Happy World Milksharing Week everyone!!! In honor of this event, and to help spread the joy of donating and receiving breastmilk, I will be posting lots of Milksharing stories and articles from other blogs and news events..... everyday this whole week. This week, it's all about the breastmilk, baby!!!!!
Last Thursday I wrote about the father, Curtis, who was drinking his wife's frozen breastmilk in the Blog article "Breastmilk: It does a body good. Anybody!" Earlier in the day I had been contacted by journalist Andrea Gordon from the Toronto Star to talk about Curtis' breastmilk diet (You can read the STAR article HERE) and I told her pretty much exactly what I told you in the article, that I thought that their "experiment" was bringing to light the health benefits of breastmilk and shines a bright light on the fact that formula just doesn't measure up.
While Health Canada and all the pediatric societies chant the same Om of "Breast is best", we are still a culture that sees formula feeding as normal. We hear about the health benefits of breastmilk, yet rarely does the media really report on the reality of the risks of formula. We know that breastmilk is better for babies tummies, yet hospitals, doctors, nurses, and other health care providers still turn to formula as the answer to most breastfeeding problems, without really giving a serious thought to the effects of formula on immature stomachs.
Now suddenly, we have a grown man, with a history of all sorts of stomach ailments, drinking human breastmilk- ONLY human breastmilk. Three days in and his belly problems are gone. No more reflux, no more vomiting, no more bowel movement problems- not even diarrhea that several people said he'd have. Here's a grown human, with the ability to speak and reason, telling us how much better his digestive system is feeling.....
....Imagine the difference on a small infant? Incapable of speaking and explaining how their tummy hurts.
After I published the article I went back to check on the links (I'm a bit OCD about that, lol) and the link to Curtis and Katie's blog was dead: they had removed their blog completely. I spoke with Emma Kwasnica about their blog and the situation and was thrilled to know that Katie had contacted Emma to talk about donating some of the massive volume of breastmilk that they had stored in their freezer......
.....And in Honor of the first day of World Milksharing Week I thought you'd like an update on the story: Emma helped Katie find the perfect family in need: Quadruplet baby girls born last June!!!! Andrea Gordon has also spoken to Emma and Katie and the mother of the Quads and is writing another exclusive article about this match made in heaven tomorrow!!! I will edit to add a link to the article tomorrow morning.
*edited*
Here is the link to the Toronto Star Article about this wonderful milky match story: http://www.thestar.com/living/article/1059288--internet-nourishes-with-mother-s-milk
It's all about Breastmilk. It's all about sharing. It's all about community, and families coming together to support each other.
It's all GOOD!!!
