Katie Stilson
Atlanta, GA
I was lucky enough to have a mom who breastfed my three siblings and me, so I always knew I wanted to nurse my kiddos. However, I didn’t realize how hard it is, and pumped in the beginning so Claire, my now 14-month old daughter, would get the nutrition she needed while we learned how to nurse.
I mentioned to my friend Stacy that I was pumping and she told me that she had pumped as well. She donated her excess breastmilk to the Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas. She encouraged me to look into donating my extra, if I had any. Soon I realized that I too had more milk than I needed, so I called the Milk Bank, completed the paperwork and blood work, was approved and became a donor.
I continued pumping since I knew I was going back to work and wanted to continue to give Claire breastmilk. At 14 months old, Clarie is still receiving my milk.
The Milk Bank makes donating your breastmilk easy. Every three to four weeks I request new supplies and Simone, the Donor Mom Coordinator, sends me a shipping box, new bottles to replace the ones I’m sending them and a packing label. The afternoon I decide to ship my milk, I’ll stop by the store and pick up dry ice and then call FedEx to pick-up my box before 5 p.m. It is such an easy process.
Pumping doesn’t take too much time out of my day either. I teach 12th Grade Math, pre-calculus and statistics, and pump at school during my lunch hour. I actually sit in the backseat of my car and pump with a nursing cover over me, using a car adaptor on my pump. (Although there is a building on campus where I could pump, my car is parked close to my classroom and it is easiest to pump there.)
I also coach the swim team and have even pumped in the bathroom locker room during a swim meet.
My husband is supportive and I couldn’t do this without him. He’s now used to seeing a breastpump in the middle of the living room. And, he helps me with the filled boxes, which are too heavy to carry once they are ready to be shipped.
I am grateful for this experience. I feel so fortunate to have a healthy baby and provide milk for her. I can’t imagine having a sick child and not being able to provide milk, especially during such a difficult and stressful time. I am so glad I can do something little like this that helps, and potentially saves lives.
I’m extremely grateful that I’ve been able to donate 8,721 ounces to the Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas.
I encourage new moms to talk to lactation consultants and get the support and advice they need to succeed. And, if you can donate, then the experience is well worth it.