US woman sets historic Guinness World Record by donating over 2,600 litres of breast milk

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Alyssa Ogletree, a Texas resident, has broken her own record for the largest individual breast milk donation, supplying an incredible 2,645.58 litres to help those in need. Ogletree, 36, originally set the Guinness World Record in 2014 with a donation of 1,569.79 litres. Her new achievement has earned her recognition from the prestigious organization for her selfless contribution. According to the Mothers' Milk Bank of North Texas, a single litre of breast milk can nourish up to 11 premature babies. Based on this figure, Ogletree estimates that her donations have supported more than 350,000 babies.

In an interview with *Guinness World Records*, Ogletree explained her motivation for the donations: "I have a big heart, but at the end of the day, I'm not made of money and can't give away money to good causes over and over because I have a family to support. But donating milk was a way I could give back." She added, "If the three per ounce is accurate, I've helped over 350,000 babies. This record is for just under 89,000 ounces, but I also did around 37,000 to Tiny Treasures, and probably another couple hundred to close friends." Ogletree began her breast milk donation journey in 2010 after giving birth to her son, Kyle, now 14. When she found herself producing an unusually large amount of milk, a nurse suggested donating the excess to help other mothers struggling to feed their babies. This marked the start of her passion for milk donation. She continued after the births of her two other sons, Kage (12) and Kory (7), as well as following her time as a surrogate mother.

A mother of four, Ogletree kept up her pumping schedule even after her children no longer needed breast milk. "I pumped every 3 hours, even overnight, for 15-30 minutes," she shared. "After pumping, I froze my milk until my freezer was full. Then, I took it to the milk bank, where they measured the frozen milk on a specially calibrated scale." Ogletree was never diagnosed with a condition explaining her overproduction of milk. She attributed her success to staying hydrated, sticking to a consistent pumping routine, eating healthily, and her dedication to helping others. Now, Ogletree hopes to inspire other women to consider donating breast milk, encouraging them to realize that they, too, may be in a position to help mothers and babies in need.