Going the Distance for Milk Donation
Monday, 11/28/2016
For Kristin, the journey of motherhood has included both joy and sadness along the way. Her first child, Tommy, was born just before her own 18th birthday, and from that moment she knew she was always meant to be a mom. With Kristin’s husband Curtis in the Navy, the family moved along the East coast as they grew. They welcomed two more sons, Derrick and Teddy, before settling in South Carolina.
Soon after moving to South Carolina, Kristin learned she was pregnant. However, the pregnancy ended at 18 weeks after the baby, their fourth son, entangled himself in his cord. For Kristin, that was her rock bottom. Four years later, the family welcomed a rainbow baby, Joelle. Kristin calls being pregnant after a loss “a harrowing affair”.
“You have such a hard time not comparing and trying to find joy in something that you are so afraid is going to end in heartbreak,” she said.
Today, Joelle is a happy, healthy 17 month old. As Kristin started pumping and storing milk for her, she realized she had more than enough to feed Joelle and began to research milk donation. One of her friends, a NICU nurse, guided Kristin toward Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas. Despite living beyond the borders of the Lone Star State, she found the right fit with MMBNT. MMBNT’s donor coordinators send her all the materials she needs to safely ship her milk overnight.
Kristin sees milk donation as a duty. “If I have milk and someone else needs it, and all it causes me is a little time management, then it would be selfish of me not to share,” she said.
When it comes to advice, Kristin recommends freezing milk bags flat in order to maximize storage space. Additionally, she encourages moms to stick to a pumping schedule, which helped her regulate her own supply. Regardless of the method, though, milk that is pumped for donation will be a gift to a baby in need.
“It’s heartwarming to know that something I have an abundance of means the world to someone else,” Kristin said.
To learn more about Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas, click here.
