I was over the moon when I found out I was expecting again—9 years after my youngest. Starting a new breastfeeding journey felt exciting, even knowing the challenges we face as breastfeeding mothers. I’m a teacher, and my husband is active duty Air Force, so our lives are always busy. When baby Lydia was just 4 months old, we got matched with an overseas spot, and soon we’ll be moving to Germany as she turns 11 months.
As any breastfeeding mom knows, building up a freezer stash takes a lot of time and effort. I had worked hard to create mine and was proud of what I had saved. But when I realized we’d be moving, I started to worry. How was I going to take it all overseas?
Like many military families, we faced the challenge of figuring out what to do with our freezer stash when moving long distances. Freeze-drying my milk was expensive, shipping it overseas was costly, and traveling with all of it while keeping it frozen seemed nearly impossible. As I stressed about the options, I stumbled upon a flyer for milk donation. It was a lightbulb moment—I realized that donating was a great solution!
Mothers’ Milk Bank California made the donation process incredibly easy, even during our hectic move. I was able to donate a large part of my freezer stash, knowing that I could take a small amount with me and build up more once we’re settled in Germany. In the end, we donated 900 ounces of milk that will go to critically ill babies in need!
Being a mom has its challenges, and we all know how important it is to support each other. Donating my milk was one way I could give back to other moms and babies, and I’m grateful to Mothers’ Milk Bank for making this part of our move feel so positive. I also want to thank my husband, parents, and older kids for helping me organize and ship the milk—they provided drinks, snacks, and encouragement when I needed it most!
If you’re a military family and have a freezer stash you’re not sure what to do with, consider donating. It’s a wonderful way to share the love and support babies who need it most.
– Miranda, A Grateful Donor