How to build a freezer stash

Lena122

DD is now 11 days old. I'm going back to work at 12 weeks and I'd like to have as much BM stashed as I can get because I don't know how well pumping at work will go.

Any advice on how many times and when to pump each day? How much should I hope to pump each day to have a good supply built up? Should I do it right after I nurse or right before?

Any advice is appreciated!

fusionbride

I would first like to say that I don't think creating a huge stash is necessary, and can lead to oversupply issues for some women.  But you will need to pump enough to have enough for your first day at work, plus a little extra. I would wait a few more weeks before starting pumping regularly so that you can regulate your supply and prevent oversupply.  Maybe start about 2 weeks before you go back to work. I'd pump AFTER your LO is done feeding (probably in the morning, and just one side unless LO takes from both sides). And freeze that.  In this first stage, having small frozen amounts of BM is helpful since you will be figuring out bottles etc.

But once you go back to work, you'll want to prioritize pumping so that you are able to pump the same amount she takes in a day.  Some people are able to get an extra .5 to 2 oz a day and this can accumulate to add to your stash.  

DahliaFlower

I had similar intentions when LO was very young.  I started pumping late night after he was in bed, only one session per day.  I was freezing about 5-6 oz per day.  Unfortunately, I ended up with some oversupply issues that made feeding more difficult for him.  If I had to do it again, I would probably just pump some small volumes after feeding him.  Maybe 3 -4 oz after a feeding once a day.  

Also, I am probably going to end up donating or tossing a bunch of milk I had saved up, because I ended up having to cut out dairy.  I didn't start this until about the 2 month mark.  

hollystutz

I also wanted to start building up a supply early like you but I held off until my supply was regulated and then I experimented with pumping at different times throughout the day and night to see when I had the most to pump out. Turned out that pumping after each feeding at night (which was 2-3x until he started sleeping longer) worked the best for me because I had the most milk at night. Now that he's sleeping longer I only pump once at night and then once in the morning around 6am. I'm able to get anywhere from 5-12 oz put in the freezer each night, which I'm very happy about and I don't have oversupply issues doing it this way. I have about 300oz frozen. I wanted to have a stash bc I want him to have BM for up to a year if possible. I started doing this at about 4-5 wks and he's now 11wks and I'm going back to work at 12wks and am able to pump 3x at work as well.

surpriseaddition

I wouldn't obsess about a huge freezer stash. Sometimes I think it's almost like a competition for some women. I agree with PP that about 100oz is fine. I went back to work with 140 oz, and 3 months later I'm at almost 200 oz, so my stash has actually increased since working. This is because I still do my early morning pump even on the weekends. I'm not able to pump what my LO eats during my work hours, so I also pump at 4-5am to make up the difference. Don't give yourself an oversupply by pumping too much too early....there are other ways to handle it if you can't pump enough at work.

drcolleen

I agree with everyone above, don't start stimulating an oversupply early on as you and your baby will end up frustrated.  I don't know what you do at work but certainly be prepared to pump, if you are at a desk in an office I don't find it that hard (but my nurses know when it's my milking time) so I just set myself up then cover up and people can come into my office.  

With my first I was much like you and really worried about not being able to pump enough, well, turns out when I pump I make a lot more milk than necessary and ended up with 1400oz in the freezer.  With my second I was again worried, this time that I would end up deployed and she wouldn't get to nurse as long as the first did, I ended up with 1600oz in the freezer.  I swore I was not going to repeat this again so I only hand expressed a few ounces a day starting 1 week before going back to work so I'd have enough for my first day back (yeah, I put myself on call that day, could have been a 28hr shift)..... well, I have 150oz in my freezer 4 weeks later.  My point being,  if you plan to pump you may not have anything to worry about, don't scare yourself into failure.

Enjoy your maternity leave!