Question for BFing/pumping working moms

lilyan1522

I recently went back to work and am EBF/pumping. I am wondering how to rotate fresh vs. Frozen milk. I have a decent freezer stash and I know it's only good for 6 months, but thawing every night and freezing what I pumped that day seems like a pain. I am pumping plenty to keep up with LO (so far). What do you ladies do? Thanks!

kelly422

I pull 1 bag from the back and use the rest fresh for the next day.

CANTW82BMOM

I too am pumping more than enough to keep up with LO...praying I can keep this up. I'm sending 15oz of fresh milk daily and freezing anything more. So far, he doesn't even drink all 15oz while he's there.

theoneandonlysmp

I give the fresh stuff for the next day. I figure once we get close to 6 months i will think about using frozen. Any stm advice would be good here because I'm not sure of a good plan. Is newborn milk good during flu season or what we make now that they are bigger? Don't our nutrients change with their needs and growth?

mrsjones1012

Anything I pump I typically freeze right away and give her the oldest frozen milk. Even what I pump at work gets frozen immediately. I have a great freezer stash and I basically replace what daddy gives her with what I pump at work so it stays the same size. I'm not too worried about her not getting her current needs met with fresh milk because she breast feeds all the time from me unless I'm at work. I work night shift and she eats less at night anyway, and even when I sleep during the day my husband or mother brings her to me so I can feed her and go back to sleep. I still pump after every morning feed also, so I feel like most of what's frozen is nutrient richer hind milk.

kristyn831

I'm working 2 days a week so if I'm back to work the next day, he gets fresh milk and then I freeze whatever he doesn't eat. If I'm not back to work 2 days in a row, I freeze it all.

nemRN

I've been freezing what I pump and giving her frozen milk starting with the oldest... If you wait to give your frozen milk I'm guessing a lot of it will go to waste as it will be too old by the time you get to some of it...

nmfranklin00

I'm doing the same as @nemRN
My daycare allows me to bring in my milk frozen and they thaw it when it's getting close to the 2-3 hour mark between feedings. Then they keep anything they don't use for the next day and I just bring in a few more bags.

pandd10513

I use what I pumped for the next day, but on Friday I'll freeze what I pumped. I'll pull the oldest bags from the freezer to give to her on Mondays. That way I'm only freezing and thawing once per week.

klirwin82

pandd10513 said:

I use what I pumped for the next day, but on Friday I'll freeze what I pumped. I'll pull the oldest bags from the freezer to give to her on Mondays. That way I'm only freezing and thawing once per week.

This is a great idea. I'm going to do that. Otherwise Friday's pumped milk just stays in the freezer the whole weekend...

randa923

Also if it's in a deep freezer it's good for one year. Not sure if that's an option.