Cynthia Koogle
Evergreen, Colorado
Soon after my son Jamie was born by caesarian section my incision became infected and I was readmitted to the hospital for five days. I wish I’d known that I wouldn’t be able to breastfeed Jamie at that time. I sat in my hospital room crying, not because I was in physical pain, but because I was upset that no one told me to pump my breastmilk before I was readmitted to the hospital.
Giving Jamie anything other than formula at that time would’ve meant the world to me. Thankfully, we resumed breastfeeding once I was released from the hospital.
Within a few months I resumed work as a flight paramedic. My first day back I was scheduled for a 12-hour shift, but I worked a 16-hour shift. I didn’t pump for 10 hours straight. I almost refused to go into work the next day, but instead decided that I would pump on schedule as best I could.
Flight paramedics aren’t given pump rooms. I’ve found myself pumping in my office – in a flight suit – trying to get it done quickly because I’m on call. It can be complicated and comical at times, but there are ways to pump discreetly. Sometimes I head out and pump in my car.
Nothing is more peaceful and refreshing than breastfeeding. I had a new baby and was trying to work. Breastfeeding helped me make sure I didn’t lose the connection I had with Jamie.
I later learned that there was a shortage of donor human milk on the news and realized that milk banks were in desperate need of breastmilk. Even though I often work in hospital PICUs and NICUs, it had never occurred to me to donate my excess breastmilk.
I was worried that I might not be accepted as a donor because many years ago I had melanoma. Since it was localized, surgically removed and I required no more treatment, and have been cancer free for many years, they told me I could donate.
I contacted the Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas and they were so easy to work with. The mommy-friendly shipping instructions and boxes provided made it so easy. And because I’d frozen all of my milk in Tupperware ice cube trays, I knew how much milk was in each cube that I packed and shipped.
We were living in the mountains of Winter Park, Colorado at the time and there wasn’t a place to mail the milk. I drove to Denver to ship my milk to Fort Worth.
Jamie is now 22 months old. Together we donated 161 ounces to the Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas.