

It seems like the pump recommendations/needs vary a lot from person to person. How do you decide what to start with?
(FTR- I don't qualify for WIC or anything. And my insurance has a very high deductible, which I don't expect to reach unless I have an emergency and am hospitalized at some point. So, I'm looking at just paying cash for whatever I need to get.)

And is there a general preference between the brands of bags?

In general, do most/all recipients ask for the blood work for "HIV 1&2, Hepatitis B&C, Syphillis, and HTLV 1&2." If so, does anyone have any suggestions for a relatively inexpensive way to get that done when it isn't covered by insurance. (I think my preg. lab work tested for syphilis but not the other things.)

Also, someone else mentioned restrictions on tea and stuff? Was this from a specific milkbank or donor, or is there some sort of general set of things to avoid?

ETA- I saw on the milkshare donor screening thing "take no regular medication or herbs." But what about herbs for boosting your supply and what not. I understand wanting disclosure on the herbs, but not being against all of them, outright. Do many/most recipient families take that stance?

[Hindyg]

Hi I am Hindy. I am mama to Avigayil who is 5.5 months old. I currently EP for her. I recently donated for the 3rd time. The first time, I donated around 500 ounces to a local charity. Last month, I donated around 1500+ ounces to someone who adopted a baby that I found on milkshare. Then again, a week ago, I donated to that same person from milkshare. Again around 1500-2000 ounces or so. I feel good about it, but my supply is starting to taper down.

[Hindyg]

Originally Posted by lunadoula

How's it going, pumping-to-donate mamas? I am building up a supply in my freezer to donate - I'm hoping to find a local family through Milkshare but my email didn't result in any inquiries, but we'll see. So the plan for now is to ship frozen once I have enough.

For mamas who are nursing and just pumping to donate milk - in general, how much are you pumping on a daily basis? I've just been doing it once (usually in the morning b/c I am so full then) b/c that's all I have time for with a newborn, and also I want to be careful and make sure I don't "deprive" her since this is all new to me. She's gaining great though so I'm not concerned.

Lunadoula, I notice you are in Minneapolis. If you find someone local to donate to, can you please let me know. I have around 500 ounces in Minneapolis, in my parents freezer that I want to donate. I just haven't been able to find someone local.

As fas as quanity, I was pumping around 50 ounces a day, freezing to donate around 20-25 each day. I ep for the most part though, so I am more conscious of my supply.

[lunadoula]

Originally Posted by Hindyg

Lunadoula, I notice you are in Minneapolis. If you find someone local to donate to, can you please let me know. I have around 500 ounces in Minneapolis, in my parents freezer that I want to donate. I just haven't been able to find someone local.

Sure Hindy, though I have yet to find a local person and I know another mama who donated through Milkshare and she didn't find a local person either.

[lunadoula]

I have kind of stopped pumping to donate for a bit, because we're having oversupply issues at the moment and DD isn't loving the milk spraying her in the mouth. Hoping it will resolve and then I can go back to pumping more often. Have others dealt with this?

[Arwyn]

Hoping to revive this thread a little, as I'm trying to donate to a local BFARing friend of mine, but I've never pumped before (no need!). Speaking off, gotta go feed my little one.

[tropicaldutchtulip]

I jut saw this thread. I'm a mom in need of donor breast milk. I've signed up on a couple of groups, but so far I'm not getting many leads and I'm running out!

Thanks so much

[mtnhighmama]

I pump for my surroson. He's 11 weeks, and still exclusively on bm, which is a lovely thing. I ship milk from Oregon to NY every couple of weeks.

[MamaBear1976]

Hey ladies, just noticed this thread. I've researched quite a bit about breast milk donation and I want to share the results of my research for those of you who may not already know.

I have been a recipient of donated milk (through informal sharing made possible in part by MilkShare), but I know other moms donate to milk banks and other venues. I started doing the research I did because I was looking for milk for my baby, and I found out that there are quite a few scams out there for milk donors. As a recipient of donated milk and as an exclusive pumper, the information I found out really outraged me. I find pumping really unpleasant, and I'm sure I'm not the only one, so it really bothered me to find out so many generous, loving, giving donor moms were being taken advantage of.

Please read the results of my research so far, and share it with any other moms you know who might be interested in milk donation. I try to continuously update my site when I learn of something new. It's not pleasant reading, but I feel it's necessary information for anyone thinking of donating their breast milk.

I should reiterate that I think MilkShare is heaven-sent; I am a BIG supporter of informal milk-sharing. I think it can be done very safely and that it can foster wonderful, beautiful (and more importantly, DIRECT) relationships between donors and their recipients. I have been truly blessed to have been provided with donor milk from my generous donor moms. To all you donor moms out there, you are WONDERFUL!!

[Arwyn]

OK, so now that I have a chance to actually type, at least for a few -

A dear wonderful friend of mine is a BFARing mom, and is needing to supplement about 15oz/day at the moment. So, for the first time, I dug out my pump (a Bailey Nurture III I received gratis back in the day when I was trying to get my doula practice going), and I've been pumping for the first couple feeds every day. We're a one-side-at-a-time nursing couple, so it's easy to pump one side while I nurse on the other (well, I say "easy", but nurseling is nearly 5mo, and squirmy, so I'm not sure "crazy-making hard" isn't a better description ), then switch sides at the next feed. I've been getting 2.5-3.5oz the first side, and 1-2.5 oz the second, for about 4-6oz/day, which I think is pretty good for someone who's never pumped before. This morning he woke up crazy early, so we nursed in bed, so the first pumping session I only got just under 2oz.

Anyway.

The receipient mamababy is local to me, so we've been able to get the milk to her fresh every time so far - haven't frozen any yet, although I know she's also been getting lots of frozen milk from other amazing mamas.

I think I'm figuring this out, and I had crap sleep last night so my brain isn't working, but I know I have questions. I guess I'll be back when I can remember them.

[UberMama]

I'll be looking to donate to a family once my surro babe is born in April.

I am wondering though. If anyone has used a Lactina, what other pumps are comparable? I know it can differ, depending on how one reacts to a pump (and the next woman may not get the same from the same pump)? I'm deciding on if I should get a Lactina again, or go for the Symphony (eeks!)?

[kittywitty]

I wanted to donate when my youngest dd was still bf. But I didn't live somewhere I could easily until she was over 12 months and then they won't take it.

Hopefully with this new baby (due in Dec), I will be able to, I always have an overabundant supply. I would rather not donate to a bank where people have to pay a huge amount, but just a family or to the NICU at a hospital.

[Kids&dog]

Plugged ducts/Mastitis issues for a donator - any thoughts?

Hey everybody! I didn't have the time to read all of the posts above, but it's wonderful that this tribe is out there on the boards!!
I donate to a friend of mine and though I seem to have an abundant supply, I also have issues with plugged ducts (and mastitis if I don't catch it quickly enough). I'd say I get plugged ducts every other month - no kidding! And the unsettling thing is, I think the pumping I'm doing has had a major part in that. Either that, or now that I have 2 kids, I take less care of myself - namely, keeping myself hydrated. Now that I'm a veteran of PD/Mastitis, I see that at least for myself, dehydration is my achilles (sp?) heal. Dehydration=mastitis for me. It's that simple. And my little guy, who's almost 6 mths nurses ALL NIGHT. So, I wake up on the verge of dehydration every morning. Which is when I pump, which removes yet more fluid from me. And then if I don't hydrate quick enough - boom! Plugged ducts, again.

Anyway, I've been having some second thoughts about continuing to donate for this reason.: As much as I love donating because of how great it is to help, I'm just not sure I'm doing the best thing for myself by continuing, ya know? Any thoughts?

[MaryJaneLouise]

Kids&dog -- to you for doing such a great job of pumping & donating! Have you tried taking lecithin to help prevent plugged ducts / mastitis? That sounds like a real pain.

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/vi.../lecithin.html

[MaryJaneLouise]

for a : group of mamas!