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Hi, I have a preemie born at 28 weeks. She had to be delivered due to my sudden severe preecclampsia. From the beginning I have been pumping breastmilk. The doctors made sure all meds I was on (for the elevated BP) were safe. I also had to be on a few antibiotics for an infection in my c-section site. all meds safe, baby kept on breast milk. Now that we're home and even in the NICU, she was put on a thickener that's added to the breastmilk. When I've tried to nurse, she spits amazingly large amounts of milk. I think it's because I produce more than she is used to drinking, the milk is thinner than she's used to and probably comes out faster. She is happy as can be while nursing and then spit! It's really a huge bit more than her normal spits. So, I've taken to just pumping, using the thickener and feeding her with a bottle. We both stay much drier! Here's the question - what do I do with all my breastmilk?? We bought a small chest freezer (7.5 cubic feet) that is full of breast milk. I've had to throw some out because I just don't have the room. I don't want to stop pumping just in case I were to lose my supply, but I hate throwing out breastmilk when I know there are mom's out there who can't produce enough. I'm still on some meds, but they are being weaned, it could still be a few months and who knows, I may have to stay on something for my BP. Any suggestions would be great! thanks so much for your help and willingness to answer all our questions. I know I've learned a lot just reading responses!! thanks again!
Dear Leisel,
First, congratulations on the birth of your daughter -- and for giving her your good breastmilk.
Don't worry about her spitting up. Usually the babies who spit a lot are the ones who are getting the most milk. Just watch for any projectile spitting (where it seems to erupt and come out in a straight line) -- if she does this, call your pediatrician.
On what to do with your excess pumped milk, you might try contacting the Human Milk Banking Association of North America. Website: www.hmbana.org and email: info@hmbana.org.
I hope you are dating the bottles of breastmilk that you store in your freezer, so that when you do throw out some, you throw out the oldest ones first.
Good luck!
Sally
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Sally Wendkos Olds
Author, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING: Olds & Marks, 4th edition, September 2010, published by Workman Publishing, and available in most public libraries, bookstores & La Leche League chapters.
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Sally Wendkos Olds
Expertise
What do you want to know about breastfeeding? I can tell you what`s good for the baby, what`s good for the mother -- and the father, how it`s related to a woman`s sexuality, how working moms can nurse, how to overcome obstacles, and lots more. As the author of THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING and author or coauthor of 8 other books and more than 200 articles about child and adult development, I can offer sound, sensible advice on breastfeeding, child care and family issues.
Experience
I nursed my 3 daughters and am the grandmother of 5 breastfed children. My book THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING (written in consultation with pediatrician Marvin S. Eiger, M.D.) was first published in 1972, and in 1999 came out in an updated 3rd Edition by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books. It is now a classic, with over 2 million copies in print. I am now revising this book for a fourth edition, consulting with pediatrician Laura M. Marks, M.D. This new edition will be published September 2009. I welcome any and all suggestions for the new edition. I coauthored college textbooks A CHILD'S WORLD: INFANCY THROUGH ADOLESCENCE, and HUMAN DEVELOPMENT; both are leading texts in their fields and have been read by 2 million students. I am the coauthor of HELPING YOUR CHILD FIND VALUES TO LIVE BY and RAISING A HYPERACTIVE CHILD, and author of THE WORKING PARENTS' SURVIVAL GUIDE & THE ETERNAL GARDEN: SEASONS OF OUR SEXUALITY. My newest book, A BALCONY IN NEPAL: GLIMPSES OF A HIMALAYAN VILLAGE, published in 2002, tells the story of the way of life in a remote village in Nepal, where all the women breastfeed! My book, SUPER GRANNY: COOL PROJECTS, ACTIVITIES, AND OTHER GREAT STUFF TO DO WITH YOUR GRANDKIDS, will be published March 2009. I speak often to professional, parent and general audiences and make many radio and TV appearances.
Credentials I received my B.A. in English Literature from the University of Pennsylvania, where I minored in Psychology, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude.
Other points of interest
I have received national awards for my writing, and am a former president of the American Society of Journalists & Authors. I am listed in the World Who's Who of Women, International Authors & Writers Who's Who, and Contemporary Authors, and am a member of several professional and civic organizations. I believe: that all parents are working parents; that parents employed outside the home need special support; that mothers' well-being is crucial to their children's welfare; and that the family is the best institution in the world and the one for which we are least prepared. My thrills come when parents or kids tell me they were helped by my writing or speaking or just understanding.
To find out more about me, go to
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