The WHY of storing breastmilk

Re: The WHY of storing breastmilk

• JAP09-02 member

  September 2015

  I'm a milk hoarder. Guilty as charged!
  
  I currently have about 800 oz in my deep freeze, and here's the kicker - my DS has taken a grand total of 3.5 oz from a bottle ever.
  
  I think a lot of my need to stockpile stems from my first BF experience. I nursed my oldest DD for 6 weeks, at which time she became super fussy. I switched to EP'ing at that point because I was convinced she wasn't getting enough. Hindsight, I'm pretty sure she was just having a growth spurt. Then my supply went down and it was hell getting it back up.
  
  With DD2 I was nursing no matter what. I pumped while at work, and we nursed to one year. At that point I had 1000+ oz in my freezer. I was able to give her breast milk for another 6 weeks.
  
  This time around I nurse and pump once daily. And while I know it's ridiculous, I'm afraid cutting the pump will affect my supply. I plan on using the milk for cereal & other purees. I will also use it for introducing a sippy. I'm also donating some to a mom that is having a hard time getting enough while pumping at work.
  
  I like the idea that if something happens to me my baby would be able to have at least some breast milk each day for quite a while. In the end when we are done nursing I will just use up my freezer stash and then start cows milk. Or if I do decide to wean earlier than a year I would hopefully have enough to finish out the year. So all of this to say that I basically do this for my own peace of mind.
  
  There is no reason to have a huge stash other than personal preference.

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• RIngReady member

  October 2015

  I'm a STM and I would agree with pp. I think a lot of my stocking up has to do with fear of running out of BM before I was ready for LO to off of it. 

  
  

  With my first baby, I returned to work at 9 weeks pp, and while I was able to pump enough for the first few months, pumping at work got more difficult and I began to pump less and less and there were several days I would be an ounce or 2 short for what my baby needed for the next day. 

  
  

  I also got my period back at 6 months pp and every month, my supply would plummet during my cycle. It always came right back, but each month for 3-4 days I would have to dip into my stash to have enough milk to satisfy baby. (My cycle always returned to normal once my period was over) 

  
  

  I was not nearly the amazing pumper as JAP09-02, but I probably always had 300 ounces in my freezer, and was able to make my own purees with it when he started foods, so that was nice.

  
  

  I breastfed my baby 1-2x a day until he was 15 months, (and I was pg with April baby) but had enough stored breastmilk that he was able to get my milk until he was almost 18 months. 

  
  

  
  

  I agree that there is no need for a huge stash, but  it brings me a little comfort for the times I may need it. 

  
  

  
  

  
  

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• crsanchez87 member

  October 2015

  I just wanted to say to PPs that yall are awesome mommies!! I am having the hardest time keeping a stash, much less building one. We do date nights at least once a month so that keeps dipping into it for our niece who babysits and feeds him. I have fall break this week at work so I am hoping to pump after each nursing session to get that stash back up, especially because I will be leaving DS for a weekend for the first time in Feb.

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• jlkapp85 member

  October 2015

  Thanks for the replies! I probably won't have a huge stash but I agree that I will feel more prepared/comforted building up as much as I can.

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• ---nmn--- member

  October 2015

  I have one concern about storing breastnilk for a long time. Since baby's needs change with age (and breastmilk follows that change), wouldn't baby be missing out on nutrients if he drank milk pumped 4 months earlier? I mean formula is age specific as well: infant, follow-on and then growth... I don't know what you other pumping-storing moms think about it?

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• RIngReady member

  October 2015

  Your right ---nmn--- , but I don't ever plan on using my stored milk as her only milk. I guess I think of it more as an 'as needed' or my 'in a crunch' supply, so ideally she is still getting her needed nutrients ect from me, and then I am just supplementing with my stored milk during when I need to, or want to ie date night ect.

  
  

  
  

  
  

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• JAP09-02 member

  October 2015

  It does change with age. You are correct. With my last baby I was on a good rotation because she was in daycare, so I sent the older milk & froze the newer milk. I'll be giving away my older milk to a younger baby, so that should be good for him. Then by the time I'm exclusively using it (after age one) more foods will be introduced. Cow's milk isn't specially formulated, so I figure that slightly old breastmilk should be fine. Another option would be to mix or alternate fresher milk with older milk. It seems like once you start using the frozen milk exclusively it goes so quickly. So you'd catch up to the "age appropriate" milk rather quickly.

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