Breast milk is liquid gold! Truly the most complete food, it can’t be replicated. While some big biotech companies are attempting to imitate it, the milk mothers make is literally the most nutritious food available.
Lactating mothers with excess breast milk (more milk than their babies can consume) can provide an amazing gift for families who aren’t able to produce their own or have a very limited supply. I’ve helped many mothers donate milk, and they ALL said they felt like they were giving the most precious gift possible—not from a registry but directly from themselves. If a baby is thriving from the breast milk they are fed, why wouldn’t those with excess want to share that gift with others?
Mothers who have lost a child and yet still choose to pump and donate their breast milk are angels—the levels of grief and healing are immense in this situation. I have sat with many mothers in this scenario and have seen how palliative it can be for them to honor the life of their child while helping another family.
Know a breast cancer survivor? As a survivor myself, I have found the emotional scars weigh heavier on my soul than the physical scars. Both fade with time, but I’ve never felt compelled to have children, so I didn’t feel the loss of not being able to breastfeed. I do remember—days after surgery when my new boobs were rock hard, so swollen and painful—I told my mom, “Wow, this must be what engorgement feels like.” It was a strange thought, but I felt like I could relate. For women who lose their breasts and are not able to produce milk, breast milk sharing can make a huge difference in those early parenting days.
But milk sharing isn’t just about feeding babies—it’s about building community! Are you new to this whole parenting thing? Do you live far from your mom, aunties, sisters and feel alone in this? The old adage of “it takes a village to raise a child” only scratches the surface—we believe it takes a village to raise the village! Can you imagine meeting another parent within miles of your home to exchange milk and forming a new friendship? Community sharing and community building is at the heart of what we do at Share the Drop. We want families to have access to breast milk in their neighborhoods, but also, we want to build squads of parents who can continue to support each other as their children grow.
And guess what? It’s FREE! Yep, free. Like all other things, infant formula is expensive, and right now it can be very difficult to find. With empty shelves and rising prices on just about everything, what if you could feed your baby this liquid gold for FREE! That’s the goal of Share the Drop.