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Showing posts with label donating breast milk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label donating breast milk. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Media Spotlight: Milk Banking

How much do I LOVE this USA Today article (by Trevor Hughes) on milk banking and donating milk?

Enough, that even though my landlord gave me a little 'tude and is failing to schedule timely maintenance calls for me, I am still smiling. (But seriously, landlords out there, take care of your tenants. They pay your bills.)



Image from USA Today, by Frank Pompa
Source: Human Milk Banking Association of North America

It's great to see milk banking getting some media exposure. It's great to see the ounces donated per year on the rise. It's not great that the ounces needed are not nearly being met. It motivates me to repeat donating.

And when I consider repeating my donation, I see why it is so hard to hit the needed ounces-- I'm now working part-time+, and the milk I pump generally needs to go to my baby. There are a million and one booby traps for breastfeeding Mommies, and while work isn't trapping me from breastfeeding, it might just trap me from donating again right now.

But for now, instead of sighing about my wishes to donate again (210 oz. went out in March), I'm just going to revel in the exposure of milk banking with some favorite quotes from the article...


Actress Alysia Reiner: "Donating milk 'is simply an area so many women don't know about,' she says. 'They say 'What, a milk bank? No way.' "

Mandy Belfort, a neonatologist at Children's Hospital Boston: "There's also some evidence that preterm babies who receive breast milk have better developmental outcomes than babies that receive formula... In New England, we are starting to talk more and more about using donor milk more routinely."


Consider milk donation.
Visit http://hmbana.org today!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Do YOU have a Booby Monster?: Little Bit Designs Review & Giveaway (Closes 3/30)

***THIS IS A 200 Oz. CELEBRATION SERIES EVENT***

Feed, Pump, Feed, Feed, Pump. Feed, Feed, Feed, Feed, Feed. Rinse, Repeat. The life of the breastfeeding (and milk-donating) Mommy.And what does this little repertoire of activity create? A Booby Monster. Let's not forget that nursing Mommies tend to become passionate about breastfeeding in some way.

Little Bit Designs Etsy Shoppe gets that, creating adorable and clever pro-breastfeeding garb (among other cute clothing) for your little one. What I love is how bright and modern these items are. If you are particularly daring, phrases like "Breastfed boys are born on second base," might be for you. If you are looking for something on the political, but not so controversial side, the "Learning to Breastfeed: No Bottles, No Pacifiers, No Nursery" gown or the "Booby Monster" shirt is a perfect choice. I tried the Booby Monster shirt on Gabe this past week, and he looked ADORABLE in it. I cannot wait for Spring to really hit so I can bring him out in his new tee!

And seriously, if you don't already like Little Bit Designs, you should read her Etsy About Me:
"I am the mother to 2 beautiful little girls. They inspire me everyday to create wonderful items. I put my heart into every item that I make, and I would never sell an item that I wouldn't give to my own children. In fact, most items I make don't even make it here, they are forever added into the collection of my girls."

And you can win a Booby Monster t-shirt!
Enter to win and get your little Booby Monster a shirt to match his or her latte!

The Mandatory Entry
Visit Little Bit Designs Etsy Shoppe and look at the products.
Pick your favorite and comment about it.

Want more entries? Do any or all of these things...

2. Visit http://www.hmbana.org and figure out which Mother's Milk bank location is closest to you. Tell me which one with their contact number in a comment. I live in NJ, but am working with Ohio!
(2 additional entries-- leave 2 comments.)

3. Publicly follow my blog (right sidebar) and comment. If you already, follow, make sure to comment!

4. Follow @amomwriting and/or @givemilk on Twitter and comment for one (1) additional entry each.

5. Tweet the following (
One (1) entry per tweet; you can tweet twice per day):

My #breastfeeding booby monster wants to win a t-shirt from @amomwriting http://tinyurl.com/ylh2bw7 Enter by 3/30. #bfcafe #bfing

6. Blog about the giveaway including a link to amomwriting and comment with the permalink to your entry for two (2) extra entries, leaving two separate comments.

7. Vote for A Mom Writing on Top Mommy Blogs here and comment. (1 entry per vote, 1 vote per day)

8. Vote for A Mom Writing on Top Baby Blogs here and comment. (1 entry per vote, 1 vote per day)

9. Enter any other current giveaway of the 200 oz. event and leave a comment.

Make sure to include your e-mail address in your mandatory entry (if it is not in your profile) so that I have a means of contacting you if you win! The winner will be chosen by random.org on Tuesday, March 30, 2010 at 10:00 p.m. EST. I will then notify the winner by e-mail; the winner has 48 hours to respond before another winner is picked. Thank you to Mamatini for this opportunity!

Questions?
Contact me at amomwriting@gmail.com


A Mom Writing did not receive monetary compensation for this entry.





Alas, alas, this is the last giveaway of the 200 Oz. Event. I'm happy to be rocking out the party until the 30th-- all three Giveaway Winners will be chosen on the 30th so be sure to enter all three by then!

WINNER: (by random.org) helenlam... contacting now!

The Dirty, Dirty On Donating Milk

The 200 Oz. event is nearing its close, and while one last giveaway posts tonight and all three giveaways are running until March 30th, it only seems appropriate to give you all a true run down of how things went down this past week.

The last two steps of milk donation are:
1. bloodwork
2. shipping
Step 1 involved receiving a blood draw kit from the Milk Bank that contained the blood vials, packaging, and pre-paid Fed-Ex slip to ship it off to the lab in Colorado. All I needed was a willing and qualified medical person to draw the blood, donating time and/or the needle.

Sounds simple. But it's not totally. It required a hella amount of phone calls to docs, lactation consultants, the Red Cross, La Leche League, etc. because I had to find someone to do this pro bono, and NOBODY wanted to sign on for it. Thank you, lawsuit-happy crazies and medical malpractice for scaring people away from helping milk donors.

But Quest Diagnostics came through for me. So, thank you Quest, and especially the fabulous woman who worked with me to get the blood draw business done. The blood had to be shipped in the kit provided-- Quest packaged it up with me, and then I sent it on its merry way.
Step 2 could have been a little celebratory moment, but Gabe decided he was angry about one minute into my piling the milk into the styrofoam cooler and box. Thusly, I have photos of the moment I started packing, but forgot to take shots of the final product all dressed up and ready to go. For the record, the entire box was FULL.

I soothed Gabe for a second, muscled up, and slowly carried package a few steps, then retracing to bring Gabriel a few steps, then package, then Gabe, etc. etc., drove over to a Postal Connections, repeated the Gabe/package shuffle, and sent that frozen food out to Ohio.

I got a call from the milk bank that they received the milk... so let's hope the processing, etc., has begun.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Swear By It? Wear It: Wild Blueberry Ink Breastfeeding Pendant Necklace Giveaway (Closes 3/30)

***THIS IS A 200 Oz. CELEBRATION SERIES EVENT***

I swear by breastfeeding so I pumped 200 Oz. for the Human Milk Banking Association of North America. If you swear by breastfeeding, you should probably read this review and enter this giveaway...

When you breastfeed, pump, donate milk, or any mix of the three, after awhile it is hard not to become passionate about nursing. For me, every day I breastfeed my little one, I am that more certain we made a great decision for our baby and family. And I'm proud of it. It's not always easy to balance with the demands of 2010 life.So, breastfeeding Mommies or supporters, if you are feeling proud (and you should be proud!), you are so in luck because Shirley of Wild Blueberry Ink is giving away a fantastic prize to one lucky A Mom Writing reader!

About Wild Blueberry Ink (and why I LOVE these designs).

Wild Blueberry Ink is a fabulous Etsy shop of fantastic, vividly-colored and scrupulously-formed digital designs. From the humorous to the simply elegant, the designs found at Wild Blueberry Ink are unique, chic, and modern-- perfect for a myriad of occasions and celebrations.
In the case of A Mom Writing, I am specifically talking about Shirley's Breastfeeding Buttons and Glass Pendants--
they are adorable technicolor snippets with catchy phrases and pro-breastfeeding images (as you can see from the few pictured above).
There are so many versions of these lovely things, but some of the cute phrases I adore?
"Lactivist"
"iBreastfeed"
"Breastmilk: It does a baby good."
"got human milk?"

I mean, come on, how fun are those phrases? And look at those graphics. They're bright, eye-catching, and feminine. Perfect for any breastfeeding Mommy. I personally think they, used in any form, would be a fabulous gift to a girlfriend to offer support in the early days or from a husband to his wife as a thank you for breastfeeding. Regardless of where or who or how, these images are top notch, and I adore them.



This could be yours!
Shirley was so awesome to sign onto the 200 oz. event, and she even reached out to one of her jewelry designers to collaborate on a little something for ya'll. It's a necklace with a scrabble piece-sized tile with one of her breastfeeding designs on it. And you get to choose your favorite design so it will be totally personal! So CELEBRATE your breastfeeding self and ENTER TO WIN!

The Mandatory Entry
Visit Wild Blueberry Ink's Etsy Shop and look at the big page of designs.
Pick one that you think suits a milk donor best and comment about it!

Want more entries? Do any or all of these things...

2. Visit http://www.hmbana.org and figure out which Mother's Milk bank location is closest to you. Tell me which one with their contact number in a comment. I live in NJ, but am working with Ohio!
(2 additional entries-- leave 2 comments.)

3. Publicly follow my blog (right sidebar) and comment. If you already, follow, make sure to comment!
Publicly follow Wild Blueberry Ink's blog and comment! (1 entry each)

4. Follow @amomwriting, @wildbluberryink, and @givemilk on Twitter and comment for one (1) additional entry each.

5. Tweet the following (
One (1) entry per tweet; you can tweet twice per day):

I support #breastfeeding! Enter to win @WildBluberryInk #bfing pendant necklace from @amomwriting's 200 oz. @GiveMilk event. Ends 3/30!

6. Blog about the giveaway including a link to amomwriting and comment with the permalink to your entry for two (2) extra entries, leaving two separate comments.

7. Vote for A Mom Writing on Top Mommy Blogs here and comment. (1 entry per vote, 1 vote per day)

8. Vote for A Mom Writing on Top Baby Blogs here and comment. (1 entry per vote, 1 vote per day)

9. Enter any other current or future giveaway of the 200 oz. event and leave a comment.

Make sure to include your e-mail address in your mandatory entry (if it is not in your profile) so that I have a means of contacting you if you win! The winner will be chosen by random.org on Tuesday, March 30, 2010 at 10:00 p.m. EST. I will then notify the winner by e-mail; the winner has 48 hours to respond before another winner is picked. Thank you to Mamatini for this opportunity!

Questions?
Contact me at amomwriting@gmail.com


A Mom Writing did not receive monetary compensation for this entry.




Winner: (by random.org) Princess Mom... contacting now!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Milk Donation is for the Stars.

***THIS IS A 200 Oz. CELEBRATION SERIES EVENT***


The postpartum wardrobe is a challenge, but it is a flat-out obstacle for breastfeeding Moms. It's hard to look good and, it's hard to have access to baby's food source. Dressed to impress AND to nurse? Is that possible?

With Milkstars, it is.


And when I contacted Jamie, the woman behind the Milkstars fabulousness, about the 200 oz. Event, she generously offered an exclusive coupon code for A Mom Writing readers. Check out these cute, not-so-I-just-had-a-baby shirts today. Enjoy!

...15% coupon code...
PUMP200
Valid during the entire series!
March 15-30, 2010

Make sure to consider pumping your own 200 for HMBANA.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Because Milk Donation Is No Teeny Thing: Mamatini Review & Giveaway (Closes 3/20)

EXTENDED::
CLOSES 3/30 11:59 P.M. EST

***A 200 Oz. CELEBRATION SERIES EVENT***


Nursing Moms need a drink. Lots of drinks. In fact, I cannot even count the times I’ve looked at my husband while feeding Gabriel, and without barely opening my mouth, a glass of water appeared. Water. How exciting. And let's face it, when you are pumping extra milk for your little one AND for the milk bank, sometimes all a Mommy wants is something exciting to drink.

And while that delicious Cosmo at the bar might be calling the name of most new mommies, that mixed drink is not going to do anything good for Momma or baby. What drink will? Mamatini™.



So, what is Mamatini™?

Mamatini is a pediatrician-created, organic herbal breastfeeding drink. It was designed to boost milk supply, increase nursing mother energy, decrease baby colic symptoms, and retain the nutrients breastfeeding mommies need for baby and self. Mamatini recommends pregnant and breastfeeding Mommies drink Mamatini (1-2 bottles/day) from 36 weeks gestation until baby weans. It is intended to support mothers throughout their breastfeeding experience, helping mommies breastfeed “better, easier, and for longer.”

Wow, that sounds like every nursing Mommy’s dream.

But… what is in this thing?

Lots of stuff. And by that, I mean, good-for-you stuff. Here are some specifics per serving (2 servings per bottle):

A full bottle of Mamatini has half your daily dose of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Folic Acid and B Vitamins. Not too shabby. It also is full of Micronutrients, which purportedly "increase absorption of minerals depleted by pregnancy and nursing."

Wow, that's a lot of herbs!

(Please click on the links from kellymom for each ingredient to read more about the specifics of each herb to be sure these herbs are compatible with you and your baby.)

Fenugreek and Fennel are both galactagogues. In other words, they boost milk supply. When donating milk, you must wait 24 hour before pumping and storing after taking any dosage of Fenugreek. Another thing to consider when using Fenugreek is its ability to make one's bodily odors smell like maple syrup. For those who are pregnant, using high amounts of Fenugreek can affect your baby's urine scent upon birth, fooling doctors into thinking your little one has maple syrup urine disease. (One bottle of Mamatini contains 3 g of Fenugreek, which is a middle range daily dose of the herb.) I did not smell like maple syrup from drinking Mamatini, though the milk I pumped the next day for Gabe's bottle did smell sweeter than usual. Gabe's urine did not smell after his bottle; his stool did smell slightly sweeter than normal over the following 24 hours.

Chamomile is cited to help with relaxation. It also is considered to have anti-fungal properties. According to Mamatini, Ginger is used to relieve stomach upset and provide restful sleep for baby and mom. According to Kellymom, Spearmint is known to decrease milk supply, but it is also said that most herbal effects on breastfeeding are not well-researched. I can tell you, and as you will read, whatever amount of spearmint in Mamatini did not counteract its beneficial milk-boosting properties.

The Taste? (As you raise an eyebrow...)

This might sound odd, but Mamatini tasted like a mint tea with a standard-tomato-vegetable juice after taste, and it was enjoyable. It tasted very earthy, but not quite grassy. I will not lie to you-- my favorite drink is chocolate soy milk-- if I was picking something to drink based on taste alone, it would not be Mamatini. But considering its benefits, I would definitely not say it tasted badly. I have no reason to make myself drink this stuff because my supply has not been low, persay, and yet, I drank it without any struggle. And if you like mint tea, you will love it.

Well, A Mom Writing, what did Mamatini do for you?

If you regularly read A Mom Writing, you know that last week was not an easy one for me. I started a new job, and the first three days required me to leave my baby for most of the day (I got to nurse him over lunch hour). It was not an easy transition for me as a mother in general, but it was mostly an adventure for my breasts. I was able to pump over a 20 minute break in the morning, nurse Gabe over lunch, and then I did not get to pump or nurse him again until late in the afternoon. By the third day, I was definitely concerned for my afternoon supply.

I had my bottle o' Mamatini ready for me to drink on that third night, and I definitely saw results as soon as the next day. Whereas I normally have about 4 oz. pumped to save for the Mother's Milk Bank (I always pump immediately after feeding Gabe around 7 a.m.), I had 6 oz. I had 6 oz. the next day, too, and the day after that I had 7 oz. Sunday morning I was back to 4 oz., but I imagine that another bottle of Mamatini would have kept that milk supply up very high.

It also kept me feeling close to consistently full throughout that first day post working. I did have a lull in the afternoon-- as I expected after three days without consistent afternoon nursing-- but a nursing vacation definitely aided in that recovery.

Last week could have been a milk supply disaster, but it was not, and I think that has a lot to do with Mamatini.

The Verdict?

Mamatini is a healthy, milk-increasing, safe drink choice for breastfeeding mothers. If you have any supply issues or if you are a working Mommy, this product is a go-to for troubleshooting. And if you love mint tea, you would love this, breastfeeding or not. I definitely give Mamatini two thumbs up.


So, after reading that review, I would guess you are ready to give Mamatini a try!

Buy Mamatini!

Click here to shop. Your first order ships free with code SHIPFREE.

or

Win Mamatini on A Mom Writing!

Mamatini has generously decided to send one lucky winner an ENTIRE CASE of 12 16-Oz. BOTTLES! That's A LOT of Mamatini, ladies. And it's a giveaway for a cause-- please consider donating milk to your local milk bank.

The mandatory entry:
1. Visit http://www.hmbana.org and http://drinkmamatini.com and answer me this-- How do you think Mamatini can support milk-donating mothers?

Additional Entries

2. Visit http://www.hmbana.org and figure out which Mother's Milk bank location is closest to you. Tell me which one with their contact number in a comment. I live in NJ, but am working with Ohio! (2 additional entries-- leave 2 comments.)

3. Publicly follow my blog (right sidebar) and comment. If you already, follow, make sure to comment!

4. Follow @amomwriting, @drinkmamatini, and @givemilk on Twitter and comment for one (1) additional entry each.

5. Tweet the following (
One (1) entry per tweet; you can tweet twice per day):
@amomwriting celebrating 200 oz. milk donation for hmbana.org w/ @drinkmamatini! Enter by 3/20! #bfing #bfcafe http://tinyurl.com/y9ztbwf


6. Blog about the giveaway including a link to amomwriting and comment with the permalink to your entry for two (2) extra entries, leaving two separate comments.

7. Vote for A Mom Writing on Top Mommy Blogs here and comment. (1 entry per vote, 1 vote per day)

8. Vote for A Mom Writing on Top Baby Blogs here and comment. (1 entry per vote, 1 vote per day)

Make sure to include your e-mail address in your mandatory entry (if it is not in your profile) so that I have a means of contacting you if you win! The winner will be chosen by random.org on Saturday, March 20, 2010 at 10:00 p.m. EST. I will then notify the winner by e-mail; the winner has 48 hours to respond before another winner is picked.
Thank you to Mamatini for this opportunity!

Questions?
Contact me at amomwriting@gmail.com



A Mom Writing did not receive monetary compensation for this entry.


Sunday, March 14, 2010

The Freezer is Full.



A Mom Writing presents...
The 200 Oz. Celebration Series

March 15-30, 2010
15 Days
3 Giveaways
2 Coupon Codes
1 Mommy Shipping over 200 Oz. of Milk

to the Mother's Milk Bank of Ohio
of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America
http://hmbana.org


In partnership with...
Little Bit Designs
Mamatini
Wild Blueberry Ink
Hot Mama Gowns
Milkstars




Thursday, February 18, 2010

200 Oz. Event, what?

It seems the blog is going to be taking a turn for the fun! I am pleased to announce...

A Mom Writing's 200 Oz. Celebration Series

Yup, I'm currently working on a line-up of reviews and giveaways to celebrate when I hit 200 oz. for hmbana! I can't spill the details just yet, but I am so pleased that these giveaways are now officially in the works.

Get ready to party it up, Mommy style, ladies!

Monday, February 15, 2010

Viva La Paperwork!

*Exhale.*

I'm almost done getting all of the paperwork done for my milk donation.

Here's some paper-y information:

1. I have completed all of the pages "About Me"-- they are no big deal-- just basic personal information, how often you drink caffeine and alcohol, whether you eat dairy free, etc.

2. My OB, who delivered Gabriel and I really like, filled out the paper on my health history--
it asks if you've had infections recently, if you've had a blood transfusion in the past so-many-months, and for results on some blood tests (some I had had done when pregnant, others I have not had yet).

3. Gabe's doctor is yet to be presented with a form that basically asks if Gabe was born full-term and if he has been gaining weight (if is funny because Gabe is now twice his birthweight!!!).

After the paperwork is completed, I just have to get it back to the bank in an envelope they provided me. Then, I finish pumping, get the logistics on the bloodwork I need, get vampired in the arm, and arrange for milk shipping. I am starting to get very excited about the latter part of the process; it's almost here, people!!!

My freezer is getting pretty full between milk for the bank and milk for the baby. I will definitely share a photo before this process is done!

--

In Mcfatty Monday news, I am officially down 14 pounds since 1/1/10 (that's -40 from pregnancy), and barring I didn't gain 90 pounds from the Valentine's chocolate and romantic dinner my husband and I shared last night (Well, pretty romantic-- how's a candlelit gourmet dinner WITH a spitting up, but happy baby bouncing on your husband's knee count on the romantic scale?), I have 10 more to go before I get to pre-pregnancy weight. Then, the real get healthy march begins.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Pump it for Haiti, Ladies.


Breastfeeding Mommies, Unite!

Donate your milk (if you can)!


You can help preemies and babies in the United States and in Haiti by taking the time to donate milk. A lot of the water in Haiti is contaminated right now, so donated milk is crucial to the survival of newborns near the earthquake site. And as for the benefits for U.S. preemies, you can read about them here.

You can donate your milk to the nearest Human Milk Bank Association of North America. Please call 1-866-998-4550 or visit: http://www.hmbana.org/.

The closest milk bank to me is in Ohio (this bank sent the first batch of human milk to the USNS Comfort just yesterday, and you can get updates on milk going to Haiti here.) so there will be some shipping work involved with donating milk. I don't have to pay for the shipping, though. This is what I do have to do-- so you know what to expect when you call the milk bank:
1. Initial Phone Interview Health Screen
2. 4 Pages of Paperwork (involving you and your baby's health)
3. Blood Test (I am responsible for finding the place to get this done pro bono or I have to see if my health insurance will cover it (I really hope that works out.), but the milk bank sends all of the materials.)
4. Donate at least 200 oz. of milk from 3 months prior to the ship date. I am now to relabel and label my milk with my last name, my son's birthdate, and the expressed milk date.

I still need more information regarding the shipping process of the milk (seeing as I have only completed Step 1 at this time), but I am sure I will get more information once I am officially a qualified donor. I am so happy to be doing this. Stay tuned for updates on the process!

Gotta go now... time to pump!