Gail Dacayanan RD, Breastfeeding Advocate

February Breastmilk Donor Drive!
❤️❤️❤️

Give the gift of life! Donate your extra breast milk to benefit babies in need. 💝mothersmilk.org

I have edited out my IBCLC title but Facebook may take a few days to complete the edit. I was an IBCLC for 20 years! Although I did not recertify, I will remain a supportive advocate for breastfeeding.

Mothers' Milk Bank | Making Breast Milk Available to as Many Families as Possible! WELCOME TO MOTHERS' MILK BANK Mothers Milk Bank is Making Breast Milk Available to as Many Families as Possible! 01 become a donor 02 get milk 03 support 04 medical community 1887 Monterey Road, Suite 105-110, San Jose, CA 951121-877-375-6645

Attention San Joaquin county moms with breastmilk to donate: The Mothers’ Milk Bank will be at the Breastfeeding Celebration held at Delta Health Care, Saturday August 7!

Got donated breastmilk? The Mothers' Milk Bank San Jose will be here for our Breastfeeding Celebration collecting donate breastmilk.

Join us on Saturday, August 6 from 10am-1pm for our 11th Annual Breastfeeding Celebration. This free event is open to the community! For more info, visit www.breastfeedingcelebration.org

This is a great interview regarding breastmilk, breastfeeding and milk banks during this current formula shortage.
Please contact the Mothers’ Milk Bank of San Jose if you are local and want to help out and donate breastmilk. 1-877-375-6645
www.mothersmilk.org. 💕

Interest in breastfeeding has increased amid baby formula shortage A nationwide shortage has left parents scrambling to find baby formula.

Please share: Important information about the current formula recall.

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-warns-consumers-not-use-certain-powdered-infant-formula-produced-abbott-nutritions-facility

FDA Warns Consumers Not to Use Certain Powdered Infant Formula Produced in Abbott Nutrition’s Facility in Sturgis, Michigan The FDA is investigating consumer complaints of Cronobacter sakazakii infections and one consumer complaint of infection of Salmonella Newport potentially linke

Good news for breastfeeding moms and babies!

https://consumer.healthday.com/11-4-breastfeeding-by-moms-who-ve-had-covid-appears-to-help-protect-newborn-2655479897.html

Breastfeeding by Moms Who've Had COVID May Help Protect Newborn THURSDAY, Nov. 4, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Moms who had COVID-19 when they gave birth may help stimulate their infant's burgeoning immunity against the virus by breastfeeding, a small study hints.It's well known that breast milk contains certain maternal antibodies that can help protect infants from...

To summarize for pregnant and new moms—avoid going to formula websites for infant feeding information. They are not supportive of breastfeeding and give false information to unsuspecting mothers to discourage breastfeeding. Please be wary and wise.
La Leche League, or a breastfeeding friendly hospital and their breastfeeding services, a board certified Lactation Consultant or a local WIC office can offer truthful and helpful information and support of breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding is the bestfeeding!!!!💕

Infant formula websites overtly discourage breastfeeding An analysis of websites for baby formula manufacturers finds that their messages and images discourage breastfeeding while touting the benefits of formula, despite public health efforts to support breastfeeding and informed choice.

Beautiful! Baby’s perspective.💗

Do you know that feeling when you wake up in the middle of the night and it’s cold and your diaper feels heavy. And there are so many strange sounds all around you, and it’s dark and scary. And you get a hit in your head and it’s your hand that’s on its own adventure. And you can’t control it at all and it flings itself around and scratches your face and pulls at your hair. And your legs start kicking off the duvet, even though you’re cold as it is and you try to make it stop but they have their own will. And so you’re lying there completely helpless with flailing limbs that want to do everything, but none of the things you want.

And you can’t find mom. And you call for her and you find yourself feeling really scared. What if your beloved mom doesn’t come for you. You can’t imagine anything worse and you start to cry because you miss her so terribly. You have never felt as alone as this very moment.

And then she is suddenly there. Standing right by your bed and looking at you with worry and love. And she is the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen. And you grin up at her with happiness and relief. You don’t think you’ve ever felt as happy as this very moment.

And she picks you up and holds you close. And she smells like herself, and also a bit like you. Like milk and safety and love. And it’s the best smell in the whole entire world.

And she is warm and safe and soft and her hands caress you and she feeds you and hums your favourite tune. And you love her voice. You’ve known it far longer than you’ve really known her. It has lulled you to sleep and made you laugh and calmed you when you were distressed. It is the most beautiful voice in the whole entire world.

And you get to lie right up against her and you feel your entire body start to warm up again. And your still cold hand starts stroking her and moves up towards her neck and accidentally scratches her. Stupid uncontrollable hand. But mom doesn’t get angry. She takes your stupid hand in hers and it turns all warm again. And this is the best feeling in the world. Right here in mommy’s arms, with your hand in hers. Even the diaper doesn’t feel as horrible anymore.

And you feel your eyes getting heavy and you know that everything is okay now cause mommy is here. Your mom. Your wonderful, incredible mom who always looks after you. Night and day.
You look up at her one last time before you fall asleep. She looks tired and her eyes are closed, and yet she is still the most magnificent thing you know. How amazing that she wants to sit here with you in this moment. How amazing that she will always sit with you for a bit when you need her to.

You smile to yourself. How lucky you were that she became your mom. The most perfect mom anyone could have asked for.

You knew, even before you saw her, that she would be the best thing in the world.

Oh how you love her. Your mom.
❤️

~ The Mommy Poet (go show your appreciation on her page!)
Photo by Meghann Street Photography

Thank you to Vincent and his mommy for sharing their milk donation story! ❤️
Click on the adorable photo to read their story on instagram. 😊

“After the strange experience of going through pregnancy during a pandemic and having a son who has yet to meet anyone other than his parents and pediatrician, I was thrilled that breastfeeding worked well for us. Yet, a few weeks into our journey, I was dismayed to find that Vincent refused to drink milk that had been frozen. As his pediatrician kindly joked, Vincent has a “refined palate,” or simply put, he doesn’t like the taste of high lipase milk. Rather than wring my hands over the now unnecessary freezer stash that I had produced, I immediately thought of milk donation. Two years ago, when my twin nieces were born at 31 weeks, they received donor milk in the NICU. I remember how grateful my family was for the gift of milk donation and now, I want to pay it forward by donating my surplus milk to other families in need. Vincent and I plan to continue donating our excess milk as long we are able and we hope that our donation makes life a bit easier for others who are struggling during this difficult year.” _____ #milkwarrior #mothersmilkbanksj #mothersmilkbank #breastmilk #donatebreastmilk #breastfeeding #donate #liquidgold #savelives #donatenow #preemie #babies #nicu #thankful #nonprofit #wcw #breastisbest #goodcause #givingback #nonprofitorganization #lactation #supportbreastfeeding #normalizebreastfeeding #PowerOfHumanMilk #HumanMilkAsMedicine #DonorMilkSavesLives #WorldBreastfeeding #tbt #parents

Gail Dacayanan RD, Breastfeeding Advocate added a button to help you learn more about them.

This was a wonderful email I received today!! I am so honored to be a part of the more than 900 advocates who wrote letters supporting breastfeeding and women and children’s health. Our voices together continue to make a huge impact! ❤️

Email from the: USBC —United States Breastfeeding Committee

Gail,
Great news! Thanks to YOU, breastfeeding is prominently featured in the latest edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
You were one of more than 900 individuals who submitted public comments through the USBC online action tool—thank you!

The 2020-2025 edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends exclusive human milk feeding for about the first 6 months of life, with continued human milk feeding through at least the first year of life, and longer if desired.

——Just wonderful news!!