EBF/Pumping- What is your stash up to?

samibear74 · July 2012

Hey Ladies...I go back to work on September 1st and I have been BF and pumping but I haven't been able to get much of a "stash" built up in the freezer. It seems like my supply is meeting demand (which is good, I know) and there is really nothing extra at the end of the day for me to freeze. I really want to be able to leave enough BM for my sitter when I go back to work.

How much of a "stash" should I have stored up?

Just curious...and I'm not judgy, but how long are you planning to breastfeed (excluding any unforeseen issues of course)?

gatsbygirl · July 2012

When and how long do you pump? I've been pumping in the morning straight after DS feeds. I'm usually really full and can get a few ounces even though he's just fed. I just need to make sure I pump long enough, usually 15-20 minutes. I get my first let-down straight away and usually get 1 - 2 ounces but if I keep going I'll get a second let-down that's much bigger and get another 3 - 4 ounces. You could also try pumping in the night inbetween your LO's feeds.

samibear74 · July 2012

I'll try that. I probably have been doing this whole thing wrong! Yeash...normally I'll feed him but I won't pump right after. I'll give it a try tomorrow! Thanks!

PS. Saw you are from the UK...I am loving all the Olympics coverage from London! I was there in 2001, beautiful country!

GeekFantasy · July 2012

I aim for the morning too when I do get a chance to pump. My LO usually only takes one breast so I just pump the other. Don't have any frozen but I have about 10 oz in the refrigerator. I really should get on stashing some...

rissa_n · July 2012

i have about 300 oz in the freezer, i pump 2x a day, 1x before bed and 1x in the morning. i didnt get much at first but it wasn't long before my body adjusted to make more milk at those times. i go back to work in 2 weeks so i know my stash will go fast once my ds is in daycare . i am hoping to pump/bf till ds is a year old. good luck!

cat2784 · July 2012

I have about 140 oz frozen. I had a little bit of an oversupply at first, so some of that was me pumping small amounts for engorgement relief. Right now I pump halfway between DSs 1st and 2nd feeds in the AM, or if he only eats on one side in the AM I will pump the other. Then I pump right before I go to bed. So some days I can get 10oz total. Other days it's less. I hope to bf until 6mos, but if all goes well Im open to continuing longer. It would be nice to have enough frozen to last an extra month or so after I stop, but we will see how my stash looks after I go back to work part time.

mountainkimi · July 2012

I pump 1x a day after the morning feeding. I get abut 5-6oz and freeze it. I started this when DD was 2 weeks old. So I'm assuming I have about 250 oz. stored so far if not more. I'm not exactly positive how much is there. I don't keep track.

I'm planning on BF for at least a year if not more. I hope to freeze as much as I can. I did this same thing with DS and it worked out great. My supply started to tank around 6 months and I wasn't pumping as much as he was drinking. The freezer stash got me through the next 6 months along with what I was pumping. We never had to put him on formula. I hope for the same result this time.

Gismo123 · July 2012

I'm a SAHM but I do have a freezer stash just in case something happens like I get sick and have to pump and dump. I have 50oz in my freezer but I only pump for my freezer stash 3 or 4 times a week...always in thbe morning after DS eats....I usually get 3 or 4 oz.

jamiah18 · July 2012

Wow you ladies are doing a great job! I have about 90 some ozs. I would have had more but I got a yeast infection when dd was around four weeks and couldn't freeze my milk for ten days:(

I hope to bf for a year but I don't know how it's going to be when I go back to work. I pump once in the am and once at night after she goes to sleep.

stepper1725 · July 2012

I'm going back to work the first week of September. Right now, I pump once a day, after the morning feed. I usually get about 4-5 oz a time.

I freeze the bags every other day, and keep the other bags in the fridge to use if I have to be away from LO or for special occasions, like if the grandparents want to give a bottle.

I have approx. 35 oz frozen. I'd like to have about 100 - 150 oz frozen before I go back to work and will add a second pump session if I need to.

I plan to BF as long as possible, preferably a year or more, but at this point, I'm just taking it one day at a time. I've had so many issues with plugged ducts, milk blisters, etc etc that each day we EBF, I feel like giving myself a gold star Stick out tongue

amberleeb · July 2012

I am a SAHM and I EBF so I really don't need a freezer stash. I usually pump before I go to be just so I don't wake up engorged because baby usually sleeps until 2:30 or 3 from 8pm. I have about 40oz in the freezer.

jeffreymcginn17 · July 2012

I counted up my stash on Sunday and I have 520 oz. My baby is 7 weeks old now and I exclusively pump. I plan on using the milk later on if something were to happen to my supply, or I get sick and can't give my baby my milk. In the next couple of weeks I plan on cycling through the milk so it doesn't get too old.

snicksnack · July 2012

I have 120 I would have more but I lost around 50 oz when we lost power for 4 days and during that time I could not freeze anything. I try to pump in the morning and one side throughout the day when he is eating and I think about it. Some days I freeze only 4 ozs other days I can freeze up to 16 depending on how much I pump. Next week I will start pumping after he eats at lunch to get my supply up for when I go back to work in Sept.

snicksnack · July 2012

samibear74:
Hey Ladies...I go back to work on September 1st and I have been BF and pumping but I haven't been able to get much of a "stash" built up in the freezer. It seems like my supply is meeting demand (which is good, I know) and there is really nothing extra at the end of the day for me to freeze. I really want to be able to leave enough BM for my sitter when I go back to work.
How much of a "stash" should I have stored up?
Just curious...and I'm not judgy, but how long are you planning to breastfeed (excluding any unforeseen issues of course)?

I plan to BF for a year. To increase your supply Google power pumping and try power pumping around lunch time since that is a time you will be pumping at work. Also, with DD I pumped about an hour before she got up in the morning once I went back, even on weekends, and at first I got 8 ozs then it went down to four but that session saved me once my supply started to drop around 6 months. Most BF babies won't take more than 5ozs a bottle as long as you are not using old milk. BM changes as the child ages so the ozs really don't go up. Don't let daycare guilt you into giving more especially if they are use to FF babies. A BF baby may take more since it is easier to get it out of the bottle but they don't need more. My MIL would say DD needed more so I told her to add an ounce 5 mins after she was done eating if she seemed hungry and 9 times out of 10 DD would spit it up, which she never did unless she ate too much. On average most children take 25oz a day. If an LO eats 5 to 6 times a day, which is the average once they sleep through the night, they will take around 4 to 5 ounces a feeding.

SugarhillHnA · July 2012

I have 116oz now and will wean off my one pump a day once I reach 150. How much you need really depends on your supply and LO's demand. I went back to work when DD was 9 1/2 weeks and had about 120 frozen. I rarely needed my freezer stash and it actually got up to 250oz at one point, so I'm trying not to be as anal this time about it. I was able to give DD only BM until she was 14mo before introducing cow's milk. Hopefully I can do similar with Evan.

Try pumping at the same time in the mornings about thirty minutes after your last feeding. That's worked well for me with both kids. I do have to wean off that pumping so I'm not engorged or uncomfy back at work. I nursed DD until she self weaned and will do the same with E. she weaned at 19mo.

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