A woman in America has donated 4,800 pints of breastmilk to families who can’t produce enough breastmilk for their babies.
Elisabeth Anderson-Sierra, from Oregon, has Hyperlactation Syndrome which that means that she produces 1.75 gallons of milk every day. Just to put that into context, it’s around 10 times the average amount.
According to The Sun, Elisabeth’s daughter Sophia, who is 6 months old, only needs 20oz a day. Elizabeth spends up to ten hours a day expressing the extra milk that Sophia doesn’t need to give to others.
She stores her breastmilk in special freezer bags, with labels in four giant freezers in her home. She says that she has donated over 4,800 pints of milk since her first daughter was born two and a half years ago.
Speaking about her donation, Elisabeth said:
“I realised I was an over-producer when I was pregnant with my first child, but when I had my second baby my supply ramped up.
Now Sophia is six months old I pump five times a day – as soon as I wake up, after breakfast, after lunch, after dinner and again at midnight.
I produce up to five pints of milk during my first pump alone.”
She added:
“In total I will spend around five hours a day just pumping and then with storing, labelling, sterilising etcetera, I easily spent eight to ten hours.
Pumping is not fun – it is uncomfortable and it hurts – but it is my labour of love.
I’ve not had a day off in two and a half years. It’s more than a full-time job.
It is instant gratification when I donate locally because I see the babies and I see them thriving.”
We recently wrote about the milk banks in Ireland who provide breast milk for over 900 babies each year.
If you want to donate breast milk, you can ring the Milk Bank on (048) 686 28333 and staff will guide you through the donation process.
