Donating Life

Our Thank You to the

Mothers that Provided for our
Babies
Breastmilk is a gift
that lasts a lifetime.
 As recipients of breastmilk donations for our little ones, we are
forever grateful for the time and energy you put into feeding not
only your child, but ours as well.

We will never be able to express how much it means to us and our

families, but we hope these words will help you see the impact you
are making in our lives.

While we know it is against the rules to exchange anything for your

breastmilk, many of us are left wishing we could do something for
you mamas that have given so selflessly.

Out of that idea, this mini-book was born.

I asked other recipients, what has receiving donated breastmilk

meant to your family?

We hope our stories put a smile on your face and encourage you to
keep going in your hardest moments.

You are an inspiration and our literal heroes.

We tried for many years to get pregnant with my son. After an incredibly hard pregnancy
where I was hospitalized for the majority of it, I was looking forward to something I had
dreamt of doing since I knew I wanted to be a mother: nurture and provide for my son,
especially by breastfeeding. I struggled so much the first three months of his life, trying ever
supplement, device, tip and trick out there, but I barely produced enough to keep him satisfied.
I saw ladies offering and asking for donor milk on the page, but I never felt “worthy” enough to
ask for Dominic. He didn’t have any medical issues, and I was producing enough, if just barely.
A few days after he turned three months old, my supply tanked for unknown reasons. I cried
and cried the first time we had to supplement with formula because he wouldn’t take it. I could
tell he was so hungry, but once he would realize it wasn’t what he was used to, he would spit
the bottle out and scream. We tried every different type, warm and cold, but we couldn’t get
him to ever take more than a half a bottle.
My cousin had her baby a month after me, and when she saw how much we were struggling,
she offered some of her milk as she was overproducing. It changed my baby back to the happy
guy he had always been. It
opened the door for me to have
to courage to ask for donations.
We have driven hours and hours
around the twin cities to pick up
this precious milk because of the
positive effect its had on my son.
He has always been 95+
percentile for his height, but
very low for weight, and since
supplementing with donor milk
he has jumped up to the 60
percentile and is following its
curve perfectly. I hope with
continued support from this
group, we will make it to his first
birthday.
Each time I’ve asked on this
page, I’ve been overwhelmed by
the support and love from other
mothers who would give so
much of their time and energy to
feed my baby. Words will never
be enough. Thank you.
-Breanna and Baby Dominic
 It meant the world to me to be able to supply my son with 90% breastmilk
until even after he was 1, with donations from other mamas. These donations
made me feel 1000% better about not being able to provide it to him by
myself. – Sativa and Benjamin
 Donated breastmilk has been a huge benefit to my healing
from my post-partum depression. I slipped into a deep
depression right after my daughter was born, and couldn’t
properly foster our breastfeeding relationship. By the time I
got help and started feeling better, my milk was long gone,
and I felt a tremendous guilt for her not receiving much
breastmilk. Through this amazing group, we have received
donations and my daughter has been on half formula, half
breastmilk for the past few months. It has meant the world
and helped my guilt. I cannot possibly thank our donors
enough. Thank you all.
-Anonymous
Prior to having my micropreemie son at
26+6 weeks gestation due to severe
preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome, I didn’t
have strong feelings either way about
breastfeeding. I figured I would give it a shot
and if it worked, great... if not, that was ok,
too. This all changed in my mind when he
was born so very small and so very weak.
He weighed only 1 lb, 10 oz and spent 100
days in the NICU. Since he missed out on the
entire last trimester of pregnancy and
antibodies are one of the last things to
develop and pass from mom to baby, he was
born with little to no immune system.
Pumping milk for him felt like the only thing
I was able to do to help him. Unfortunately,
my body was in recovery mode from
fighting for both of our lives against HELLP.
It was much more focused on healing rather
than making milk, so my milk never really
came in. Despite my best efforts of pumping
8-12 x day (the hours spent doing so were
equal to a full-time job plus overtime!), I
was never able to make more than 24 oz per
day.
Thankfully, the beautiful gift of donor milk
was there for my son. Not only is breast
milk the most complete and easily digestible food source for babies, it provided the precious
antibodies that my son had missed out on in the womb. Breast milk also reduces the risk of NEC
(necrotizing enterocolotis), a serious condition that claims the lives of too many preemies.
Thankfully, preemies qualify to receive pasteurized donor milk in the NICU for free up until
they reach 32 weeks gestation. This is the time period where things are most touch-and-go
with preemies. After that, I was able to give my son the small stash I had saved for him while in
the NICU because he was eating mere milliliters at a time. Once we were home, my diligent
continued pumping simply wasn’t able to keep up with his increasing demands. I reached out
to the MN breastfeeding community and was greeted with open arms and generous hearts.
As a result, my son has exclusively had only breast milk fortified with extra calories to drink
since birth. He is now 17 months old actual/14 months adjusted. He is absolutely thriving with
no delays or major lasting effects of his prematurity. I strongly attribute much of his well-being
and health to the gift of breast milk. From the bottom of my heart, I thank breast milk donors
everywhere for their selfless sacrifice and efforts! -Carisa and Felix
I was 8ish months into my breastfeeding journey, feeling amazed and proud of myself for sticking to
my guns, through all the hurdles and struggles in the beginning and making it this far. I only had a
few months to go and I'd have breastfed my son the entire year that he would need breastmilk. Go
me! I didn't have that much of a stash, because I was a SAHM and boobed on demand. It was rare I
wasn't available to him. And then...
I thought he was going through a growth spurt. He would go from side to side, seem alright, and
then want more just a short while later. Growth spurts suck! My boobs hurt! Keep truckin' mama,
it's the best thing to can do... and it saves so much money! But when it kept happening, when I
wasn't able to pump anything, when I was drowning with how much water I was drinking and
eating so many lactation cookies, even my fat kid side was getting sick... when my baby would cry
because he was hungry, so we would feed solids and he would still want to nurse but I didn't have
enough for him, my heart broke and I shattered. I blamed myself, hated myself, was cruel to myself.
I DID NOT want to put him on formula. It was just a personal choice, and doing so would finalize my
failure as a mother. Then I learned why my body wasn't doing what it had done surprisingly
flawlessly for the better part of the last year... I was pregnant. And that changed everything!
Through breastfeeding support groups, I learned about donor milk. Sites specifically for donor milk,
the risks and how minimal they really are, the connections to be made... and after convincing my SO,
I asked for my first batch of breastmilk that wasn't from me. It hurt at first, I won't lie, but in the end
I knew it wasn't because my body failed and it wasn't going to be for terribly long, plus it was best
for him and if I didn't try - THAT would be my failure.
It wasn't always easy, some long drives were taken, some tears of desperation were shed, some
arguments with my SO were had, some frustration with age preference occurred, and missed
opportunities happened. But I always, ALWAYS, had someone step up for me and my baby. This
tribe of boob juicin' mamas always made sure I never ran out completely... even if it was just a few
ounces to get us through the day. And my fear of not being able to continue to receive once he
turned a year was unfounded. We even found a long term donor who was more than happy to help
no matter how old he was. I bawled my hormonal eyes out when we found her and she was okay
with him being old enough to not "need" breastmilk. She helped us out for 3+ months until I had my
second son and could start tandem nursing.
So, what does it mean to me and my family to have had all these amazing women step up and feed
my child when I couldn't? EVERYTHING! It means everything and more that I wasn't left alone, that
I was surrounded by selfless women who wanted my baby to thrive just as much as I did. It made
me understand the true power of motherhood and the tribe you join when becoming one. It made
me want to do the same thing, when I was able to. And I did. And the feeling of giving is just as
wonderful as the feeling of receiving. It really does take a village. And I can't properly express in
words how much this village means to me and mine. -Erica
To all the donor mommies who have supported the lives of my grandsons and
provided the nutrition that has made them into healthy, strong, playful and
loving little guys, I can’t thank you enough. There aren’t even words in the
English language to express how truly grateful I am and how much it has
helped to shape these two little boys! I had trouble nursing all four of my
babies and I wish I would’ve known that there was such a huge network of
giving and amazing moms out there who could donate the gift of breast milk.
This has been the greatest blessing to my daughters and their sons that has
ever been given and that ever could be given. They are THRIVING thanks to
the loving moms who have helped them since they were tiny. I can never say
the words thank you enough to show my appreciation for what you all have
done. Just know that we are all forever grateful and will always hold you in
our hearts and prayers!! You truly have helped shape them into the amazing
little guys that they are! So healthy from the “liquid gold” you have so
selflessly given!! This is one grandma who is the most grateful woman on this
earth!! Thank you thank you thank you!! -Janelle
 First of all, there is no thank you that is good enough for our donor. The amount of work
she put in to feed not only her own child but others as well is beyond amazing. I will
forever be grateful for all she has done for us.
I struggled with my supply, and no matter what I did, I could not produce enough to feed
Oliver. I felt completely defeated and did not know what else to do. I reached out about
getting donor milk. Morgan came to our rescue in a big way, she provided us with enough
milk to allow Ollie to have only breastmilk.
Donor milk was the difference between
Ollie being in pain, sick, and crabby
every single day because he could not
tolerate formula. Donor milk helped
him get through so many illnesses that
I know would have been much worse if
he was on formula. Donor milk saved
me from major depression, knowing
there was another mom looking to help
my son when I could not do it all.
I will never be able to repay her for
what she has done for us, but I am so
grateful that there are people like her
in the world. She would get up in the
middle of night to pump even though
her son was sleeping through the night;
she sacrificed so much of her life in
order to help feed my child.
Milk donors are some of the most
selfless people I have ever met and
they deserve all of the appreciation in
the world. Breastfeeding is one of the
hardest things I have ever done.
Knowing that, anyone who is willing to
do that for another family is incredible!
I am not very good with words but
thank you to our donor Morgan,
without you I don’t know where we would be, and we appreciate everything more than you
will ever know. Also, thank you to all of the donor mommas out there, you are all rock
stars!
-Kristen and Ollie
 Donated breast milk for my family has meant a baby that is happy,
thriving and catching up from the weight loss we had to initially
worry about. My supply came in, but it was far less than I needed to
feed my baby. I tried every supplement and have been pumping my
heart out, but I am still not producing enough and it is
heartbreaking. I'm still trying though!
Donor milk has given us all rest and happiness, as our little guy's
tummy is in knots every time we have tried to incorporate formula
in more than a 50/50 mix. I'm glad he is finally putting on weight,
happy, and thriving with the liquid gold donation of our most
amazingly selfless and generous donor. She has no idea the comfort
she has brought our family - thank you a million times is NEVER
ENOUGH!
-Dave, Kassie and Lane
 My girls both got a little donor milk in the hospital. My now almost four year
old was in the NICU for two days because I developed a fever while pushing. I
also ended up having a c-section after pushing four hours so we got off to a
very rocky start in our nursing relationship. I was able to donate a small
amount of milk to a mama who had been diagnosed with a brain tumor even
though I was a just-enough producer all thirteen months!

My second baby (she’s seven months now) got a little donor milk to help try to
get her bilirubin down. I had a VBAC but my milk was still slow to come in so
those few ounces got us off to a good start.

I really struggled with blisters and scabbing early with both girls so having a
tiny bit of milk for them while I took a 24 hour pump only break was a
lifesaver. I’ve donated several hundred ounces to five different babies this
time around also I’m so happy to help other mamas because I really, really
know what it’s like to be a recipient and am forever grateful!
-Laura
 What has receiving donor milk meant for you and your family? The short answer?
Everything.
The not so short answer? I was told at 19 that it would be “highly unlikely” that I would
ever successfully conceive. I received my diagnosis of endometriosis. Four years later in
June of 2017, I found out that not only was I pregnant, but I was almost four months along, I
was so happy that all I could do was just sob. Fast forward to me being 37 weeks pregnant
and at my baby shower on a Friday, after my appointment with my Midwife. I had missed
several calls from her and stepped away for a moment to return her call. When I reached
her she informed me that I had pre-eclampsia and I must come in Monday morning to be
induced. My little man finally
joined us on Thursday night
at 7:37 via c-section after my
body had failed to continue
laboring.
I was able to nurse my son
immediately and he was a pro
at eating! Unfortunately, our
nursing journey was short
lived when at about six weeks
my milk disappeared. I was
more than crushed. Not only
was my labor unsuccessful,
but now I am unable to nurse
him like I had planned to. I
felt like a complete failure in
every way. We tried
formulas…so many formulas,
and even ordered from out of
this country to try organic
formulas. He spit up so much
that we went backwards with
his weight.. he has no allergies to nuts or diary or diet restrictions of any kind. He takes all
our donor milk perfectly. Luckily my sister(who had her son about 8 months before I had
mine), added me to a couple mommy groups, and she suggested I post looking for donor
milk. The donations and support we received were overwhelming!! Within a couple days I
had received enough milk to feed my son for almost two months and be able to give some
to a friend that had run out of milk for her daughter.
It means the world to me to be able to feel like I have still been able to do the very best I can
for my son despite our struggles and obstacles. Keeping him on breastmilk has kept him
full, healthy through flu season and the winter(he was born in November), and steadily
gaining weight. I personally do not believe that there is a greater gift out there that anyone
could give, the ladies that donate to us work very hard for that milk and are also feeding
their babies too and it so touches my heart that they are willing to feed mine too. We love
our donor mommies! Thank you so much ladies, all of you. Love, Sierra and Baby Willie
I was unable to produce breast milk due to breast reduction surgery.
My little guy has struggled with formula. He would scream trying to
have a bowel movement and so constipated. A mom I met at
daycare has a baby the exact same age and offered me to try some
since she over produces. We are so amazed at the difference it has
made. He no longer cries during diaper changes and smiles and
giggles during bowel movements now. I am so blessed with the milk
she has been able to provide. I feel God brought her into our life for
a reason and that both our babies share a birthday. She is an
amazing person.
-Tara
 After becoming a single mom when my daughter was just a
short four months old I started to lose my supply due to
stress. I reached out to others in search of extra milk for her.
During our journey we met many mamas with all different
backgrounds and become friends with a few of my donors.
So unbelievably thankful for everyone who donates and who
work hard to feed babies like mine. We were able to make it
to one year and help adjust to cow’s milk. Thank you so
much to all of you. For your selflessness, your love and your
encouragement. God Bless.
-Tayler
 Thank you.

We can never say it enough.

Thank you for providing for our babies like your own.
Thank you for spending your valuable time pumping to feed our babies.
Thank you for not giving up when it gets overwhelming.
Thank you for connecting with us and meeting with us to get the milk to our
babies.
Thank you for donating life.
We can never say it enough.

Thank you.