November is World Prematurity Month and next Monday, November 17, is World Prematurity Day. In the United States, 1 of every 8 babies is born prematurely. For these babies, breastmilk is life saving. Breastmilk provides protection through immunological properties, and premature infants who receive it, are less likely to develop serious complications like infections. Therefore, when a mother’s own milk is not available, donor human milk from a milk bank is the best alternative.
In observance of World Prematurity Month, Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas would like to recognize the very special 3rd birthday of Camden Richardson, which is this Saturday, November 15. Camden was born prematurely at 29 weeks gestation. His mother, Megan, tells his story and how she became a milk donor mom.
Megan with Camden
Shortly after midnight on November 15, 2011, I realized that I had fallen asleep without feeling my baby move. After poking on my belly, eating a banana, and rolling side-to-side, I knew something was terribly wrong when I still could not feel any movement.
I immediately went to the hospital and prayed that I would have the strength to deal with what was to come. The doctors said our baby's heart was still beating with occasional drops in rate. We were transported to Willis-Knighton South Hospital in Shreveport, LA where I had an emergency C-section.
The bottom 3 shelves of this NICU freezer are filled with Megan's milk.
The doctors discovered that our baby's umbilical cord was not only around his neck twice, but was also in a knot. Camden Micheal weighed 3 lbs. 2 oz. and was 15 inches long. I remember hearing a tiny cry as his premature lungs struggled to function before he was put on a mechanical ventilator.
As a former NICU nurse, I knew how breastmilk benefits premature babies. I breastfed my other two sons and wanted to provide our new little miracle with the same start, so I began pumping every 3-4 hours. At first Camden was on IV nourishment, but soon received less than a teaspoon of my milk through an oral-gastric tube. I was concerned that I would not produce enough milk, but I was able to fill up our home freezer as well as the one in the NICU!
Camden with his older brothers
During his third week of life, Camden developed hydrocephalus from a small brain hemorrhage at birth. This rare and unanticipated development lengthened his stay in the NICU. It was during this time that I realized we needed to do something with all of my stored milk. My mom suggested that I look into donating my breastmilk. I completed the donor application process for the Mothers' Milk Bank at North Texas and donated 769 ounces. I donated my breastmilk to another milk bank as well, making my total donation 1,621 ounces.
The Richardson Family
Donating my milk helped me look outside of my own crisis, and gave me something to feel good about as I left the hospital day after day without our baby for nearly three months. I was happy to know that I could help other mothers provide their babies with the benefits of breastmilk. On January 24, 2012, Camden had surgery to implant a permanent shunt to drain the fluid from his brain. We were finally able to take our baby boy home from the hospital on February 2, 2012 and it did not take him long to grow into my milk supply.
Camden in August
Today, Camden is growing and developing as expected with his medical history. At almost 3 years old, he doesn’t need therapy anymore and hasn’t had any issues with his shunt since his last surgeries in May 2013. Nobody can tell he had such a rough start.
The Richardson Family is expecting a fourth boy at the end of January. If Megan ends up with surplus breastmilk, she plans to become a milk donor again.
For more information on World Prematurity Day, click here.
For more information about Mothers' Milk Bank of North Texas or how to become a donor mom, click here.