Second Time's a Charm for This Donor Mom

Friday, 10/7/2016

Katie is a mom to two daughters, Alli and Sadie. Her first breastfeeding experience with Alli was difficult – she struggled to produce enough milk, and because of a painful lip/tongue tie, she and Alli could not nurse. When Katie and Sadie began their breastfeeding journey, though, the situation was quite different and she produced more than Sadie needed.

Because Katie could relate to moms who couldn’t produce their own milk, she was inspired to become a milk donor. She discovered Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas through a Facebook group and soon began the donor screening process. “The process was simple, yet thorough,” Katie said.

Since becoming a donor, Katie has donated 1,117 ounces of breastmilk to MMBNT. Her local depot, Texas Health Harris Methodist HEB, makes it easy to donate close to home. And while breastfeeding moms do develop routines, Katie says she feels like she learns something new every week.

Storage is often something to consider when freezing extra milk, and Katie recommends using an extra deep freezer – either your own or one that belongs to a nearby friend or family member. “Having an extra freezer helped with milk storage immensely,” she said. She also advises delivering milk donations in grocery sacks so they can be quickly unloaded and dropped off at a depot.

Milk donation is vital for premature and critically ill infants, but it’s also beneficial for the mothers who struggle to provide milk for their own children. Having experienced that struggle herself, Katie is grateful to be able to help babies and other moms like her.

“It brings me so much joy to know that the milk God has gifted me with is providing life to babies all around the Metroplex,” Katie said.

For more information about Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas, click here.