Mother of two, Jennifer, is committed to helping other preterm babies too

“I'm a single parent of two boys, Cameron, 5 and Jaxson, 1 and 1/2. During the week, I work full-time to support my family. On weekends, I do household tasks and fun activities with my boys. When I have spare time, my hobbies are writing poems and short stories as well as fitness. Right now, being a present parent for my boys is my priority. They grow up so fast, and I don't want to miss a beat!

I was diagnosed with placenta previa early in my pregnancy with Jaxson and was rushed to the hospital at 29 weeks with bleeding. After one week in the hospital, I began to hemorrhage. Jaxson was born at 30 weeks and 3 days gestation, weighing 2 lbs 13 oz.

Not knowing if he would survive each night was terrifying. Being surrounded by other NICU mommies helped me so much during that time and seeing all those babies, fighting for their lives, really touched my heart. After spending 2 months in the NICU, Jaxson was discharged, weighing 5 lbs 7 oz. The graduation was so emotional. All his NICU nurses sang a goodbye song to us, which made me cry! If you were to meet Jaxson today, you would never believe he was a premature baby. He is strong, loud, and fearless! He's my little daredevil, always so happy and smiling.

When Jaxson was in the NICU, I had a large oversupply of breastmilk and was struggling with storage. That’s when a lactation specialist from the NICU told me about Tiny Treasures. She explained to me how mommies get to donate breast milk to help preemie babies, and I contacted the milk bank immediately. Nineteen months later, here I am, still going strong! I surpassed my initial one-year goal, so I'm taking donation day by day. I'll continue as long as my body allows me to or as long as Jaxson wants to nurse - which, at this rate, will probably be until he's 5 years old!

Knowing that my lactation journey isn't just about nourishing my son but also helping other babies who need it the most encourages me to continue. Also, as a single parent and sole provider for my two kids, the compensation from donation helps us tremendously.

My advice to other NICU parents: Stay positive, take things one day at a time, and believe that everything happens for a reason. Even at such a tiny size, babies are truly resilient.

My advice to other donors: Don't be hard on yourself. Take all the precautions to keep your pumping materials clean and just go with the flow. Your babies and your family need you first.”

* Any views, opinions, findings, assertions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are solely those of the individual. The content is provided for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice.