A mother of two from Aloha, Oregon, Elisabeth Anderson-Sierra, has set the record for the biggest breast milk donation made by a single person.
Between 20 February 2015 and 20 June 2018, Elisabeth gave 1,599.68 litres of breast milk, or the equivalent of 800 2-liter bottles of Coke, to a milk bank, according to the GWR its website.
She has provided local families and others throughout the world with more than 350,000 ounces, or 10,360 litres, of breast milk during the preceding nine years. She gives to a lot of people who have been classified as “failure to thrive.”
Her milk helped save the lives of preterm newborns and fed thousands of children.
Elisabeth made the amazing accomplishment because she suffers from hyperlactation syndrome, a disorder that causes breast milk to overflow due to increased milk production.
“My body creates a lot of the hormone called prolactin and that is what drives milk production. These are the things that I focus on. These are the positives and why I continue doing what I do,” said Elisabeth.
The mother of two is able to yield so much breast milk with the aid of breast pumps, even as she says the type of breast pump used makes all the difference in her output.
“When it comes to pumping, I call it ‘the dynamic duo’ – so have the correct flange size and have a powerhouse pump. Pairing the right flange size and flange type or cup type with a powerhouse pump is going to do amazing things for your output and your journey,” she said. Elisabeth does not let any breast milk go to waste – it’s all either used or donated.
The amount of milk produced by a fully lactating woman averages 750 – 1000 ml a day if she is nursing a full-term, singleton infant. Milk production, however, can be higher depending on demand. The breast produces the amount demanded by the suckling infant or pumping.
