Breast is best but is there more

I have decided to share something a little personal.
Life has become a little busy these days now that Zurich is out of the NICU and home with us and his Brothers and sister. They all keep me pretty busy and I wouldn't have it any other way!

As a veteran mom who has been parenting 16 years now I can say with astonishment that I am still learning new things.
Each of my children's needs have been different as each child is unique, but Zurich is a fast pitching curve ball specialist.


In part as it has been explained to me some of Zurich's feeding issues are due in part to his premature birth. He suffers from reflux so bad that his bed is elevated past the standard 30 degrees , he is to sleep prone with the aid of a Tucker sling. As well as the reflux he has not had a good track history of tolerating food different formulas and at one point even my own breast milk.
We have all heard "Breast is best" in campaigns designed to promote breast feeding. In some states like California mothers who receive WIC are even told that they will not provide formula to them in the first xx amount of days without a Doctors note explaining the need for it in an effort to promote further and encourage mothers to breast feed there children.

But what happens when a mom can not? Who do you turn to then? Is there really help out there? Or like so many do we just throw our hands in the air and say there is nothing you can do. Please understand I am in NO way posting this for me very personal post in an effort to bash anyone for turning OR choosing formula to feed their child. That said there IS another choose for babies like mine. And thanks to my friend Shannon R. (I can never thank you enough for your shoulder to cry on your wisdom and prayers) I found it Donor breast milk.

Here is what I knew about donor milk before looking in to it as an option for Zurich .



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That about sums it up nicely! Nothing I knew that in the first days and couple weeks I was producing breast milk that I had an amazing supply not meaning to toot my own horn but I was getting average 15 oz every time
I would pump multiply that by 8.
Frequently the nurses in the NICU would ask if I had ever thought of being a milk donor. So in a way I guess you could say that I know that people donated milk. But still nothing truly beyond that.
Why you maybe asking would I be signing the praise from the roof tops about donor milk if I was producing like a personal dairy cow for my son? I promise I'll tell you,
At first Zurich was on my milk but at one point in the NICU he was showing signs of intolerance to my milk (I know I know near unheard of! I say near because it happens whether others agree with me or not I am not looking for a debate I have had other children who did not thrive on my milk as well all for varying reasons but none of which was my milk) many things where tried but in the end he was placed on the medical food /infant formula Elecare.
Zurich began to thrive and after a long look at family history and Zurich's short but chart filling history his Doctor felt that breast milk for Zurich would not be something that would work and so I stopped pumping.

Near the end of Zurich's NICU stay with encouragement from his AM primary nurse we again sat down with his Doctor and talked about reintroducing him to breast milk I had still taking up space in the freeze that if nothing else I was going to give to his brother Lyric who is only 11 months older then Zurich as there was no since all that milk going to waste and Lyric had always tolerated my milk just fine.
His Neo agreed to give breast milk another try and Zurich took to it very well.
As we got closer to discharge I began asking questions about what would I do if I was unsuccessful at relactating. How would I feed my baby?
Due to increasing intolerance to most anything they tried to give him we where told one to add in formula to his breast milk to increase the calories and to stretch my supply of frozen milk.
But this only worked so well at stretching his supply of breast milk because at every turn it seemed once home he went through so many more changes to his food causing the occasional waste of breast milk trying to find a formula that he would tolerate.



Stresses what they are at home it has been difficult to lactate again. My fears of what would happen once my frozen milk supply ran out continued to mount. From my sons Doctor all I ever heard was "Try and relax, but if you do run out of breast milk you have done your best in giving him what you can" . Nice advice but in no way an answer. How can I turn away from the one food that he tolerated well and provide the best I could give him to aid in his Heath and development. As I mixed my last 16oz of breast milk with his formula to mix high calorie I had tears in my eyes and sent a message to my dear cyber friend telling her that I had all but given up any hope of continuing Zurich on breast milk every lead I had seemed a dead end! She offered her shoulder to cry on, her prayers, and to look around for donor info for him.

Here is what I NOW know about donor milk and milk banks

1.The America association of pediatrics, The W.H.O and Unifef all state that when a mothers milk is not available the first recommend chose is donor milk.

2. To be a milk bank donor of breast milk one has to meet strict guide lines for non smoker, note from dr, limited on medications even multi vitamins, and much more.

3. Breast milk from a donor bank is screened beyond the screening of donor blood.

4. There are person to person sites set up for those looking for breast milk as well.( I can not provide much info about experience with this form of donation but have had Two wonderful selfless mom's offer there own milk to my son as an option. ) But I do know I have spoke to mom's who donate p2p and I very much like what she says quoted from the mom who receives her milk "If it's good enough you would give it to your baby , then it's good enough for mine"
Many people would warn against p2p donation due to health reasons I say it is for you to decide. It is not for me to debate. I will simply provide one site I know of they can be found on Facebook Human 2 human milk and then your state name.

5. Human breast milk is even used from banks to treat some liver disorders and other medical uses

I will not bore you with dozens of facts but there are many left unlisted here.


As my friend searched for help for me I to decided one last time to contact the Colorado hospital milk bank. This time by phone.
Karen was who I spoke to and I will never forget her or be able to thank her enough.
I explained my desperation for my son and she put my mind at ease . For the first time in a while I felt a weight lifted from my shoulders.
Karen explained that donor milk can be costly at $14 processing fee for one 4 oz bottle but that no baby would be turned away grants where available and the Zurich was a perfect candidate to receive donor milk. After specking to a co worker about Zurich as the director was out of the office until the following week. They desired to send a small shipment of breast milk to get Zurich started before I even had even had signed the forms.



Zurich has been receiving donor breast milk for over a month now . Growing and enjoying feedings again. He once again is on a mix of Breast milk with Elecare.



Recently I got to share with the Neo and NICU staff that helped care for Zurich in his external last trimester and I was shocked at how little they know about it.
I explained to them what I had been told that no baby would be turned away! That Zurich gets his milk without cost.
To receive milk I only needed to call my son's Dr and ask for a RX that stated "DONOR MILK AS NEEDED" and have it faxed to the milk bank. From there I wrote a letter in detail describing what feeding Zurich has been like in a brief medical history then I email that along with the financial forms sent to me and faxed my husband's W-2.
The whole process took less then a days time and all the while Zurich was being sent milk as needed.



It is my hope to spread the word about breast milk donating and milk banks as an option to more families out there cause not once in my 16 years as a parent had I needed breast milk provided to me and not once had I ever been told how to get it.

Once a week now I place a call and the friendly staff asks about Zurich as I place yet another order for this liquid "cream" gold to be delivered the following day via Fed ex overnight to my door step. Frozen on dry ice ready to be placed in my own freezer and thawed as needed.

















I in no way think of my self as an expert on parenting or donor milk I'm only a mom who wanted what was best for her child who already had a rough start at life. The feeling I express are always my own.
And tho I wish I had time to do so . I don't always have time for editing before I post as I blog entry's to my iPhone as a parent 4 children through out the day. Most times i am feeding or holding Zurich as my mind races with thought. When time allows my wonderful understanding husband edits for me. Please bare with me as I promise to get better at this Lots -of- Love until next time.


If you have any questions as always please leave them in the comments and I will do my best to answer them quickly and honesty.


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