Would love feedback on pumping for freezer stash

dmh1687

Hi! Was wondering if I could get some feedback about my pumping plans. I'm currently on maternity leave and will be returning to work in January. LO is fourteen weeks old and I breastfeed him, with the exception of the occasional bottle of expressed milk. LO eats really well and is gaining nicely (he was born 8 lbs 2 oz and is now 15 lbs). Currently he eats about 8 times a day, with the first feed taking place at 5 am. From there he feeds every two or three hours until 9 pm, when he goes to bed. He sleeps through the night and doesn't wake for any feedings between 9 pm and 5 am. I don't wake up to pump at night, and to avoid engorgement, I pump right before bed after LO's last feeding. I've been pumping after his first morning feeding as well.

Since LO was born I have been pumping enough to have a few spare bottles in the fridge to have on hand (usually about six 5 oz bottles at a time), but hadn't been freezing any. I am just starting a freezer stash and currently have about 25 oz. stored. I'm worried that when I go back to work I won't be able to pump enough each day to sustain breastfeeding, because I'm a 3rd grade teacher and will really only be able to pump during my lunch break (that's once a day). So I'd like to have a good freezer stash ready. By the time I go back to work LO will be six months and probably eating less than the roughly 40 oz of milk per day he currently eats. I'm estimating that he'll probably take three five ounce bottles per day while I'm at work, so I'll be needing to pump 15 oz per workday.

So here is where I am asking for feedback: Do you think my current pumping habits (pumping twice a day - once in the morning and once at night) can produce the kind of stash I'll need? Should I pump in the middle of the night? 

Any thoughts are much appreciated!

klirwin82

Yeah I would add a MOTN pumping session to build your stash. Since your LO sleeps the whole night you can freeze 100% of what you pump then. Nice.

n3na94

Yes! MOTN pumps are great!! I usually get so much during it! You should try it! Hopes this helps! Good luck !

nmfranklin00

Teacher here too- I go back Monday....I've been waking up once (at 3:30am) and usually get between 6-8 ounces. It's nice to instantly freeze and store it! I'll be pumping twice a day when I go back- lunch and planning period and then again in the MOTN... Hopefully I can keep up!

dmh1687

Thanks for the replies! When you pump, how long do you do it? I usually do 15 minutes

mrsjones1012

Agree with the MOTN feeding, your body makes a lot at night that you can out straight in the freezer! I only pump in the mornings currently, after her morning feed, and I pump until milk stops coming out. Even then sometimes I'm not satisfied with what I get, so I'll wait ten minutes and pump again and get another ounce or two usually. I don't time it necessarily.

pandd10513

I'm a 4th grade teacher and pump during my prep or lunch and again at the end of the day. So far I've been able to keep up with what LO eats--I'm able to pump 4 3oz bottles at school and that's usually what she eats while I'm gone. I freeze what I pumped Friday and use the oldest frozen milk for Monday's to rotate my stash. LO is currently 12 weeks old and I went back to work when she was 6 weeks old. To start my freezer stash I pumped MOTN and tried for once during the day. I have around 70oz in the freezer.

dmh1687

Thanks all! I'm reassured that this can work!