Read a neat excerpt from Nina Planck's new book, where she tells about the heart-wrenching, yet beautiful story of Deidre Currie and more about donating breast milk…
In the early nursing weeks, I often thought of my cesarean. I was haunted by mothers who come home from the hospital with milk but no baby to drink it, and by babies who come home with no mother. It still happens. With plenty of milk on my shirt and time on my hands, I considered finding a local baby who needed milk and offering to share, but never did anything about it.
More than a year later, I learned about Deidre Currie, a New Zealander and champion of real food. After a quick and sure romance over real food, she married the American Archie Welch, settled in Michigan, started earning her nutrition degree, and with characteristic zeal planned a real food conference. Within months of the honeymoon, Deidre, thirty-eight, was pregnant and eating better than ever. The happy couple was planning a home birth, but instead Deidre ended up in the emergency room with a pulmonary embolism and the baby in distress. Though failing fast, she willed herself to hold on long enough to give birth to Jack, who weighed more than six pounds despite being six weeks early. Archie told me what happened next.
“The word went out to mothers and they started pumping for him. His first meal in the hospital was breast milk from a mother who drove an hour and a half. She dropped off the milk, gave us all hugs, and left. She wouldn’t accept any money for gas or anything. She said she was honored to help. All the mothers have been screened for diet, supplements, and drugs. About nine mothers consistently donate. I’m sure he’s getting the advantage of a lot of different antibodies. As his appetite increases and some mums drop out, I’ve been adding raw cow milk. For a preemie, he is big. At four months, he is seventeen pounds and over two feet long. And happy. Jack is not a fussy child. Very calm, smiles a lot – but lets me know when he’s hungry.”
Deidre never saw or held her son. But she left him a legacy to last his entire life. In Jack’s short life, many mothers have already cared for him. By way of thanks, Archie shares food with the nursing mothers. “I figure if the mothers are getting good fats and nutrients from healthy raw cow’s milk, they will pass on those good things to Jack and to their own child. I also give them cod liver oil, coconut oil, meat, books, and my undying gratitude,” he said. “What I do for them pales in comparison for what they do for Jack.”
Nina’s book went on sale yesterday, and you can buy it here:
Real Food for Mother and Baby: The Fertility Diet, Eating for Two, and Baby's First Foods
I was blessed to have met Archie, baby Jack, and a few members of Deidre's family at the Deidre Currie Festival last fall. Read more about that amazing day and find the links to my notes on the talks: the Deidre Currie Festival.
- Check out Nina’s website
Kelly says
I never knew there was such a network out there of Moms helping Moms (or helping babies without Moms), so that more babies can have the benefits of breast milk! At first it might take you back a bit…just because we’re not used to hearing about it. But then you realize how neat it really is.
I also think this is a good option for Moms unable to nurse:
https://www.westonaprice.org/children/recipes.html
Steph says
I didn’t realize their story was in the book. I heard about Archie, Deidre, and baby Jack through my raw milk share just a month after my own son was born. I started pumping for him when I discovered I was having milk supply issues of my own and ended up having to accept donor milk from other moms instead of being able to donate myself. We still have the coconut oil and CLO Archie gave us. He wouldn’t take it back!
Fortunately, after giving donor milk through a supplemental nursing system for about 4 months, my son started solid foods and I was able to supply his milk needs myself. At 15 months old, he’s still nursing many times a day (he’s at the breast as I type this, in fact).
I hope against hope that next time I will not only be able to nourish my own baby on my milk alone, but that I will be able to pump and donate milk for babies like Jack and my son who need it.
Steph
Kimi @ The Nourishing Gourmet says
So sad. But it’s been wonderful to hear how people have rallied to help out!
Kimi @ The Nourishing Gourmet
Jenny @ Nourished Kitchen says
That story always haunts me – it gives me chills.
During the months after my son’s birth, I donated several gallons of breast milk to our milk bank. The restrictions were very heavy, and of course they pasteurize the milk, but it was so worth it to know that my milk not only nourished my son, but also babies who were not so fortunate as to receive milk from their own mothers. I’d do it again in a heartbeat despite the extra time pumping, the hassle shipping and the restrictions regarding the medicines and herbs I could and could not ingest.
Every baby deserves breast milk. I really and sincerely wish milk sharing were more prevalent.
Jenny @ Nourished Kitchen