Tyla

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Not now
OK
Advert
Advert
Advert

Mother Who Posted Plea For Breast Milk Is Overwhelmed When Women Donate 200 Bags Of Their Own Milk

Lauren Bell

Published 
| Last updated 

Mother Who Posted Plea For Breast Milk Is Overwhelmed When Women Donate 200 Bags Of Their Own Milk

Featured Image Credit: SWNS

Breastfeeding has always been a source of contention for new mums, with arguments of 'breast is best' coming up against those who feel they should have the right to choose not to without being made to feel guilty.

Marcy Morgan, a mum firmly in the former camp, was devastated when she realised she could no longer breastfeed her baby daughter Savannah.

Loading…

So she sent out a plea on Facebook for breast milk and was overwhelmed when six women donated 200 bags of their own milk.

Advert

Marcy, 29, from Nebraska, USA, was prescribed medication for an eye condition, preventing her from breastfeeding, so she turned to Facebook to ask for milk within her network of friends.

She wrote on her status: "I am looking for any of you who might have an oversupply of frozen breast milk or know of someone trustworthy who has extra milk.

"I know I can go for donor milk but I would feel so much more comfortable if I knew the mom who produced it."

She added: "Her getting breast milk is so important to me. It's all I know. I'm so heartbroken that I have to stop nursing her. Between all three of my kids I can say I've breastfed for 35 months and it's something I'm so proud of."

Advert
Credit: SWNS
Credit: SWNS

Marcy, married to Matthew, 32, a grounds maintenance manager, was astonished when five friends who were nursing reached out and offered their milk for little Savannah.

Jill Eggert, 28, DeAnne Green, 27, Lavonne Burgess, 25, Megan Samland, 26, and Jordan Stockwell, 30, were quick to offer ounces of their own milk.

Later Brittney McCarthy, 27, who met Marcy when they were on the same cheerleading squad in school, also pitched in and donated a whopping 500 ounces.

Advert

Marcy knew Brittany, Megan, Jill and DeAnne from high school and knew Lavonne through mutual friends, while Jordan was a nurse at Marcy's children's paediatric clinic.

Marcy said: "I was overwhelmed that these women I had gone to school with came through for me.

"Some of them I hadn't talked to for a while, it was amazing.

"Jill delivered the first batch, she bought bags upon bags to my car.

Advert

"I was floored by how much milk these moms gave me."[sic]

Credit: SWNS
Credit: SWNS

Marcy estimated that she received a staggering 1500 ounces in donated milk thanks to her very own milk maids.

We hope Savannah was hungry!

Advert

The mum-of-two was so grateful, as she had been determined to breastfeed her tot, just like she had done with her other children.

She said: "I breastfed my eldest for 17 months and my second daughter for 14 months.

"I planned to do the same with Savannah.

"I am very passionate about breastfeeding.

"I just know that breast milk is the best thing I can give my baby because my body made it.

"It also creates a bond you can't really describe."

Credit; SWNS
Credit; SWNS

But in July, Marcy began to experience blurred vision.

"I thought it was just hormones after the pregnancy and the delivery," she said. "But it got worse. It felt like I was looking out of a glass bubble. When I was driving, straight lines appeared curved."

She visited an ophthalmologist who informed her that a blood vessel was growing near the macular (part of the retina) of her left eye.

Marcy would need an injection into her eye to prevent the growth of the blood vessel but doctors told her that she should stop breastfeeding in case the medication affected her milk.

"I broke down, I was devastated," Marcy said.

"I remember sitting in my living room and writing out the Facebook status.

"I knew that formula was an option but breast milk is best for the first six months of life.

Quickly the six mums were offering to donate milk to Marcy.

Credit: SWNS
Credit: SWNS

DeAnne confessed that her heart "ached" when she read the Facebook plea.

She said: "In today's society, mothers are under so much pressure to be the 'perfect mom'. [sic]

"I am so proud of Marcy that she reached out and asked for help and was so vulnerable."

DeAnne admitted she did hesitate about donating her milk but soon thought of little Savannah.

She said: "I thought: 'what if I get sick or I lose my supply?'

"I would need that frozen 'liquid gold'.

"But if I was in Marcy's situation, I would want nothing more than to know that my baby was getting safe milk from a loving mother who I actually know."

DeAnne added that she takes pride in knowing her milk fed little Savannah.

"Every little chubby roll or dimple I see on that sweet girl, I smile knowing that I helped put it there," she said.

Credit: SWNS
Credit: SWNS

Brittney also hesitated about giving up her breast milk but felt compelled to donate when she read Marcy's emotional Facebook post.

She said: "I gathered it all up and realized I had over 500 ounces.

"I can't even count the amount of time pumping that took to accumulate.

"Because it is a lot of work and because it's something so priceless, I had a hard time letting it go.

"It wasn't easy for me. It was emotional.

"When she came to pick it up, Savannah was sleeping peacefully in the back of her car and I was loading it into coolers.

"Seeing a baby that you get to help is indescribable."

Talk about milk maids to the rescue.

Credit: SWNS
Credit: SWNS

Wondering whether giving your child another person's milk is safe? We've reached out to a health expert to check.

Dr Daniel Atkinson, Clinical Lead at Treated.com said: "Wet nursing has been around for centuries and for most women and babies it is probably not harmful.

"There are risks though, such as viruses including hepatitis and HIV, which can be passed on through breastmilk, so you'd need to be 100 per cent confident in your 'donor' before using their milk.

"The other thing to be careful of if using another person's breast milk is that if frozen, it must be defrosted slowly over 24 hours in the fridge and used within 24 hours and it cannot be re-frozen.

"So you need to make sure the person handing over the milk has stored and cared for it correctly."

He added: "The breast milk provided ideally needs to be from a mum who has a baby of the same age as yours too.

"As you continue breastfeeding throughout your child's development, the milk will change over time to provide your child with the nutrients it needs - so if there is an age gap between the children, it's probably not the best option.

"To eliminate risk altogether, I suggest switching to formula as a better alternative than using another's breast milk."

So it's each to their own, but armed with the facts you can make the right choice for you.

Topics: Breastfeeding, Real, Life, Real Life

Lauren Bell
More like this
Advert
Advert
Advert

Chosen for YouChosen for You

Entertainment

Rihanna shares plans for baby number three with A$AP Rocky

9 hours ago

Most Read StoriesMost Read

Rebel Wilson opens up on losing her virginity at age 35 as she says others 'shouldn’t feel pressured'

16 hours ago