Elizabeth Miri | The Monarch Ranger
Images of Dee Tran's son Oscar of before and after receiving breast milk donations. Image Credit: @btswithdee
During Covid, there were shortages of many different kinds of food, one of which was formula. This caused many mothers to panic about what to feed their children; but for one desperate mother, finding formula wasn’t even an option.
Dee Tran, a fashion e-commerce business woman, gave birth to a beautiful baby boy named Oscar. At first, everything was fine and Oscar was growing well. But with the stress of raising her three children and running her business, Dee decided to stop breastfeeding. She told Newsweek that “after giving birth through an emergency C-section, I soon found myself back at work after a few weeks of recovery. I tried so hard to breastfeed and pump in-between as everyone had recommended, however due to the operation and stress, I wasn't producing enough.”
Breast milk donations Image Credit: @btswithdee
After switching to formula when Oscar was 5 months old, something was terribly wrong. Oscar was breaking out in hives, vomiting, and coughing all the time. He was miserable on his first day with just formula. He was initially diagnosed with baby eczema, but later discovered to have a dairy allergy.
Dee said that “the regret of giving up breastfeeding him” hit her really hard and she felt helpless to care for her son. She tried everything to get her happy baby back. While she was telling other moms about her situation, one offered her a bottle of her own breast milk.
Dee commented that she “was hesitant at first, but I just wanted Oscar to feel full and happy again.” She “remember[ed] thinking that it’s so weird for him to be drinking someone else’s breast milk.”
“I remember I burst into tears when I saw my happy little baby again."
– Dee Tran @btswithdee
Like a miracle, the borrowed breast milk worked wonders. Dee was overjoyed to see that her son was back to normal. She said that “I remember I burst into tears when I saw my happy little baby again.
I became determined to try and find him milk whilst looking for a longer-term alternative.” So she took to social media, posting about her dilemma. Within hours, she said she “was flooded with messages from moms offering to help." Mothers all across Sydney, Australia were offering their own breast milk to her. She chronicled all the generous donations by fellow mothers, and sometimes received up to 40 bags a day.
Her message to other mothers that might have similar situations is that “you're not less of a mom just because you couldn't make your own milk to feed your baby and it's okay to get help." She believes that "at the end of the day, all babies deserve to be healthy and happy."
If you or someone you know struggles with the same problems as Dee Tran, here are some links to breast milk banks.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND LEARN MORE
A special thanks to @btswithdee for sharing her experience on Instagram. Her inspiring story is sure to help other mothers like her get the help they need.
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