Donor Stories
"My name is Ashley, and I am a wife and a mom to two beautiful daughters: Kassidy, who is five years old, and Sadie, who is 19 months old. I've been donating my breast milk to Tiny Treasures milk bank since January 2015.
My hardest thing I've been through being a mom was feeling I wasn't good enough, particularly with my first daughter. I was a new and scared mother. I never felt like I was doing well enough and struggled to breastfeeding her. My breast were raw, bruised and bleeding, but we couldn't get her to latch. I was stressed. She was stressed. Lots of tears were shed.
I wanted to breastfeed her the moment I found out I was pregnant so it honestly felt like the end of the world. Then I discovered pumping and began pumping my breast milk for her. It went well for the first month or so, but I started feeling stressed again.
I went back to work and she stayed with a babysitter for a few nights during the week until my husband came home from work. I couldn't pump as much or as long I needed to so my milk supply started to drop drastically. We lasted for 6 months until I weaned from the pump because I felt so stressed about not producing enough to feed her.
I felt like a horrible mom by letting down the most beautiful little brown haired, brown eyed girl. I was no longer feeding what was "best for her." I cried for a week as I mixed her formula bottles but my daughter, being the champ she is, couldn't have cared.
Why? Because she was eating. And after a while I figured out- I wasn't letting her down because she wasn't having my breast milk. I was still providing food for her. It may have been formula but she was being fed, and she was happy! So I was happy!
When my second child came along I knew I was just going to exclusively pump for her, I was mentally and physically prepared for it. I knew no matter what happened, I tried and that would be the only thing that mattered.
To my surprise, not only did I pump enough to feed her, I had a ton left over. I had so much milk! I was in awe! I had no idea what to do with it, then someone recommended Tiny Treasures and it seemed like an amazing opportunity.
And it has been, I've donated well over 30,000 oz of milk and I have even donated locally to a toddler who is tube fed and still needs breast milk as it's the only milk she hasn't gotten sick from. It's an amazing feeling to be able to have been able to feed my baby, and hundreds of others! I have never been prouder of myself. It's been a huge accomplishment.
And to new mom and experienced moms you should know... YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH. It's okay. If you don't shower for days, don't put your makeup on, wear slippers to school drop-off, your child will love you no matter what.
Just like your baby will love you if you decide to provide breast milk to your baby for 3 months, 9 months or 2 years old... Your doing what you think is best, and that's all that matters!"