Tell me about your freezer stash

orchid2007 · April 2011

How many bags/ounces do you have in there and why do you keep one?

I am trying to build one but I only have 12 bags each with 3-4 ounces in them, I really need to get motivated to put more into it in the 2 weeks I have left for mat. leave. What do you do to keep adding to your stash and keep you LO fed at the same time?

harleyjo · April 2011

I have 90 ounces in there, with a mixture of amounts per bag (3-5 ounces). I keep a stash in case of emergencies if I was not able to breastfeed, and for situations where I have to be away from LO and I don't have time to pump enough.

I pump between feedings, about an hour after he has eaten, and from the same side he last ate. That way the other boob is available for his next feed. Its hard work, and I usually only get enough for one bottle (4-5 ounces) per day. So I'm building very slowly

~Flossie~ · April 2011

Right now I have 445 oz. DH feeds LO pumped milk first thing in the morning, so that's why I pump. I pump while DH is feeding LO, and usually pump more than one feedings worth so that's how my stash started. It just built up from there.

Another reason for my freezer stash is so LO can continue to have BM for a while after I stop nursing him. I would like to have enough in there for at least another month worth of milk after I wean him.

FirstBabyMomma · April 2011

I have about 40 oz in 2-3 oz bags.

I have a stash started for a few reasons. I will be going back to work before I plan to wean DD, so I will need it then, even though that's not until September. I am basically trying to get ahead. We also make her rice cereal with BM, so I pump and freeze in cubes for that, plus we make sure to give her at least 1 oz in a bottle per day to make sure she doesn't have another bottle strike (she didn't take a bottle for a whole month from 3.5mos-4.5mos; I was worried she never would again!). Sometimes we give her a full feeding from a bottle to give me a break if I feel my supply is low (usually late afternoon).

I pump after her first two nursing sessions at 9 and 11:30/12 (actually, right now I have borrowed my friend's electric pump so I pump on one side while she nurses on the other; normally I just use a manual after she's done). If I can't pump for the second one because we are out or something, it's no big deal.

I also need to be more dedicated to pumping; maybe add an evening session or something. I also need to start rotating my stash; I tend to give her fresh milk whenever possible, but I have to make sure that my stash doesn't get too old.

darabeth1281 · April 2011

I had about 225 oz when I went back to work. I've been back for about 4 months now and my supply is slowly deminishing(well what I'm able to pump), so I have about 175 oz left. I'm hoping to make it till one year when I plan to wean

Aviee · April 2011

I have 7 bags of 3 oz portions. I can usually store 2/day and DD uses 2-3 when I work. I just started to really start stashing and I've been back to work since 4 weeks (so for a month now). At first all I did was have enough stashed to get me through the first day (barely) and didn't pump every day, but it's been a slow but steady climb from there now that I pump every day. (actually I pump at night after feedings to get ahead when I'm usually pretty full of milk).

WaitingforGrace · April 2011

I EP for twins. While they were in the NICU I was able to build quite a big freezer stash of around 500oz. I pump around 38-42 oz a day and they eat 38 ounces a day so I'm max adding 4 a day to the freezer. Eventually they will be eating more so I will have to dig into the freezer to have enough. Also when I go to work I'll be dropping a pump so the extra will help if there is any loss with that.

It's super depressing to think that 500oz will only last me about 2 weeks if something happens to my supply.

SanHawaii08 · April 2011

i have about 130oz in the freezer. to build my stash, i started pumping 1x/day in the evening, during LO's longest stretch of sleep. he goes to bed early, so I can pump, then go to bed, and still have a good 3 hours or so before he wakes up to nurse. i wanted to a bit of a cushion in case i couldn't pump enough when i went back to work. i'm mostly keeping up okay though, and even adding to my stash occasionally. i'd like to be able to keep giving LO bm as long as I can, though i (currently) plan to start weaning after a year.

alliwalton · April 2011

I had about 200 ozs in my freezer. I pumped after her first 3 feeds of the day, that meant I was pumping at 1 or 2 in the morning. Once she got more predictable with her sleep and she was sleeping longer, I started pumping after her last night feeding. It took about a week for me to see an increase in my supply. I now have a ton in my freezer, that I am thinking about donating some of it, because I am never really dipping into my supply. I only work 3 days a week and my other days I am nursing her.

mssaint · April 2011

I have about 220 oz in the freezer. I started pumping once a day at about 3 or 4 weeks to get used to it. I would pump after LO ate in the morning, and usually get about 6-8 oz total (pumping both sides). I'd freeze 4 oz and keep the rest in the fridge in case DH needed to feed him.

I wanted to start a stash so that I'd have it available if my supply tanked when I went back to work, and to use when we start solids for mixing with cereal, etc.

Unfortunately, I am now eliminating dairy and will test him in a week or two using a bag of frozen milk--if that is what caused LO's fussiness, I'll have about 200 oz that will be useless. I am keeping my fingers crossed that is not the case.

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