In This Issue
News and Events
National Birth Defects
Facebook Friends
Moms Connect
Quick Links

 
News and Events
2013 was a great year for Mothers' Milk Bank of North Texas! Here's a look at the year in numbers:

5: number of new depots (opened in 2013)
30: number of depots (total)
85: number of hospitals served this year
194: number of nursing babies at this year's Family Expo &
Big Latch On
671: number of approved donors
33,784: number of miles driven in MMBNT's van
414,618: number of ounces dispensed to babies in need


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Greetings!

 

Happy New Year! Each New Year brings us a new set of resolutions and changes we want to make within ourselves. If your resolution includes helping others, please consider becoming a milk or financial donor to Mothers' Milk Bank of North Texas. As a non-profit milk bank, all funds are used to better MMBNT. Milk donors are always needed and appreciated as we try to keep up with the increasing demand for pasteurized breast milk. Please pass this month's e-newsletter on to a friend and help spread the word about MMBNT!
 
Thank you for your support,
Amy
National Birth Defects Prevention Month
Did you know January is National Birth Defects Prevention Month?
 
According to the National Birth Defects Prevention Network, every 4.5 minutes a baby is born with a birth defect or 1 in every 33 babies. Babies who have birth defects are sometimes at a higher risk for developing lifelong physical, cognitive, or social challenges.
 
The risk for many types of birth defects can be reduced through healthy lifestyle choices and medical care before and during pregnancy. Such steps include maintaining a healthy lifestyle, knowledge of one's family health history and attending routine visits with a healthcare provider. Although these may seem like small actions to take, they can make a big difference in an infant's life.
Facebook Friends Share Photos

Each month we feature photos from our Facebook Friends. This month, we feature photos of adorable little ones helping their moms with dropping off or packing frozen milk.      

Want to be our Facebook friend? Click here to visit our Facebook Page and LIKE us today!  Thank you!!

Hannah Hamilton's son Knox is happy to share his milk with babies in need.
Yolis Ladron De Guevara's son helps with a drop off at our Richardson depot

Jennifer Briggs' baby knows exactly who to give her extra milk to! She's helping pack up a box to ship from Mississippi!

 

Moms Connect
Anna Brissman
North Texas

My son, Alexander, was a big eater from birth. We had latch issues and used a nipple shield while we worked through them. I would pump if needed. When he was 10 weeks old, we discovered that Alexander had a milk protein allergy. My doctor recommended I cut out all dairy, but continue to breastfeed. I had a freezer full of milk from the first few months of his life that I couldn't use. I knew how precious the extra milk was and the thought of it going to waste crushed me. Someone must need it. It may not have been good for Alexander, but it was good for other babies who could tolerate the milk protein.

After finding Mothers' Milk Bank of North Texas through an Internet search and going through the donor process, I began to drop off my milk at Baylor Regional Medical Center in Grapevine. As Alexander started to love solids, I continued to pump to manage my supply and continued to provide MMBNT with dairy-free milk. I breastfed Alexander until he was 19 months old. Towards the end of our breastfeeding relationship, he really started to enjoy the visits to drop off the milk. He loved to fill the cooler and ride in the elevator. He also enjoyed looking at the babies in the nursery. Alexander really seemed to understand that we were giving away something good at the end.

Just recently, Alexander was learning about the letter M at preschool. When asked what started with the letter M, he held out his shirt to resemble breasts and shouted, "Milk! Mama's milk!" He is already an advocate for breastfeeding!

Anna's Breastfeeding Advice:
Every baby is different. Don't beat yourself up over what babies are supposed to do and what your baby does. Meet your baby where they are. Give yourself credit for what you and your baby are doing instead of what you think you should be doing.