02/08/2026
Feeding journeys can be complex, emotional and different for every whānau. Lisa’s story speaks to the challenges many new parents face, and the relief that donor milk and the right support can provide.
Here is Lisa’s story:
It didn’t become easier after the first few days. It didn’t feel instinctive or natural. It was hard. There was fear and frustration, tears and pain, struggles, research, and help from various professionals. There was a drop in production, a drop in baby’s weight, and a huge drop in self-belief on top of a painful and slow recovery from an emergency c-section.
There were syringes, pumps, bottles, donated milk, conversations about formula, doctors, nurses, midwives, osteopaths, lactation consultants, lactation cookies, and then there was support from family and friends and mostly, my husband.
It didn’t feel instinctive or natural. It was hard. There was fear and frustration, tears, pain, and struggles, but there was also a huge amount of love. So much love that gave me a strength I never knew I had in me. It took almost eight weeks to establish my supply, but we made it and are still on the journey at now 19 months.
I will never forget the feeling of receiving donor milk, the relief that brought to us as a new family, and the weight I felt taken off my shoulders in that moment. I still can’t find the words for it.
To have ended up in a position where I was able to donate my milk, and hopefully give that feeling to someone else, is also hard to put into words. I have been fortunate enough to help three friends with sharing my milk, as well as donating over 21L to the Christchurch Milk Bank, which I am told nourished over 50 babies.
It didn’t feel instinctive or natural. It is hard, but it has been beautiful, too. Look at us now.
