How much of a supply is needed?

Jenniferk08

I have 3 months until I go back to work and am EP.  Mj will be about 6/7 months old when he goes to DC. I still plan to pump at work but I'm not sure how much of a stock pile I should have when he starts.

I am pumping about 5 times a day and have about 6-8 bottles of 6oz in the fridge at any time.  After i hit that amount I put anything additional in the freezer.  Some days I have so much I've put 4 bags in the freezer.  At this time I easily have 30 bags at 5oz each. 

for those going back to work, how much of a stockpile did you have when you went back?

MamaPajama2010

I'm a SAHM, so I don't have experience with this: but theoretically, you only need a one day supply of pumped milk to send with them on the first day. Then while you are at work that first day you pump and send that pumped milk with them the next day, etc. I know some women don't respond to EPing as well as EBFing or combo feeding, so in that case the more you have stockpiled the better (so you can supplement with the frozen. Good luck!

Jennifer Ruth

Unless you travel for your job and will need to be away from LO for extended periods of time, you have PLENTY. 

What pp said is correct...you only need 1 day of supply to cover you while LO is in daycare.  You can just pump that much while you are at work and away from LO.

JDoe11111

I also EP and I am stockpiling. When I went back to work I had about 1,000 oz in the freezer, that's about a month. I also have 3 days in the refrigerator, and whatever I produce above that a day I freeze, just like you. It has let me feel braver about cutting down pumping sessions (at 4 months I'm down to 4X a day and still putting stuff in the freezer) and about quitting earlier if I really want/need to.

Jenniferk08

Thanks everyone.  I think i'm still feeling guilty about last month.  I had only a small supply and ended up in the hospital for a few days. 

I had a kidney stone which required some heavy pain meds while in the hospital (morphine, percocet, toradol and dilaudid) and more toradol once discharged along with other non BM safe meds.  Because my freezer stash was so small MJ had to go on formula while I pumped and dumped.  It was only for a week but I felt so bad.