GRIEF RESOURCES
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Resources for the grieving MoTherMATERNITY LEAVE WITH NO BABY
When I returned home from the hospital, some of the immediate shock of this trauma began to fade, but my body was a constant reminder of my loss. My milk came in quickly since Charlotte was my third child. It was gut wrenching to know that every drop should have been a drop that I fed my baby girl. I didn't want to express the milk because I didn't want to encourage more to come in, but I was scared of causing mastitis if I did nothing. After several days, it got so sore that I reached out to my doctor, friends who were weaning their babies, and countless online articles about drying up milk. Here are the solutions that worked best for me:
OTHER OPTIONS Some mothers choose not to dry up their milk, but rather to pump and donate it instead. It can be a generous gift that honors your baby by feeding another baby in need. If this interests you, you can find out more on the site for Human Milk Banking Association of Northern America. This is the non-profit organization that provides breast milk to babies in need (due to prematurity, formula intolerance, adoption, etc.). This is the only source of donated breast milk that many hospitals will agree to use as it is pasteurized, lab tested, and kept adequately frozen. |