Chapter 7

Judith sighed softly after a short while, smiled at John then said, "I think I should tell you a little about the service and support we give to the young women who pass through our Operation Rescue Program and the infants who are adopted." She was relaxing and enjoying the stimulation she was receiving from the breast pumps.

Softly she began, "As you can see we're pretty well organized here in the Lactation Department. We make it as comfortable as possible for the girls we rescue so they are happy and will want to complete the requirement of supplying breast milk for a year. They also get paid a little for doing it too; twenty-five cents per ounce. Now that might not sound like much but it adds up over time.

"I'm sure you know newborns benefit from breast feeding the first days of life from their natural mother. We encourage our girls here at the Convent to do that for a few days after they give birth. That way their babies get the extra immune and digestive system building blocks they need from the rich thin breast milk their mothers produce during that time.

"After about that two or three day period, newborns are adopted and leave the Convent." Judith let her smile fade a bit as she added, "There's a ceremony we perform for the girls so they can say goodbye to their infant. It's very emotional for all present." A little moisture built up in her eyes as she said that. Underscoring her emotions she sighed as she told John, "I can tell you it's very hard for the mother. Very hard."

Judith sighed again, wiped the small tears from the corners of her eyes and continued, "We present each mother with a special Bible that contains the birth information and a picture of their infant on the inside cover.

"Giving us the Bible helps," Judith admitted. "It's not a token for them use to mourn the loss of their child. It's something permanent to help them always remember and honor their baby and their gift to the adoptive parents. We plan extra activities and responsibilities for the girls then. It helps them get through that one particular very difficult time of their lives.

"What our Order does is not at all like the crude way most agencies or even parents handle that situation. It's a crime what they do to very vulnerable girls. For some misguided reason they feel the mother would be better off after the umbilical is cut, if the baby just disappeared. It's like they wanted everybody to deny it ever existed or their pregnancy ever happened. With them the mother usually never gets to see her infant. It's whisked away right after birth, never to be seen or heard from again.

"In our Order we honor the woman's choice to give a life to a couple who will nurture it. We honor the choice of the woman to make a couple happy who for whatever reason, can't produce their own child. From the day we rescue a pregnant teen until the day she finishes her obligation, she is among the most revered. That's why they all wear the sacred color ... Rose ... It's used to honor them.

"Because of their devotion to our Order and our encouragement to support their child after adoption through the Lactation Program we do give all girls in our Lactation Program a stipend. It's small, but over time it can become quite substantial. Because we pump our breasts dry at each session, our breasts tend to produce a little more milk than an average nursing mother.

"I will admit to a little 'White Lie' we do have in our literature pregnant girls get when they arrive and commit to our Rescue Program. You even heard what Mother Superior told November earlier. We stress the commitment one must have for the Breast Milk Program but we avoid telling prospective mothers the demands of that commitment. Lactation often becomes a way of life.

"At times it feels like we almost spend every waking hour attached to our breast pumps." With a wink, Judith said, "I pump at least four times a day." Then adding a smile she continued, "If I feel like I want a break, I'm in here, whether or not it's necessary. No one ever questions if during a session the containers are dry.

"Given a good diet and appropriate vitamin supplements our girls regularly produce more than a quart a day. I often reach forty-eight ounces. But on an average, our girls bank about eight dollars a day. Our requirement of a year of pumping often nets them almost three thousand dollars. Some, slightly more.

Judith's face really brightened as she looked up at John. Laughing she said, "I'm just about at the halfway mark this time and I've built up my account to a little over two grand so far. Of course that's not all I have," she said with a stronger laugh. "The investment plan from Our Order's Brokerage Firm gives a great return. Everyone is invited to move their money over and invest in our Order but it's not mandatory. Our money just grows and grows!

"We can use that money for any purpose we want. Daily it's credited to a savings account in our Order's Bank ... Yes ... Our Order has their very own Federally Chartered Bank. Both our Convent and Monastery use it.

"As soon as a girl arrives here, she's given a debit card. A real debit card. It's a welcome from the Order and it starts with a hundred dollar balance. After that, we add fifty dollars a month as a sort of allowance for anything 'extra' they might need or want up until they deliver.