The Incredible Journey of a Hyperlactation Syndrome Survivor

Over the last nine years, I estimate my total donation numbers to be over

350,000 ounces. I would not wish this condition on my worst enemy. It is not

fun. This is what I would pump in a day. It's a lot of milk. It's like the best

feeling ever and it lasts for only minutes before my body starts making

milk again. The milk bank I donated to, they specifically take donated breast

milk and create a breast milk product that is for preemies and micro preemies

So babies that have just reached that viability and something has happened

where they were born far too early. They don't thrive. They don't survive. So this

breast milk product is essentially a prescription. It is literally saving their lives. My body creates a lot of the hormone called prolactin and that is

what drives milk production. So in the morning all of my pump sessions are my

largest and usually when I start pumping you might be able to see that the milk

looks a little blue and this is what's called for milk. It's the milk that comes

out first. It's usually higher in sugar and then later during a pumping session

more of the hind milk will come out and that's the fattier portion of the milk

and I use a pitcher to mix all of the milk together so that it all has the

same nutrients, the same makeup. Hyperlactation syndrome is technically a disability and I feel like we had to adapt just as anyone else would with any

disability. First of all everything was new to me so everything was a learning

curve. Everything was a struggle. Everything was painful. It has not only

affected me but it has affected my family as well especially in the

beginning when we couldn't go anywhere, we couldn't do anything. I always had to

stick to this pump schedule but over the years and of course with the new

technology that I am involved in I have been able to regain a lot of that

freedom and I really try not to be held back. Will I ever stop? Yes. I don't think

that this is sustainable. I think that the physical toll, the mental toll over

time, it continues to stack up. I think right now my current goals are to make

sure that my son has enough breast milk and then from there I think the most

promising option for me would be to get a double mastectomy. I am really hopeful

that breaking this record and kind of sharing my story will normalize milk-sharing