NorthernStar Milk Donor Rena shares her amazing story of how milk donation can come full circle:
"On August 13, 2021 I went into preterm labour with my twins Bennet & Myla. After an ambulance transfer to Foothills from South Health Campus, and four days where medical Teams tried to stop my labour with them, they entered the world in the wee hours of August 17 at 30 weeks.
As I was visiting them in the NICU my husband and I had to sign many forms including the use of donor milk. At that point it hit me, I had given birth to the twins. Before this I hadn’t quite grappled with the fact that I had given birth. I signed the form and for the first few days the babies received donor milk from the milk bank.
I had donated in the past to northern star mother’s milk bank with my other two boys so I felt unsettled that in my previous births I overproduced, and now I wasn’t producing enough for the twins. Finally on day four my milk came in and I had caught up to the twins demands.
When I surpassed them I began freezing my milk, and contacted NorthernStar Mother’s Milk Bank again when our freezer was overloaded with frozen milk bags.
As I continue my nursing and pumping journey with the twins I have been able to contribute some donations to the milk bank. I love that I can help contribute back again but appreciate the opportunity to receive donors milk for my babies when I hadn’t quite started to produce enough. I will always be thankful for NorthernStar Mother’s Milk Bank."
Thank you Rena, for sharing your story and your precious milk to other babies in need!
