Advertisement

US woman donates nearly 350 litres of breast milk after son is stillborn

A woman in the US has made an incredibly kind gesture to help parents in need in the midst of her own heartbreak after losing her baby boy.

When Amy Anderson from Caribou, Maine, lost her third child Bryson, who was stillborn at 20 weeks, back in 2010, she was advised to bind her breast and take Sudafed to stop her body lactating.

However instead of following medical advice Ms Anderson, who lost her son due to a lower urinary tract obstruction, decided to donate Bryson’s milk and turn her tragedy into a blessing for others.

It was only a couple of days after delivering Bryson, that Ms Anderson began lactating.

Amy Anderson pumped 348 litres of breast milk over eight months. Source:Donating Through Grief: Bryson's Legacy.
Amy Anderson pumped 348 litres of breast milk over eight months. Source:Donating Through Grief: Bryson's Legacy.

"When it began, it was a cruel reminder that my baby was not here," she told Yahoo7.

"I was very surprised...I had specifically asked the doctor and nurses after Bryson was born about my milk production and was told the common misconception that I was not far enough into the pregnancy to lactate."

Ms Anderson noted that while she was not supposed to pump her breast milk, she was in horrid pain and decided to do so to relieve her body.

"Initially I tried to suppress the milk, but I was so engorged and pained that I finally decided to express a bit before mastitis began.

"With tears flowing on my cheeks and golden tears quickly filling the bottles, I felt a huge burden lifted."

Ms Anderson said that a sense of calm descended on her and noted that pumping milk in Bryson’s memory felt so very right.

Through research Ms Anderson learnt there was strong demand for donor breast milk, which can be used to lower the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a painful bowel disease that causes parts of the intestines to die, and the second-leading cause of death for premature babies in the US.

Amy Anderson, pictured with her husband and two children, was pregnant in 2010 when her son was stillborn. Source: Amy Anderson.
Amy Anderson, pictured with her husband and two children, was pregnant in 2010 when her son was stillborn. Source: Amy Anderson.

As Bryson was still born in the second trimester, Ms Anderson's 'preterm breast milk' was very nutrient rich and was consequently given to the high-needs babies.

Source:Donating Through Grief: Bryson's Legacy.
Source:Donating Through Grief: Bryson's Legacy.

Over eight months Ms Anderson pumped 348 litres of breast milk, which was donated to five milk banks in four US states and Canada and led to more than 30,000 feedings.

"Though it's not the best choice for everyone, it truly was the best decision that I have ever made as it helped to foster healing and gratitude in an otherwise dark and desolate time," Ms Anderson told Yahoo7.

"It gave meaning to my Bryson's life and helped others from feeling the unfathomable pain of baby loss."

However Ms Anderson’s brave and generous act was not appreciated by all, among her detractors was her former employer who decided that break rights for nursing mothers to express breast milk didn’t apply to her as her baby was dead.

Amy, pictured with her family wanted to turn her tragedy into a blessing. Source: Amy Anderson.
Amy, pictured with her family wanted to turn her tragedy into a blessing. Source: Amy Anderson.

Ms Anderson moved on from the workplace and has since been fighting for the rights of all lactating women.

"Bereaved and surrogate mothers are left unprotected by this law simply because our bodies continued to lactate though we did not have an infant at home to nourish, regardless of the lactating mother's own health," she told Yahoo7.

"Professionals need to know that lactation can happen even as early as with a second trimester loss.

"I am in the very beginning stages of eliciting support from my local legislators to amend this terminology."

Ms Anderson has been sharing her story through the Facebook page Donating Through Grief: Bryson's Legacy to bring support, education and advocacy to mothers faced with lactation following the devastation of baby loss.

She noted that the page had enabled her to connect with other mothers and families that had suffered similar losses and allowed her to advocate for a mother's rights to know about the option of donating through grief.

"I've shed tears reading beautiful stories of other bereaved mums completing acts in honour of their angels, shared in heartbreak for those mums regretting missed opportunities, and offered information and references to professionals seeking knowledge about this unique form of "organ donation".

Apart from this, she is currently volunteering at a local Mothers' Milk Band to raise awareness about breast milk donation.

"I'm teaching about breast milk donation, not only for bereaved mothers but for any mother with an excess supply. Donor milk is truly lifesaving!"

News break – December 7