Building a Freezer Stash?

smushi · June 2014

So I go back to work in a month and a half. I got my electric pump in the mail Friday. Where do I start with building a freezer stash? What did your pumping schedule look like before you went back to work, and what does it look like now that you're at work? What sort of containment do you use? What do you take with for them to daycare/how does that work?

Thanks for any input

I feel like a goob for just now thinking about this.

lcr23 · June 2014

To build a stash I pump in the morning after the first feeding. I started around the 7 week mark. I freeze in the medela bags, flat so they'll thaw easier. Dd is being watched by family but I'm planning on having the bottles made for them in the morning. I go back to work tomorrow and will plan on pumping 3 times.

MissWhis · June 2014

Before you start stockpiling milk, my biggest advice is to test a batch a few days after you freeze it to check for excess lipase. I have a ton of milk I can't use because I didn't know about this issue when I started pumping. I'm just starting to build up enough for my first day back to work next week, but I need to scald all the milk before I store it.

As far a pumping goes, my daughter has her last nursing session of the night around 8:30. I'll pump before bed between 10 and 10:30. I scald the milk on the stovetop immediately then put it in the fridge overnight. I transfer to freezer bags in the morning.

Edit to add:

I have no idea how this is going to work when I'm back on the job. I'll be finding out next week I guess...

nicole mackenzie · June 2014

I pump in the morning while LO is still sleeping, and then I pump before bed. ( after LO has been sleeping an hour or two )

I get 3-4 oz in the morning and 1-2 ounces at night.

I started at 3-4 weeks.

It's a good idea to check the milk for excess lipase before getting too far. I didn't do that.., LO drinks it though.

charlyp86 · June 2014

I pumped in the morning about an hour after her first feed usually while she was napping because your supply is the highest first thing in the morning. I tried to pump most days but it wasn't always doable if baby was fussy.
At work I pump 3 times a day and that's enough and usually a little more than she needs for daycare the next day (usually eats 3oz 4 times while at daycare). For her first day of I tried to pump that weekend and then also defrosted 1 bag of frozen to take. Her daycare also has a freezer for keeping emergency frozen milk which is nice too. I occasionally still add to my stash if I have extra from pumping at work...oh and I use medela breastmilk storage bags because I can pump directly into them. I'm not sure how much I have frozen but at least a couple full days worth I think and it's still growing.

ksulli · June 2014

To start the stash I pumped once a day about an hour after her first meal in daylight hours. Froze in 2-4oz portions in medela bags.

Back at work I feed her before I leave (7ish) and then 3 times at work (9, 12 & 3). I leave all that milk in bottles until I get home. Then make 2 or 3 bottles that I send the next day from that, and freeze the rest. Then I make 2 more bottles by defrosting my oldest milk. This keeps the stash rotating and LO in mostly fresh milk.

On weekends I keep the one pump session, so all of Friday's milk gets frozen, and what I pump over the weekend goes with her on Monday as the fresh stuff.

MamaFantastic · June 2014

I am not trying to build a return-to-work stash, but when T sleeps a long stretch at night and I have the time in the morning, I'll feed her from the fuller side and pump the less full side to freeze. This usually yields 3-5oz. I do that 2-3 times a week. I freeze in medela bags, 2-4oz per bag.

smushi · June 2014

Thanks so much, ladies!!!

Stace0616 · July 2014

My supply seems to be set around where LO is eating--sometimes I pump slightly more or less than what is needed for the day. My pedi suggested substituting one formula feeding per day in order to be freezing one bottle's worth each day. So far, it's been going very well. I now have 200oz in the freezer, my formula samples are getting used up, and I've alleviated some of the pressure on days where my production is slightly less than what he ate.

dmosquera4 · July 2014

I pump now after I put LO to bed so 8 or 9 then wait after 2 hour so at 1030 or 11 I pump and that goes to the freezer

reillyea · July 2014

I generally pump in the morning while she nurses on the opposite side. This is where the hands free bra comes in super handy. She gets what she needs from the first side and is really just pacifing herself on the second

megan8127 · July 2014

I started adding one pumping session in the morning at the end of May and I return to work on two weeks. My schedule will stay the same once I return to work with me pumping during work every 3 hours, which is how often I nurse DD.
Question about the lipase... If I have this now would I have had it with DS two years ago? DD is pretty picky with taking a bottle, sometimes it's no issue at all and other times she won't take it. Granted, she hasn't been given too any bottles but she's got to get the hang of it soon. We use dr browns. Any other suggestions? Thanks!

dmosquera4 · July 2014

@megan8127‌ I posted the other day about this new bottles from munchkin they are called latch.... It is the best thing I have ever bought they are super close to the breast read up on them and maybe try them, they are a little expesive but were so worth it my LO was having a hard time with all types of bottles and with this one it took one try and he was so happy.

megan8127 · July 2014

dmosquera4 said:
@megan8127‌ I posted the other day about this new bottles from munchkin they are called latch.... It is the best thing I have ever bought they are super close to the breast read up on them and maybe try them, they are a little expesive but were so worth it my LO was having a hard time with all types of bottles and with this one it took one try and he was so happy.

Thank you! I will try those.

angelaluisa · July 2014

MissWhis said:
Before you start stockpiling milk, my biggest advice is to test a batch a few days after you freeze it to check for excess lipase. I have a ton of milk I can't use because I didn't know about this issue when I started pumping. I'm just starting to build up enough for my first day back to work next week, but I need to scald all the milk before I store it.

How do you go about testing?

rockstarlaw · July 2014

Try to defrost & feed baby a meal from the freezer stash. If baby won't eat it, it could be due to too much lipase and you'll have to look into scald before freezing.

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