17 ounces

133 to go.

I'm donating breastmilk to this milk bank that reformulates it into HMF, a product that is given to premature infants in the NICU. When I first read about this particular milk bank, part of the deal was that they provide you with a dual electric pump so you can provide them with the much-needed milk. You send the milk, in stock piles of at least 150 ounces, via Fed Ex.

Now that I'm mostly through the screening process, I went back to read up more about it and I couldn't find the part where they talk about the free pump they send you. When I questioned the woman on the phone the next day she told me that they'd actually just changed the rule on that. You must now first send 150 ounces of milk to them as a show of good faith and then they'll send you a pump. The woman explained that they had too many experiences with people applying to the bank, then getting the free pump and never being heard from again - a combination of that and the current economy, forced the new rule.

So that means I'm stuck pumping with the rinky dink hand-held that I purchases for $40 5 1/2 years ago in an emergency when Jacob was 4 days old. Do you know how long that might take a person?

Anyway, I'm going to do it anyway, because once I get a thought in my head, it's hard to get rid of it. So unless I luck out and find a used electric pump to borrow, my goal is to pump the 150 ounces by the end of April. This goal was established back on Tuesday. I think I figured if I could get 10 ounces a day with the little pump then that would make 150 by then end of the month. We'll see.

But that's why I'm posting here...It's my little challenge.