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Mom Donates 92 Gallons of Breast Milk in Honor of Stillborn Son.
In the middle of the second trimester, Amy Anderson, pregnant with her third child, found out that her unborn son, Bryson, had died in utero due to a lower urinary tract obstruction. Although she and her family understood that they would never know Bryson in a physical sense, after she delivered the unborn baby at 20 weeks gestation, her body responded as if she had given birth to a live child.
Anderson soon began lactating, and experiencing nearly unbearable pain from the arrival of what seemed like unnecessary breast milk. Despite her doctor’s suggestion, she did not want to ‘bind [her] breasts and take Sudafed’ to stop the natural lactation process. Instead, she “found comfort in expressing milk in [Bryson’s] name,” which she then used to help save and enhance the lives of countless babies.
After a bit of research, Anderson discovered that donor breast milk was in great demand, especially for prematurely born babies. Her milk in particular was rich in the necessary nutrients to help what her body registered as a premature baby grow, making it a huge asset to underweight and underdeveloped newborns.
The fact that the milk meant for her son was going to help other children in need gave Anderson a sense of purpose and helped transform her grief into gratitude.
“As I expressed the milk, a real sense of calm descended. I felt a powerful closeness to my Bryson, which reminded me how much I loved the breastfeeding relationship I had shared with my eldest son. Pumping milk in Bryson’s memory felt so very right.”
After eight months of pumping breast milk, Anderson had produced 92 gallons of milk.
“It absolutely saves lives,” said Anderson. “Bereaved lactating women can offer irreplaceable life-saving nutrients in honor of their precious angel babies.”
Anderson continues to help give a sense of life-bearing purpose to grieving mothers, actively urging postnatal professionals to suggest lactation after loss to their patients. She is also in the process of finishing her certification as a breastfeeding consultant.
Agencies/Canadajournal
