Board Member Donates Her Time and Her Milk

Thursday, 4/21/2016

Becoming a donor mom was a natural fit for Melissa. As a former NICU nurse, she’s seen breastmilk work its wonders firsthand. When she missed working with preemies and other critically ill infants, donating her extra breastmilk became her way of giving back.

Melissa has been pumping for most of 6 month-old son Ryan’s life. “I started at 2 months pumping once per day after he nursed in the morning,” she said. “I would freeze half for him to use later and half to donate. It quickly added up and I was excited to make my donation.”

Ryan is the third child in the family, but this is Melissa’s first time as a donor. While she felt she didn’t produce enough with either of her two daughters, this time she decided that every little bit counts.

“I think there are a lot of moms that feel they need an oversupply to make a difference, when really you just need 15 minutes every morning,” Melissa said.

At Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas, we are grateful for Melissa’s donations and the donations of many moms like her. However, Melissa’s involvement at MMBNT extends even further: she is a member of our Board of Directors. She joined the board last summer and enjoys serving a cause that fits so closely with her passion of helping babies.

Although Melissa no longer works in the NICU, she still helps babies and their families in a professional capacity. After her second daughter was born, she founded Newborn Nightingales, a sleep consulting and night nursing company.Through this company, Melissa and her staff help parents with their newborn needs, such as nighttime care and developing healthy sleep habits.

In the last three years, Newborn Nightingales has helped more than 400 families, a statistic Melissa is proud of. “I love babies,” Melissa said. “I always have. I also love my sleep and know how important it is for babies and families. This is my way of helping now.”

For more information on becoming a milk donor, click here.