Fresh or frozen BM to send to daycare?

mldutton · October 2016

My husband and I are disagreeing on this issue. I just started going back to work today; baby is in daycare. We have about 200 ounces of BM saved in the freezer. I am able to pump twice a day at work and once in the morning before work. Should we send frozen/thawed milk to daycare, or use what I pump the day before? I've read fresh is best, but husband doesn't want the frozen milk to sit in the freezer to long and go bad. I hate to have to throw out any unused thawed milk from daycare though (I want to breastfeed in the evenings since I'm not able to do it as frequently during the day).

Thanks for the input!!

SmrBrd2012 · October 2016

I agree with your husband. Frozen breast milk will eventually go bad (after 6 months or sometimes sooner), also, it's composition changes over time as baby grows, so it makes more sense to use the frozen milk sooner rather than later.

mommaofmultiples · October 2016

Every Monday I send frozen from the freezer. The rest of the week I send the fresh milk that I pumped the day before. This way you get the best of both worlds! Fresh is best so baby can get that the majority of the week. Sending frozen on Monday rotates out your freezer stash so it doesn't go bad. It also makes sense to send frozen on Monday unless you pump over the weekend. Make sense? So what I pump on Friday, I freeze. And then on Monday I send the oldest frozen milk. I am doing this with my second baby and my freezer stash never went old with this method.

jodiedrich18 · October 2016

I do what @mommaofmultiples does. When I went back to work almost 6 months ago, I would thaw some milk from the freezer stash each day to send thawed milk on Monday and Tuesday and freeze what I pumped at work to replace. The remaining part of the week I would just use the fresh milk from pumping the day before. So if there was any left I could use or freeze. Days i have an extra shift and need an extra bottle at home for my mom or DH while with LO, that i take from the frozen stash. I freeze whatever i pump on weekends. Your milk composition does change so it makes sense to start rotating it out before it does go bad eventually if it sits for too long and LOs needs would be different by then anyways.

mldutton · October 2016

Thank you ladies! That is a great compromise and hubby has approved

I started work on Monday and thought I'd be able to pump enough for the next day all week, but as the week has gone on, my supply has gotten less. I'm hoping it's just first week back jitters, and my supply will be back up next week

judithsr1983 · October 2016

It sounds like you've already got some good feedback, but my two cents...I've been reserving the frozen for the days when pumping isn't great, or i don't have time (for example going out at night and don't have enough for the evening and next day). I've also found that my output level varies significantly with stress, which is something I'm sure is increased with your first week back.

Also, in regards to worries about milk being wasted. In my area, there's an organization called the milk bank, that takes donations of breast milk for NICU babies. I'm pretty sure they conver all costs and provide shipping materials. I'd imagine if you Google milk bank you can find info.

lalala2004 · October 2016

What I do is mix fresh with frozen. I send 2 3oz bottles every day I work that I made with 2oz frozen and 1oz fresh. Then I send an extra 2oz still frozen with 1oz of fresh in a back up bottle. That way if he doesn't end up eating the third bottle, nothing goes to waste. Then every day I freeze all but the 3oz I need for the next day I work. This way I'm cycling through my freezer stash and he is getting fresh milk at the same time.

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