One Thing I Could Control: Sharing Milk, Spreading Hope

A recent Donor Mom shares her story

My daughter was born premature at 36 weeks and weighed 3 lbs 14 oz. We knew she would likely arrive early and be small, but beyond that, we had no idea what lay ahead. Due to her size, she was taken to the NICU right after birth. Thankfully, she had no other medical concerns but needed to gain weight before she could be discharged. She spent nine days in the NICU and, from the beginning, was given donor milk before my own milk came in.

Fortunately, I had a good supply fairly quickly, but it was challenging—recovering from a c-section, learning to breastfeed, and becoming new parents, all while spending each day in the unfamiliar environment of the NICU. There was a great deal of uncertainty in those early days, but knowing we had donor milk to rely on was one less thing to worry about.

My daughter has struggled with feeding challenges since we left the NICU. Once home, I spent countless hours pumping to ensure I had milk for her when she was strong enough to breastfeed. I knew I wanted to donate—not only to give back but also to prevent waste, since I was producing so much milk. As time went on, we faced new challenges, like eliminating suspected allergens from my diet in hopes of improving her severe reflux and stomach issues. This means the majority of breast milk stored in our freezer isn’t safe for her to consume.

We're still navigating this feeding journey, but if I hadn’t signed up to donate, much of this milk would have been thrown away. We’ve tried almost everything to help improve my daughter’s feeding, and it’s been extremely difficult—but I feel grateful knowing the hard work of pumping can benefit someone else’s family. That notion has pushed me to keep going, even when I’ve wanted to give up.

I also want to mention that my husband has been very involved from the beginning. He’s supported my milk donation by helping with washing, sanitizing, and storing. My mom has also helped by dropping off milk for donation.

I encourage anyone considering donation to go for it—the team at NorthernStar is very supportive, the approval process is relatively easy, and if you ask family to help, I’m sure they’ll be happy to. I can guarantee you’ll be easing someone’s worry about their premature or sick baby. Becoming a new parent comes with many ups and downs, but doing something you can control to help others along the way is truly rewarding.

Thank-you for sharing your story.

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