PAXbaby
Milk sharing aka wet nursing or cross-nursing is really common among my group of friends! Many of us have nursed each other’s babies, toddlers, and kids out of necessity or even just to boost our little ones’ immune strength! It’s a truly wonderful way to bond with your most cherished friends; my kids now have milk siblings. Their milk mamas have shared the bond of physical closeness as well as the antibodies that comes from one’s own milk. I can’t think of a more perfect way to show love as a mommy friend!

It’s sad but true that for many years, I felt tethered to my babies who were each exclusively breastfeed for almost 12 months. Until I found my community here in Southern California, I couldn’t physically leave my children without a back up feeding source but once I found my village, I allowed myself to leave my young baby in the care of dear friends who would breastfeed her as needed. My plight of not bottle training and yet desperately needing to go on a date with my husband was solved with one simple statement. “Please feed her when she seems hungry!” Suddenly, our options widened, and PAXdaddy and I have enjoyed quite a few dates since the birth of our daughter in 2013 by leaving she and our 6 older children with friends as well as having provided childcare for other friends wanting to escape the clutches of their little milk monster for a few hours!
paxbaby

paxbaby

I myself have been able to feed many of my friends’ babies for a plethora of reasons! I was very proud to put my lactating breasts to work one night when I was a doula at a friend’s birth. She had a trauma shortly after delivering her baby so I nursed her newborn through the night while also taking care of my own sweet 5 month old baby. The next morning I put out a call for help, and an army of mutual friends arrived to help with the new baby and also to keep baby’s tummy full of 100% breastmilk! I still marvel at that amazing week and how a group of women could come together to keep one little baby well nourished, clean, comforted while her mommy was under the weather.
paxbaby

paxbaby
At 32 months old, my daughter, Cate, was still breastfeeding and enjoying the mommy cuddles that it’s hard to find in a large busy family! When our 8th baby, Blaise, was born at just 15 weeks, my milk dried up leaving Cate high and dry. Luckily for her, an entire herd of lactating friends came during the month of May to care for me, my husband, and my children as I recovered from the loss of our beloved baby. She nursed from several mothers over the course of the month and now refers to one of our closest friends as “Mama Milk.” I am so grateful to each and every friend who offered to breastfeed my sweet girl. It means so much to me and made the transition to being a non-lactating mother much easier and less emotional.

 paxbaby

paxbaby
At PAXretreat last week, PAXfriend Evonne had a little snuggle time with #toddlerCate. My lovie was over the moon with the fresh milk, and Evonne was happy to fill her little tummy with liquid gold. I cannot wait to have another baby, have my milk come in, and be able to feed someone else’s baby straight from the tap!
paxbaby
paxbaby

paxbaby

*happy breastfeeding*

The post Milk sharing aka wetnursing appeared first on PAXbaby.

PAXbaby.com

Will you be attending MILK: An Infant Feeding Conference???

Don’t forget to come find us and say HI!!! Look for the RAINBOW umbrella!!!

https://www.facebook.com/events/521804194635649/

Which speaker are YOU most looking forward to hearing from??

http://mommy-con.com/event/details/milk/

If you will be pumping at the event, and will not have your own baby there, Baby Sailor  and her mommy will be in attendance and accepting milky donations!! Read more about Baby Sailor here: http://paxbaby.com/milk-for-sailor/

Hope to see you there!!
paxbaby
*happy babywearing*
paxbaby

The post PAXbaby at MILK appeared first on PAXbaby.

PAxbaby.com
PAXbaby.comMilk for Sailor

“Sailor Avonlea was born via emergency c-section on June 13th in Las Vegas, addicted to and withdrawing from the effects of a pregnancy filled with heavy methenphetamine use, homelessness, and mental illness. After a 13 day long fight between the hospital at which she was delivered, Child Protective Services, and a large team of adoption professionals and lawyers, we were finally granted the right to adopt her and bring her home to California! We are the adoptive parents of her 18 month old full biological sibling, Lachlan, who was also born addicted to and withdrawing from meth, and while we were not anticipating adoption again so soon, when the opportunity was placed in our laps, we could not say no to another little love who would otherwise be lost to the foster system.

We have two older biological daughters whom I breastfed well into their first year; I was actually such an overproducer that I ended up donating several thousand ounces of breastmilk to a local milk bank over a period of several years. When we decided to adopt initially, I knew immediately that I wanted to feed our new baby with donor milk, as I fully believe in its amazing powers to heal the damage inflicted on a newborns tiny body and brain. When I initially approached the milk bank that I had so lovingly handed thousands of ounces of breastmilk to years prior, I found out quickly that I’d have to be made of money in order to afford their “non profit” price of $3 an ounce for breastmilk! Not satisfied with this answer, I turned to the internet, and quickly found “Human Milk 4 Human Babies” as well as “Eats and Feets.” Through both of these peer to peer sharing forums, we were able to provide breastmilk to our son for 13 months! Despite being born a drug addicted baby, he is now 100% free of health issues and is developmentally completely typical, things that I believe the power of breastmilk has made possible.

We hope to provide these benefits for our Sailor as well, especially given the abuse she suffered at the hands of so called medical professionals; for the first fourteen days of her life, she was fed formula, left in a plastic bassinet, and only held every 3 hours to be fed and changed. If she cried for milk before those 3 hours were up, she was left to cry, alone and hungry until her scheduled feeding time came along. No one was allowed to see her or even touch her for 14 days,  and when she finally was allowed to leave the hospital, she weighed a full pound less than when she was born. Our sweet girl has had a very hard time transitioning due to her drug dependency, but she IS gaining weight quickly and eating like a champ on all the milk donated by friends. Our freezer supply is quickly diminishing however, and we are feeling desperate to provide her with the nourishment she needs to heal and grow. We have witnessed firsthand the power of breastmilk to heal the damage that drug addiction, lack of prenatal care, and dangerous maternal behavior can have on a baby, and we desperately want our daughter to be the recipient of as much of this liquid life that she can.”

– Robert and Kirstin
paxbaby

Please consider milk sharing with Sailor in any way possible! Her family lives in the Bay area but has set up milk drop off points in Southern California as well! Email Kirstin to set up a donation at milkforsailor@icloud.com, and thank you for keeping this amazing family in your prayers! Much love from the PAXmommies <3
paxbaby
*happy babywearing*
paxbaby

The post Milk for Sailor appeared first on PAXbaby.

PAXbaby.com

The PAXmommies are BIG supporters of milk sharing and donation.

If you are able to pump extra milk or directly nurse another baby, please consider milk sharing or cross nursing, to help boost another baby’s immune system with the amazing benefits of human milk.

Whether you’re a mom to a baby in need of donor milk, or a mama who can share the milky love,http://hm4hb.net/ is a great place to start!

Baby Bella is receiving donor milk from a variety of breastfeeding mamas and PAXmommy Jillian was her fourth milk sharing mama “from the tap!”

paxbaby

*happy babywearing*

paxbaby

The post Milksharing appeared first on PAXbaby.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy PAXbaby.com FREE FRIDAY!!!

This week is sponsored by Bellies to Bloom:
Are you struggling to make enough milk? Are you exclusively pumping, or donating?? Is your babe or toddler going through a growth spurt?

Give those boobies the extra little BOOST they have needed!!!

This herb blend can give you let down by the NEXT feeding!

Try these magic milk pills and make your baby so happy ( . ) ( . )
PAXmommy Jillian approved!

paxbaby
http://shop.paxbaby.com/from-bellies-to-babies/

paxbaby

This giveaway is free for any of our US PAXfriends!! International PAXfriends are encouraged to enter, but will be responsible for shipping fees :). The winner will be emailed once the drawing comes to an end on Friday, April 10th, 2015!!

Good luck and *happy babywearing*

The post Free FRIDAY with PAXbaby.com & Bellies to Babies appeared first on PAXbaby.

PAXbaby.com

Happy World Breastfeeding Week!!!!

Breastfeeding is not always easy. For something that one would assume would be so natural, the act often has so many struggles, struggles that even the most seasoned mother can be unprepared for. With each new baby, breastfeeding is a journey to be learned over again, that is why it is so important to have a support system in place.

Are the people in your life supportive of breastfeeding?

Do you have a group of supportive friends??

How long have you been breastfeeding?

If you have questions, or concerns you can always email the PAXmommies at help@PAXbaby.com, or find a lactation consultant in your area.

paxbaby

paxbaby

paxbaby

paxbaby

paxbaby

*happy babywearing*

paxbaby

The post World Breastfeeding Week appeared first on PAXbaby.

Paxbaby.com

This small amount of milk can make all the difference for a baby whose mother cannot exclusively breastfeed.

If you have an oversupply or are holding on to a “freezer stash”, please consider donating!

When PAXmommy Brianna fell seriously ill and required emergency breast surgery in June, her Baby #2 continued to be fed exclusively on breast milk thanks to generous donors!!!

PAXmommy Brianna:
I can’t even begin to express my gratitude for the mothers who have been pumping for us and who have directly nursed my baby these past 2 months during my illness, surgery, and recovery. The photo above shows the amount of donated milk my daughter is currently drinking in about 3 days, and each time I open the freezer and thaw a bag, my heart swells. It’s truly an amazing gift.

If you have milk to offer, or are in need of donated milk, these community milk sharing organizations help connect mothers (safely) :

https://www.facebook.com/hm4hb
&
https://www.facebook.com/EatsOnFeetsHome

Breast milk is considered liquid gold, and to those mamas relying on milk donations , every drop really does seem like gold.

Some mamas struggle so much, while others seem to be blessed with an overabundance. Please consider opening your heart, and freezer to help other mamas in need.

Paxbaby.com

*happy milk sharing AND babywearing*

paxbaby.com

The post PAXbaby.com and Milk Sharing appeared first on PAXbaby.