Mom needs care, too.
I’ll never forget the doctor’s words: “We need to get her to UAB. Now.”
My two-week-old daughter was failing to thrive. She was dehydrated and malnourished because my body wasn’t making enough milk, and I hadn’t realized it was happening.
That day in the NICU changed my life, and it’s the reason MILK-eez exists.
My name is Emily. I’m a mother of four, and before I ever thought about starting a company, I was a mom trying to figure out how to feed my babies.
With my first two, born when I was 19 and 21, I stopped breastfeeding within a month. Everyone around me said formula was just as good. I was young and exhausted, and I believed them.
My third baby came when I was 26, and that time I had real help: a lactation consultant who checked on me, friends who cheered me on, and resources that made a difference. I breastfed for two full years. I fought through mastitis, cracked and bleeding nipples, and nights I cried from the pain. I kept going because I had people in my corner who wouldn’t let me quit.
By the time my fourth baby arrived when I was 33, I thought I knew what I was doing.
My baby girl seemed fine at first. She was sleepy, but my oldest had been sleepy too. She’d nurse for a few minutes and drift off, and I thought that was normal. She’d been given a pacifier in the hospital and missed important feedings, and my body never got the signal to build my supply. It happened so slowly that I couldn’t see it.
At her two-week checkup, her doctor sent us straight to the children’s hospital.
Standing in that NICU while nurses gave my daughter formula, I felt like the worst mother alive. Every bottle felt like proof that I had failed her.
My lactation consultant came to see me every single day. She showed me how to nurse before every bottle, told me it wasn’t my fault, and promised we would work through it together. I tried everything I could find: supplements, teas, coconut water, herbs, and a lot of extra food and water. It took two hard months to get my supply back.
During those two months, I was taking care of a newborn and three other kids while my own body was worn down. I wasn’t eating enough, I wasn’t drinking enough, and I had no energy left for myself. I kept thinking about how many mothers were in the same spot with nobody checking on them.
That’s where MILK-eez started.
Right now, MILK-eez is a small, growing line of everyday products for mothers in the postpartum and nursing season. Our plant proteins come in chocolate and vanilla, made from fava bean and fermented yeast protein, with no dairy and no soy, so you can get real nourishment in a few seconds with a baby on your hip. Our shaker and hydration bottle are there because I know how easy it is to forget to eat and drink when you’re taking care of everyone else. The hair, skin and nails gummies, the tallow cream, and the colostrum capsules are the things I wanted for my own body when it felt worn out and nobody was paying attention to me.
None of these products is a cure-all, and I won’t pretend otherwise. Every mother’s body is different, and I’ll always tell you to talk with your doctor or lactation consultant before adding anything new while you’re nursing. What I can offer is a set of simple, clean products that make it a little easier to take care of yourself while you take care of your baby.
My bigger dream is a custom lactation formula designed specifically for nursing mothers. I’m working toward it one step at a time, and I’ll share that progress with you as it happens. Every order you place helps me get closer.
My daughter is healthy and thriving today. I think about how close we came to a different ending, and that’s what keeps me building this.
Thank you for supporting a mom-owned business from Alabama, and for being part of this with me.
Emily
Founder, MILK-eez
P.S. If you’re struggling with feeding your baby right now, you are not a failure and your body is not broken. Reach out to a lactation consultant, your pediatrician, or a mom you trust, and let someone help you. You deserve support too.