Even Food Allergic Children Deserve Breast Milk , Don't They?

by Lisa / Idaho. USA

My story of breast milk donation.

After my daughter Alexia was born in December of 2000, she nursed like a pro from the start. She gained weight beautifully, and was healthy as could be. The only challenge was, pesky eczema and mucous filled stools, I could not seem to get rid of. The doctors weren't much help to me at all. They said there was no way it could be anything I was eating. Even though it didn't help I put the cream on her that they suggested, and continued nursing her.

When Alexia was 3 months old I found the message boards at Breastfeeding.com. I felt like I immediately fit in. One day, I asked what other moms were doing for their child's eczema. Someone suggested that it might be food allergy related and that I should try to eliminate dairy from my diet.

Within 24 hours, Alexia's skin was almost clear for the first time since she was 3 weeks old! I was amazed and relieved! I continued on this elimination diet and even though Alexia still had some eczema, it was very mild in comparison.

When Alexia was 8 months old I heard someone on the message boards talk about breast milk donation. I looked into it and the closest place to me would not accept breast milk from out of state donors. As a result, I didn't donate my milk at that time.

My husband received orders (he is military) and we moved out of state when Alexia was 11 months old. There was a closer milk bank now, and I found out that they did accept donations from out of state donors, as long as the donor was dairy free. The baby also had to be under 12 months old. It was almost too late, so I didn't even try. I was now more determined to donate milk with my next baby.

Soon, we found out that the cause of Alexia's remaining eczema was due to even more factors in my diet! Peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, and egg! I had to eliminate it all, but it was worth it! She thrived and her eczema disappeared.

When Alexia was 3.5 years old, I became pregnant again, and I was still on a very strict elimination diet because Alexia was nursing once a day. I didn't want to sensitize my fetus to any of Alexia's allergens, so the elimination diet continued.

Alexia's new baby brother Evan was born in February of 2005. It was a wonderful water birth at home. Evan and I had a very rocky start to our breastfeeding experience, and I was exclusively pumping until he was able to nurse well.

He needed physical therapy and Cranial Sacral Therapy, also known as CST, in order to organize his suck. He nursed well for the first time when he was 13 days old!

I was able to pump more than 3 times what he was eating! I had a ton of precious colostrum, and I was completely dairy free! I called the milk bank and got started on the testing and paperwork in order to be able to donate my breast milk.

In the early months I was able to pump more than 20 ounces a day for donation. Towards the end of Evan's first year, I was pumping about 10 ounces a day for donation.

There were times I had to discard my milk-when I ate dairy to test to see if Evan would react to dairy, and when traveling I had no way to freeze and safely transport the milk home.

When I pumped for the last time on Evan's first birthday, I felt a huge sense of accomplishment! I had donated 4,530 ounces of peanut, tree nut, fish, shellfish, soy, egg, and dairy free milk for any allergic babies who may need it!

Babies who desperately needed breast milk, who couldn't tolerate it due to food allergies, were able to have what they needed because I had pumped and donated.   If you are a nursing mom who would like to donate milk, or a mom on a successful elimination diet, and you can pump well, I'd encourage you to make a call to your closest Mother's Milk Bank.

Ask about donation!

I can't tell you what the opportunity to help other babies has meant to me.

For more information on milk banking see:

www.nationalmilkbank.com