National Breastfeeding Month ‘25: Olympian Caryn Davies
“I was even a little anxious accepting donor milk, but just having a little bit to help [my baby] fill his belly and gain back some weight was super helpful. It made me feel so much more relaxed, and I was able to get some rest.” – Caryn Davies
Caryn Davies is a two-time Olympic champion in rowing, keynote speaker, and founder of Podium Law, a law firm for startups and other small businesses. She lives in Charlestown with her husband and two-year old son.
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August 2025 | Interviewed and edited by Jessie Colbert, Executive Director, Mass. PPD Fund
For National Breastfeeding Month, the Mass. PPD Fund is honored to partner with Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast to share a special Amplifying post with Milk Bank recipient, donor, and three-time Olympic Champion Caryn Davies. Donor milk was an important support for Caryn at a challenging moment early in her motherhood journey, just as it can be helpful and often lifesaving for many families, especially with NICU babies. In addition to the benefits of donor milk, Caryn’s story also exemplifies the sometimes-tricky balance around breastfeeding and maternal mental health, and the feelings of failure that can creep up when there are nursing challenges. Happily, Caryn’s difficulties were short-lived, and she encourages moms to persevere with breastfeeding and make use of available resources. She also shares how, even with all of her success, Motherhood is the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
It’s wonderful that donor milk from Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast was an important support for you in your breastfeeding and motherhood journey. Before you share your story, let’s back up to prior to your son’s birth. Did you have hopes or expectations about how those early days would go? What were your plans for nursing?
Even separately from nursing, I was never a baby or a young child person, so I was really counting on the hormones to kick in. And they did. As soon as he was born, I would look at him and burst into tears, like, I just love him so much!
I had always planned to breastfeed. Honestly, it didn't occur to me that it might not work. But I also gathered lots of resources. I already had been to a breastfeeding support group a few times while I was pregnant. I knew a little bit what to expect, and I knew what to do if things did not go well, so I felt pretty confident about it.
That’s great – I think the piece of expecting that there may be complications is often missing, and then it’s easy to lose your confidence and give up when there are challenges. Can you share your experience at the hospital, and how donor milk was helpful?
As well prepared as I was, nowhere did I read that it takes three days for your milk to come in after your baby's born. We were in the hospital, and the little guy was doing great, latch seemed fine – although the other thing I did not know was it’s going to be so painful the first few days as your nipples get used to it! My nipples were cracked and bleeding from day one, but I was going to power through.
So he was nursing, but as far as I could tell he wasn't getting anything, because he kept losing weight. And the nurse said, Oh, we don't worry until they lose 5% [of their weight]. The next thing you know, he’s lost 7%. Then she said, We don't worry until they lose 10%. And I thought, Hold up!
I started getting really anxious about the fact that he was dehydrated. I was convinced that my milk wasn't going to come in, and that I was starving my baby. I remember at one point in the middle of the night, I was lying there crying, and I thought to myself, Okay, I need to see if I'm even making anything. I sequestered myself in the bathroom with my little hand pump, sitting on the toilet, bawling. I did actually get a small amount of colostrum, and that helped me feel a little bit better, that I wasn't completely broken.
But my husband woke up and he said, We need to do something, this is not okay. And we press the little buzzer button, and he asked the nurse, What are our options? This isn't working, what can we do?
And it was interesting, because the nurse actually sounded kind of relieved. Apparently, she's not allowed to offer supplementation, but if we ask for it, then she can give it to us. She said, Honestly, 90% of mothers don't leave the hospital without having some form of supplementation.
And I thought, Why did nobody tell me this? Why was I left to cry alone in the bathroom thinking that I was broken when it happens to everybody?! It was a huge relief. I was even a little anxious accepting donor milk, because I know that you have the baby at the breast in order for the milk to come in. But just having a little bit to help him fill his belly and gain back some weight was super helpful. It made me feel so much more relaxed, and I was able to get some rest.
The next day when we went home, we brought the max that you can, 10 bottles. My milk actually came in later that day, so we didn't use them. But just having them in the freezer was a real peace of mind for me.
I’m sorry it was difficult, and I’m glad that you got help right away. I hear a lot of stories like this, where moms don’t know what’s typical and then, when things are challenging, somehow think there’s something wrong with them. Have you ever thought what might have happened if donor milk wasn’t available?
I still think I would have breastfed, but I would have been a lot more anxious those first few days, watching my baby suffer. I was very upset when he couldn't get anything out of me.
You’re also a breastmilk donor. What inspired you, and what feels good about making this contribution to other moms and families?
I always felt a little guilty about those 10 bottles that we took home and didn't use. I thought, I had a healthy baby, and I didn't really need that donor milk, and I know there's a limited supply. I felt like it's kind of my duty to replenish it. Thankfully, I had enough milk, and I did some extra pumping sessions here and there and started to build up a stash. Once I had enough for my baby, [I decided] now it's time to start donating.
Let’s zoom out a bit from just breastfeeding. You are a three-time Olympic medalist and a powerhouse attorney and keynote speaker, but feeling successful at motherhood can be a different story! Has becoming a mother changed the way you think about success, teamwork, or life in general? What’s surprised you the most?
First of all, motherhood is the hardest thing I've ever done. When you're training, you have to be selfish. You have to get as much rest as you can, and prioritize yourself at every decision point so you are the strongest you can be. And motherhood is the opposite. To the extent that I prioritize myself, it's because I know that it makes me a better mom. I get sleep because I know that I need to be well rested in order to emotionally regulate myself for my child's benefit. It’s made me a lot less self-centered, and that actually has been kind of a relief because it’s helped me realize that it's not about me in so many ways.
On the flip side, it also helps me realize that I can't take credit for my accomplishments in a way. Because it’s not all me, I had so much support. My parents were so helpful to me when I was a young athlete, and a lot of my abilities are down to genetics. I have so many other people to credit for my success.
I love that – now that you are pouring the best of yourself into your son, you can really see everything that was poured into you. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
For me, nursing has been one of the most wonderful ways to bond with my child. I'm still nursing now, and it's been almost two years. We definitely went through some rough patches. There was a solid month where my little guy just burst into tears at the sight of my boob! To him it was like, now you have to sit down and focus, and [he wanted] to go and play. That was very hard for me, so then I burst into tears too. . . everyone’s crying!
It's a very personal decision, and I know that so many women can’t nurse for whatever reason, but I always want to say: don’t give up. There’s so much value in it, and if at all possible, keep going and seek out resources. For example, health insurance has to provide coverage for lactation consultations. You can have someone come to your home and help you with breastfeeding, it's a federal law. For those who have the inclination to push through, it's so worth it, and please seek help.
Did you know that just one ounce of donor milk can provide up to three meals for some of the milk bank's tiniest recipients? At Mothers' Milk Bank Northeast, the process is simple—whether you're looking to donate milk or receive safe, pasteurized donor milk for your baby. Learn more today about how you can help or get the support your little one needs. milkbankne.org