When I had my son in July 2018, I thought I was totally prepared for motherhood. Diaper changes, bath time, reading, swaddling, I had that down. But breastfeeding? That was a whole new world. I didn’t even know it existed until I was 16. It just wasn’t something people talked about where I grew up.
Courtesy of Taylor May
Thankfully, the hospital I delivered in was “Baby Friendly,” which meant every nurse was trained to help moms learn how to breastfeed. Their leadership was essential for me to get through. In those early weeks, I misunderstood a lot. I thought pumping while also treatment was normal and that a huge freezer stash meant success. That mistake led to an extreme oversupply, and before long, I had filled not only our fridge freezer but a deep freezer too.
Courtesy of Taylor May
One day I sent a photo of my uploaded on Socials. Our wedding photographer messaged me and asked if I’d consider donating. Her friend espoused a newborn offspring and was searching for milk. That moment changed everything. Meeting the baby’s mom, hearing her adoption story, and knowing I could help, it was a feeling I’ll never forget. From then on, I knew this was going to be a huge part of my life.
Courtesy of Taylor May
I donated to babies across the country thanks to Facebook milk-sharing groups like Human Milk for Human Babies. I’d join native groups wherever I traveled to California, Georgia, Louisiana and drop off chillers full of milk.
Courtesy of Taylor May
After learning how vital breast milk is for preemies, I started donating to Bronson’s Milk Bank, which serves NICUs across Michigan. They require medical history, bloodwork, and interviews before accepting donors. Later, after my daughter Sutton was born in August 2020, I started donating to Prolacta Bioscience’s Tiny Treasures Milk Bank, which makes human milk fortifiers for babies under three pounds.
Donating to Prolacta requires extra steps, applications, doctor approvals, DNA swabs, and even freezer temperature logs—but it’s worth it. These fragile babies depend on every ounce.
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I pump between 60–84 ounces daily and nurse Sutton on demand. I’ve donated over 14,000 ounces of milk so far, and I’ve become a certified lactation counselor (CLC) to support moms in more ways than one.
My original goal was 5,000 jots. With Eli, I hit 7,537.5. With Sutton, I’ve already donated over 6,800 ounces and counting.
Courtesy of Taylor May
Courtesy of Taylor May
To every nurse, friend, family member, and especially Stacy, thank you. This path has been everything to me. And here’s to 2021, and to continuing to control milk sharing, one ounce at a time.
