Oregon resident Elisabeth Anderson-Sierra who’s a mom-of-two has hyper lactation syndrome.
The 29-year-old Mom produces a lot of breast milk.
Her 6-month-old daughter Sophia drinks about 20-28 ounces a day however she produces 10 times that amount (an average of 225 ounces daily, which is 1.7 gallons).
To many, Elisabeth Anderson-Sierra is known as the “milk goddess.” Since her toddler’s birth, she claims that she has donated at least 78,000 ounces of milk, which is more than 600 gallons.
Now, it’s a “way of life” for her. She said: “I definitely feel good about being able to help people, but I also think it’s kinda ingrained in who I am.” Anderson-Sierra added: “This is my way of being active in my community and giving back to humanity, and so it’s my labor of love.”
Although she thought about donating milk before the birth of her first child, she only began doing it full-time after having her second child, Sophia, in December 2016. The girl was born at 37 weeks, after 30 hours of labor.
Anderson-Sierra was too tired to breast feed for the first 24 hours and ironically, she then had to rely on donated breast milk.
She said: “My body was just exhausted so she had to have donor milk for the first couple of feedings. [That experience] did help fuel my passion and my desire even further to continue to donate milk, because I was in that situation myself.”
In addition to caring for her children, Anderson-Sierra says she spends 10 hours a day pumping, packaging and coordinating with milk banks for pick-ups and deliveries and half that time pumping breast milk.
She said it doesn’t interfere with her family life funny enough. Anderson-Sierra said: “So far pumping hasn’t really stopped myself or my family from doing things, but it does add a extra hiccup in there.”
Anderson-Sierra also receives $1 for each ounce of milk she donates to milk banks. However, when you factor in the cost of buying breast pumps, sanitation kits, and freezers to store her supplies she’s lucky if she breaks even!
Anderson-Sierra said: “If everybody had this kind of mentality, the world would be a better place. I feel like I am doing my part, one ounce at a time.”