How to Donate Breast Milk – Ep. 187

Shanna

Hi, welcome to Big Fat Positive with Shanna and Laura. On this week's episode, we have our weekly check-ins. We have our special segment, which is an interview with Stephanie Lehman, the donor coordinator at the University of California Health Milk Bank, where Laura is donating her breast milk. And we wrap it up with our weekly BFPs and BFNs. Let's get started. Hi, everybody. Welcome to the show. It's episode 187. And Laura, Laura, are you with us? Hello. Hello. I'm here. Hi. Oh, good. How's life? How is everything going over there?

Laura

Good, good. So I have an 11 month old officially as of yesterday.

Shanna

Can we just pause for a moment to make this about me really quick and be like, I've seen your sweet child like three times total and now he's like 11 months and like, how is that possible?

Laura

I need to see him more. When you put it that way, it makes me really sad.

Shanna

Oh, I'm sorry.

Laura

It's a stupid pandemic, man. And you know, also like non-pandemic stuff, because I feel like we wouldn't have seen each other if any of our kids were sick anyway. True. I mean, that's the reason we didn't see each other for like two months before the pandemic even started, right? Do you remember? Yes. Which, yes. I still contend that was COVID, like you guys had COVID back then. But yeah, you know and we've like in December we were sick like you know I lost my voice all that stuff and we wouldn't have seen you even if it wasn't a pandemic time so you know I think that when you have four kids It's not a surprise that like most of the time one of them is going to have some kind of snivel.

Shanna

That's true. The stars have to align for a family of like four children, two families of four children to be able to get together.

Laura

Yeah, for sure.

Shanna

But anyway, so okay, so he's 11 months old. Oh my God, he's almost a year. What, how is he? What's going on?

Laura

Well, I think we have a walker, Shanna. Oh my god, and he's walking he's a toddler now this whoa whoa well first of all no I'm not calling him a toddler until he's officially 12 months old okay, okay, okay, okay like leave my infant alone He's a baby I take it back. I don't care if he's standing on his two legs and toddling around he is a baby And he will stay that way until running marathons. But if he is not 12 months old, he's a baby. Got a baby infant. My little itty bitty baby is walking. I guess I don't know. Like the question is, where do you define walking? Because like he has taken one or two momentum driven steps like between our couch and very soft ottoman for the last couple weeks like hill sort of turn around while cruising and like launch himself towards the ottoman and take one step between there right. So, he's done his quote first steps.

Shanna

Yeah, yeah. I think so. I mean, he's balancing, standing upright, moving with his legs and feet. Yeah, I think so.

Laura

Yeah, that does sound like walking to me. When you put it that way.

Shanna

Yeah. He needs that sense of security, I think, right in the beginning, right? Because this is all so new to him. So I totally get that.

Laura

Can I send you the video of the lawnmower trick?

Shanna

Yeah. Okay. Okay. I am like going back to analyze this, this pull to stand. Oh my God. He's, he's so agile. He's effortless. It's standing. He doesn't even need that thing there. Yeah. It's just the presence of something in his hand to give him confidence, but he should be doing this on his own in no time.

Laura

Yeah. It's imminent. So that's exciting. I mean, yeah. It's cute. Augie didn't walk till after he was one, so it's kind of cute to have a earlier walker. Yeah. The thing I can't post to our social media is the naked walking, which is just like the cutest thing ever. Little baby bum. Little baby butt. They're like cellulite. So cute. So yeah, that's what's going on with my little itty-bitty baby who is not a toddler, not at all. Okay, definitely not. Not for another 29 days or something.

Shanna

That's like supersonic speed.

Laura

Yeah, yeah. Don't worry if you're like pregnant and binging the show, it doesn't actually go as fast as it seems. I mean, it does go fast, but not this fast. So yeah, you're okay. Just, you know, savor your moments. But my almost three year old is just like very clearly more complex. all of a sudden, like, I've noticed this week that he's just kind of like having a little bit more of higher level thinking and expression. And the two examples I have of this that are like more concrete are one, he is talking in like the most intense run on sentences that I've ever heard. Yeah, like, First we're gonna go to the store, and then we're gonna get some chips, and when we get the chips, we're gonna eat the chips, and the chips are good, and then we're gonna get more chips, and then it's going to be playtime. I'm gonna be Yoda. You be no. I'm gonna be Luke Skywalker. You be Yoda.

Shanna

It's such a great window into the brain of a three-year-old or almost three-year-old. It's like, oh, okay, that's literally what you're thinking and it's just coming out of your mouth.

Laura

Now I know. Now I know. But the other example I wanted to give about how he's like processing things differently is we were driving the other day And he goes, mama, people are called people because they pee pee.

Shanna

It's fun to watch. I know. Cool. Well, that is fun. Yeah, so we've had a fun week. How about you?

Laura

How are your girls?

Shanna

Oh, we're hanging in there. CECE is a couple weeks past three and Elle is off school for her winter break, you know, for three weeks. And so there's just like a lot of kid action all day, every day in our household. And it's really great at times because CECE has a playmate, you know, all day and they play really well and stuff. And then on the other hand, it's like fueling her jealousy and her neediness of me. She is just on fire with, like, Mom, I need you, mom, I need you. And usually that means she wants me to pick her up and take her everywhere with me. Like even if I get up and I'm like, I'm gonna go to the bathroom real quick. It's like no, like has to come with me. And it's this big thing. And so very needy of my attention. I think a lot of it is driven by this like jealousy of seeing her bigger sister also need attention from me. It's the other day we were sitting on the couch.

Laura

Like you're a toy they have to share or the potty. Yeah.

Shanna

Yes, exactly. Oh, no. No, I don't want L to use mama. Like, sorry, honey. Everyone gets to use mama. Mama's here for the using. Mama's working for use. Yeah, here for you. So, you know, that's been a challenge, but it's fine. A bright spot in the week is that Aunt Leslie has been in town visiting that Steve's sister. Yeah, she's amazing and wonderful. We haven't seen her in two years, but She finally got the chance to come out and they love her. Oh my god. They just, especially Elle, has always hit it off with her. So they spend a lot of time laughing, like building Legos, playing games. So that's been really, really nice.

Laura

Oh, that's great because I love Leslie too. She actually just sent me some TikToks today. I got to go check my inbox. It said Leslie sent you some TikToks.

Shanna

Awesome. Yeah, she's great. The other thing I was going to talk about this week is dinner time in our house.

Laura

Oh, yeah.

Shanna

Our dinner times have been an absolute fucking shit show over here. Like I get so stressed about dinner and I'm talking like my kids dinner, right? Because yeah, most of the time we don't eat with the kids, like when they get older and stop acting like wild animals at the table, like we will have a family dinner time, you know, but for now it's like, for now we just hang out with them at the table, they eat, we chat or whatever. But they can not focus. on eating it is like and we have not done a great job instilling any type of table manners like we try and just give up because it's the end of the day and our will has just been completely depleted for the day and L is like up from the table running around telling jokes dancing playing with stuff CECE follows suit they stand at their plates they like wriggle their butts in each other's faces. And in the meantime, they like forget to eat.

Laura

Well, yeah, especially if you've probably brushed teeth.

Shanna

It's like exactly because you have to start the routine all over again. Right.

Laura

Last night, literally right before bed, I was reading a book with Augie, and it ends with them eating ice cream. And first of all, I'm like, don't end a book with kids eating ice cream, please. Oh my god. And yeah. So he's like, I mean, he's so tired. And then he goes, ice cream? And I'm like, no, honey, do you want ice cream? And he starts like almost having a tantrum about it. And I'm just like, we're not, we're not, like there's no world where we would be having ice cream right now. You're like in your jammies, under your blanket, like.

Shanna

Yeah. So I just don't know what to do. I feel like we need to be more strict with table manners. And we try to do like this Janet Lansbury thing. It's like, well, if you leave the table that shows me you're done. I'm going to clear the plate. And it's like they took one bite and I'm going to clear the plate and then I'm going to pay for that later because of the meltdowns and blah, blah, blah. So I always cave and just put the plate back and yeah. So yeah, I don't know. Listeners have any strategies on how to manage dinner time. I could use all the help I can get and I really should look up some advice online because we're losing our minds.

Laura

Yeah, I'm kind of in the same boat. I don't really have any advice for you. But yes, I'm looking forward to hearing from our listeners because yikes, yikes, double yikes.

Shanna

So yeah, that's that's a part of our life that needs a little work. And I don't know, we'll figure something out. But that's where we are now. What's for dinner tonight? Oh, God, who knows? Probably hot dogs.

Laura

You know what? I've actually never given Augie hot dogs just because we don't eat them and it hasn't crossed my mind. But I think I need to get some because as you know, our dinners are also a shit show. So thanks for the inspiration.

Shanna

Yeah, they're good. That's one thing they almost always reliably eat. So yeah, might want to give it a whirl. But anyway, shall we take a break and move on to a special segment?

Laura

Yeah, let's do it.

Shanna

Quick heads up before we start our special segment, which is an amazing interview with Stephanie Lehman from the University of California Health Milk Bank. When we asked Stephanie about working at the milk bank, she does mention bereaved mothers. So if that's something you'd rather not hear about, please skip ahead about five minutes at that point.

Laura

Hi, everyone. Welcome back to the show. So for our special segment this week, we have an interview with Stephanie Lehman. She is from the UC Health Milk Bank, and she's here to talk about human milk donation. That's also known as breast milk donation. And it's a thing that I'm currently in the process of doing. So we wanted to bring her on the show so we could learn more about it, because it's a super fascinating process and a really great resource. So hello, Stephanie. Hello. Thank you for having me. Thank you so much for coming on the show so we have talked a fair amount over the last couple months i feel like we talked on the phone a couple times and we've sent emails back and forth but this is the first time i think we really will get to sit and have a real like. In depth conversation and i'm super excited about it so. I think we should just jump right in.

Speaker 1

So the UC Health Milk Bank was a dream of our director, Dr. Stowagen, probably for the last 15 years. and she and Dr. Kim have worked really hard over this time to try to ensure that there was some milk bank in Southern California because until us there was only one milk bank in California and we wanted to make sure that the needs of Southern California were being met so that the most critically ill babies had access to donor milk. About five years ago, a wonderful donor stepped in and made this a priority. And we were able to really get up and running about a year and a half ago. And it's been a long process with a lot of ups and downs, but it's become a reality. And Dr. Stellwagen has put everything into this and making it the most up to date, most, you know, just really, really state-of-the-art milk bank to ensure that these babies are getting the best product possible.

Shanna

And for listeners who might not know, UC stands for University of California. And you guys are the San Diego branch of the UC system. Is that right? We are all of UC.

Speaker 1

We happen to be located in San Diego. And Dr. Stilwagen has been a pediatrician at UCSD for, gosh, probably 30 years. And actually, that's how I met Dr. Stowagen. She was the physician on charge when my daughter was born at UCSD almost 17 years ago, and she was born prematurely, 27-week-old, born at just over a pound.

Laura

Wow.

Speaker 1

Dr. Stellwagen was incredible. And she made it possible for me to get a hospital grade pump and ensure that I could provide human milk to my daughter. And I got to know her really well and ended up wanting to give back. It's like, how do you give back to a group of people that saved your daughter's life? About five years later, I worked with her on a whole program on infant nutrition. And as part of that arm, we created a mom-to-mom support group for new moms of premature babies. And then one thing led to another, and I started helping her write some grants. And then eventually our private funder came through, and this became a reality. And so it's not only a love for Dr. Stellwagen, but it's very close to my heart as well.

Shanna

That's an incredible story. Thank you for sharing that.

Laura

So you said you've only been around for about a year and a half, which totally explains why I hadn't heard of you sooner, because you weren't around when my first baby was born three years ago. And so can anyone in the country donate or do you have a geographical limit?

Speaker 1

You know, we try to focus on Southern California, all of California. And, you know, we can take milk from most places, but there are 30 milk banks, Humbana accredited, which is the Human Milk Baking Association of North America across the country and in Canada. And so we do, you know, each donor should sort of can look on the website for Humbana and find the closest milk bank to them. And so that's probably the first place I would start. But like I said earlier, we are the only milk bank that's affiliated with a university, which makes us a little bit different.

Shanna

So once a donor has gone through the process and is approved, how much milk do they need to donate? Because I'm thinking about when I used to pump and I'd like eek out maybe two ounces. Is that enough? Or do you guys kind of want donors to collect up milk and then donate like a lump sum? How does that work? So that's a great question.

Speaker 1

So for our donors who are here locally in San Diego, we ask that there's a minimum of 100 ounces before making their first donation. And for moms who are out of the area who will be shipping, we ask that there's a minimum of 200 to 250 ounces before shipping their milk. And a lot of moms are just overproducers. They make a lot of milk. It's much more than their own baby needs. And so they're able to share with us. It is something that oftentimes it's just genetic and it happens. It's nothing you can make yourself do. You can, however, increase your milk production by making sure your breasts are emptied and pumping throughout the day.

Shanna

Wow.

Speaker 1

And so I really want to express to our donors like you are not just providing a gift of nutrition to these babies. You are providing medicine. You're providing something that will save babies lives is saving babies lives. And I know that sounds you know, right, but it's true. It is the only thing, like anything that can prevent an awful thing like necrotizing internal colitis by up to 95% is remarkable. And so we just want to stress how important this gift is, how impactful this gift of milk is, and get the word out that these donations are imperative for the health of our most at risk patients in the hospitals. And we are doing everything we can to get the best milk product out to these hospitals. And if a mom has her milk is particularly high in protein and calories, our texts are able to combine that with other moms of similar nutritional value milk.

Laura

Yeah, you know, I feel like it's not often remembered that when we're talking about human milk donation, I think the first thing that pops into a lot of parents minds is this like Facebook sharing, right? Right. But what people don't always think about are these teeny tiny micro-premies and how it's, like you said, it's actually equivalent to medicine for them. It's hugely beneficial for them. It gives me an opportunity to feel very smug and holier than now that I get to... to squirt this boob medicine out and send it to you guys. I'm gathering it up. I just hit the 200-ounce mark. I fell behind because I had to take antibiotics for this cold that I had that turned into a sinus infection. And so I couldn't donate during that time. And so I was like, oh, my goal. It's so far away. But I'm getting there. I've now crossed the 200-ounce mark. So I'm definitely going to be sending that in.

Speaker 1

So there's a little bit of computer time where you have to fill out a couple of questionnaires. One of them takes a little bit of time. It's a lot of questions about health, medications, lifestyle, things that might put milk at risk. And so, you know, part of this process is quite rigorous. We want to ensure number one, the safety of the milk because it is going to the most at-risk babies. I can't express that enough. And so it is a bit of a process, but it's for a reason, and it's for a great reason. And so after these questionnaires are filled out, then like you said, we do an interview to verify some of that information. I can follow up on some of the information that you give us. We do require that consent form is filled out by the maternal provider so that could be an OB or a midwife. And so once we get that signed then we can go ahead and get the lab work done.

Laura

I think it's really interesting how rigorous you are with it. And it's great, obviously, because obviously you need to know that the milk you're providing these vulnerable babies is good. And one thing that's interesting is that I took these antibiotics which were totally safe for me to breastfeed my full term healthy 10 month old, right? But it was also disqualifying at the time just while I was taking it and for a few days till it cleared my system for your donation, which just goes to show how it's, you know, it's a different process and it's meant for a different recipient, right? And I think that it's great that you are that thorough.

Speaker 1

Yeah, I mean, and we have to be, I mean, this is, part of our process. And we have to abide by the standards of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America. So any human milk bank that's accredited really has to comply with the same standards. And so, you know, those standards are being changed all the time as more research comes out. And so if there's something that a mom is taking that maybe there's just not enough research done yet to know how transmissible it actually is through milk, then we're going to hold off on that, accepting milk while the mom is taking that. So it is a very, very conservative process, but understandably so.

Shanna

One of the things Laura mentioned about the process is she's not going to be able to donate once her baby turns one year old. So I assume that's part of the criteria. Can you explain the reason for taking milk from babies that are under a year old? Sure.

Speaker 1

So women and their milk production is incredibly amazing. So somehow your body knows that your baby's needs change over time and the milk will reflect that. So the nutrition composition of milk for a one month old looks very different than the nutritional composition of milk for a one year old. And somehow your body knows this one year old is taking in solids and getting nutrition from other places. And so your body adjusts to that. And so it's about the one year mark where you start to see a bit of a drop off in the nutrition and other factors. And so Even though that milk is perfectly suited for the baby who's one it's not it doesn't necessarily have the components that we look for for an infant and then especially an at risk with infant. And so we kind of choose that one year mark as you know. We're not taking milk right now, that has been expressed after the baby's first birthday.

Laura

I see. Well, that's also interesting because I feel like there's such a debate about how long your milk is safe. And if you're okay with up to eight months, I feel like we should be okay with up to eight months is my guess.

Speaker 1

Yeah, I mean, we're okay with with a year. It's just that we need that little time for processing. Yeah. You know, and I don't think it's not like milk spoils. If it's been in the freezer, it just might lose some of its efficacy in terms of nutrition, nutrients and bioactive factors. So I want to get that message out there that that milk is definitely for your own use more than okay. at that one year mark.

Laura

Well, speaking of processing time, I know that you have all the analysis you do on the milk for donation, but I know you're also affiliated with a research aspect that's happening with the UC system. Can you talk about that?

Speaker 1

Sure, no problem. So we are able to pasteurize milk for some of these amazing research projects that are going on. And Dr. Pia Panargett, Children's Hospital of LA, we worked with her and her group. And we actually, they were able to find that the COVID antibodies actually do show up in donor milk. for up to six months after a vaccination. So human milk carries these antibodies from not just from COVID, the virus itself, but if a mom is to get vaccinated, these antibodies really peak at about one month, but seem to last up until about six months. And this is even after we pasteurize the milk. So that's pretty incredible. So that means the babies who are receiving our milk are getting the benefits of those vaccinations, which is remarkable.

Laura

Good to know, that's amazing. And I'm happy to say that I was boosted during my collection period for y'all, so you're gonna get some freshly boosted milk coming at you.

Shanna

That's great. The Health Milk Bank sounds like an absolutely amazing place. I'm so glad you shared all of this with us. On a personal note, I'm curious, what's your favorite thing about working for the UC Health Milk Bank?

Speaker 1

My absolute favorite thing about working at the UC Health Milk Bank is getting to meet the most incredible women. Our donors have such stories, reasons for donating, the generosity is phenomenal. And to know that we're in this community where these women want to and it's such a tangible way that and pretty immediate way that they can impact the babies of their community. And I am just so fortunate to get to meet these women. you know, I know when we opened, which we did in a pandemic, which is not the way you want to start. Right. But to know that this community shows up and we're so, so, so grateful. And, you know, I know it's hard when COVID's around and with this new surge now, you know, donors are kind of taking a step back.

Laura

That's so incredible. Wow. I just think that it's a situation that I don't think anyone expects themselves to be in. And so I'm glad you mentioned it because it's good to have that information out there for anyone who finds themselves in that situation or has a friend or family who ends up in that situation. That's wonderful. So this has been a wonderful interview. We've really enjoyed talking to you, Stephanie. So we close every show with a Big Fat Positive or a big fat negative, but we always like to ask our interviewees if they have a positive, just a BFP to share with us. Stephanie, do you have one you'd like to share?

Speaker 1

I mean, I really was, when I thought about it, it was going to be that we, this donation of the milk pump, the breast milk pumps as such a positive, like I am over the moon. so grateful that this is happening and that this program is happening. And that is probably the biggest positive I can think of for my week and actually for my year.

Shanna

That's so great. That's great. I love it. And where can our listeners go if they're interested in learning more about the UC Health Milk Bank or want to donate?

Speaker 1

So if they go to ucmilkbank.ucsd.edu, they can find us. And our phone number here is 858.

Laura

Yeah, absolutely. I felt like even though it was a number of steps, it was very easy. You made it very easy. There's a really convenient online portal that I can always ask questions. You know, I asked like, I went to the dermatologist and they want me to use this skin cream. Is that okay? You know, like very simple. easy interaction. So you have make the process very easy and it was fun to talk to you on the phone. So I was going to talk to you too. So yeah, I'm really glad that I found you and I hope our listeners can connect with you if they're interested in donation or with another milk bank in their area if they're not in the Southern California area. But Stephanie, thanks so much for being on the show. And also, thanks so much for everything you do. You're providing a really special and unique service that I think should be celebrated. So good for you.

Speaker 1

Well, thank you. It's been my pleasure. And I appreciate the time. And it has been lovely talking with you both.

Shanna

Yes, thank you, Stephanie. So wonderful to talk to you. And Laura, I think it's time for us to take a little break and move on to our big fat positives or big fat negatives of the week. Let's do it.

Laura

I have a Big Fat Positive. Ooh, okay. And this is something I found on TikTok. Oh, my favorite social media, as you know. Love it. So this is a video I saw from at Parenting Coach, which is like, oh, Parenting Coach, that's what I need.

Shanna

Right.

Laura

So I feel like, and it also ties in with the rye like natural consequences or logical consequences thing. So it's not like you're just coming up with willy-nilly punishments for kids who aren't doing what you want. And yeah, I just, I don't know, I thought it was very insightful and I just wanted to share.

Shanna

That's really cool. It definitely puts a little bit more onus on the child to make that decision. They're making a decision between the two options because what I find myself doing is if language. If you don't brush your teeth, we won't have time for our books, which almost makes it seem more like I'm doing the consequence. I'm creating the punishing. You know what I mean? It feels like when you give them a choice, but their choices do the thing or have a consequence. They're in control in a little bit. of a way. So that's interesting. I'm definitely going to try that. Have you tried it? Are you having success?

Laura

I mean, everything is a mixed bag, but I did try it. And, you know, I mean, I think it's been working to get bedtime, I think a little bit. More timely I guess like there's just been a lot of like I'm not ready for jammies I'm not ready for brushing my teeth I want to play some more and so I was able to say like well either you get your jammies on or we won't have time to play another round of Spidey and ghostie you know like I mean, I think we need a few more weeks of practice before I can tell you if it's really a surefire way to get them to what we need them to do. But yeah, it's another tool in your tool belt, I think.

Shanna

Yeah. And what was the account again? Is it a helpful account to follow?

Laura

Yeah. So far, I've really been enjoying the stuff she's been putting out. Her name is Tia, and she goes by at Parenting Coach. So definitely give her a follow. I love all the really educational content you can get on TikTok. I feel like it's readily available and it's really fun to get tips on how to wrangle your children in between fun cat videos. So it's a nice mix.

Shanna

Yeah, a good mix. I need you to send me a list or maybe I should just go through all the accounts you follow and then also follow them because when I go to TikTok, it's like funny grandma's and like prancing dogs with two legs and like it is like, I don't know how to curate a list of TikTok accounts, you know, that would be helpful.

Laura

So my understanding is it's less about who you follow, although that does matter. But it's more about how long you stay and watch videos. Like you will have to teach the algorithm what you like.

Shanna

Oh, so it thinks that, okay, so I'm teaching it that I like funny grandmas.

Laura

Basically, but if you say like watch a video three to a hundred times in a row because you forgot to turn it off or you just really got sucked into some like click baby Why is this grandma singing and dancing video? But you actually don't want more of that if you long hold on the in like on the middle of the video You'll get a little menu where you can say not interested Ooh. Yeah. I use that not interested button as much as possible. So if I like, for some reason lately, the algorithm started sending me into like Minecraft and gaming stuff that I'm not interested in. So it's not that there was anything wrong with the videos. It just wasn't my niche. So I did not interested on a bunch of them and quickly got my algorithm heading straight back to the cat videos, parent education videos and crafts. Okay.

Shanna

Got it. All right. That's a hot tip. All right. I'm going to spend some time on TikTok today. See if I can, yes, do my homework, improve my algorithm.

Laura

Go find some baking videos. There's a lot of really good baking videos. And I know you love that, like cake decorating and stuff like that.

Shanna

Yes. Look, here's the thing is like, I get all that on Instagram. So like I do, I follow a lot of accounts like that. Yeah. But I should try TikTok because that's like the cool thing to do and I want to be cool. So I need to do it.

Laura

Yeah. You need to. It's necessary.

Shanna

It's not TikTok. No, no, no. I have a BFN this week.

Laura

Oh, no. Okay. What happened?

Shanna

So you all have been on a journey with me, things related to like birth control, IUD, just cycle stuff, right? So I thought this would be an appropriate thing to share on the show. If it's not, just tell me and I'll come up with something else, okay? Okay.

Laura

You're saying it's inappropriate thing, not an inappropriate thing.

Shanna

I don't know, you be the judge of that, okay?

Laura

All right, on pins and needles, let's find out.

Shanna

Okay, so, you know, my dance with the IUD did not work out. And so I'm back to getting like a regular period every month. And recently someone posted in one of my mom's groups something along the lines of, oh my God, I just tried using the salt cup and it has changed my life. And other people are chiming in like oh my god it's amazing like tampons be gone with you whatever this cup like everyone's all about the cup and I've heard about the cup before blah blah blah.

Laura

Yeah yeah there's people who like their diva cups and their various menstrual cups are very vocal about it I feel like.

Shanna

Yeah. Yeah.

Laura

And good because otherwise, you know, no one would know about them. So yeah.

Shanna

So I was definitely like, I don't think a cup is for me. Like I was just a hard no. I wasn't really open to the idea. But then the next time I got my period, so I went to the Target app to buy some more tampons. And I remembered that post and I was like, you know what impulse buy. So I bought the salt cup and got it that day and figured out how to put it in. I was very intimidated by it. You know, for those who don't know, it's kind of like a silicone cup that you kind of like squeeze together, like pinch together and put up inside your vagina and like opens up and creates like a suction and catches all the blood.

Laura

My concern about those cups, well, first of all, I'm like not getting my period at all. So it's not it's all theoretical, but like is the spillage like of menstrual fluid as you try to take it out? Is that an issue?

Shanna

Yeah, I think it probably could be. I at least this period wasn't that heavy. I don't have like super heavy periods. So I was kind of able to control it enough that like once it came out, I could just like pour it into the toilet. OK. This is so TMI. But I could see that if you have a really heavy period, you probably want to change it more, or yeah, you might have that problem. But it really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be as far as that goes.

Laura

And I know you don't like blood. You don't like bodily fluids in general, I feel like. No. I mean, who does? But I feel like on the bell curve of where people's tolerance are for it, your tolerance is low in general. Yes. Yeah.

Shanna

Yeah, I was definitely like gritting my teeth and like kind of squinting my eyes that like, you know, during that whole process like this is too close for comfort.

Laura

Amazing.

Shanna

But well, I don't know.

Laura

All right. Well, I'm glad that it worked out for you in the end. I'm sorry. You have to berth it for the first time. But I guess there's a first time for everything.

Shanna

Yeah, exactly. So can I now say I've had a veg number? I was going to say you've had a feedback.

Laura

Congratulations on your bundle of joy.

Shanna

Oh, thank you. I've named her Sally. I don't know. God. All right. So that's my life. Anyway, I think maybe we should wrap this up. Okay. I think we should. Yes. Listeners, if there's anything you want to share with us, we are never afraid of TMI, too much information. So, you know, reach out. Let us know what's going on in your world. Laura, where can they reach us?

Laura

We're on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and of course, TikTok at BFP Podcast. We have a website, BigBatPositivePodcast.com. If you want to send us an email, you can just throw a voice memo into that email. We'll love it. Just send it to contact at bigfatpositivepodcast.com. And finally, if you want to join the coolest group of people on the internet, search Facebook for Big Fat Positive Community, request to join, and answer the two membership questions so you can be sent through to our private group full of wonderful, wonderful people.

Shanna

If you love our show, please rate us and review us wherever you listen to podcasts. And Laura, we have another five star review to read this week. We do. All right. Why don't you read it for us? Okay.

Laura

This one is titled a totally binge worthy five stars from a listener in Great Britain. Hello from across the pond. This listener says hot tips and super fun, special segments, smiley face. Thank you, Shanna and Laura for being a wonderful soundtrack to my days over the past few months. Well, thank you for listening.

Shanna

We love having you. Thank you. That's so awesome. All right, listeners, if you want to leave us a five star review, we might read it on the show. So head on over and do that now and spread the word. Let your friends know about Big Fat Positive. Our show is produced by Laura Birek, Shanna Micko, and Steve Yager. And for the record, I did not use my kid's chopsticks to get the salt cup out. I didn't know if that was clear, but I needed to throw that in, just to be sure.

Laura

I'm glad for that clarification. Thanks so much. OK, good. I can wrap up this episode happily now in peace.

Shanna

OK. All right, everyone. Have a great week. See you next time. Bye.