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SIMPLE AND EASY GUIDE TO BUIDLING YOUR BREAST MILK STASH
I learned the hard way how important it is to build a breast milk stash.
I was working in labor and delivery when I got the dreaded call from my husband. I was working an eight-hour shift and baby Nicholas had polished off all the breast milk I had left. This was a problem. We didn’t keep formula around the house for “just in case.” I believed “just in case” is just poor planning. And that is exactly what this was. I had not planned for him to eat more than the three bottles of milk that I had left. And, I did not have a freezer stash of breast milk. We only had one car and I had it. My husband couldn’t run out and get some formula. I had to leave work early. Fortunately, it was a very quiet evening and my leaving early didn’t cause a problem. Most working moms know they need to have some breast milk stashed in reserve. The truth is that they are not the only ones who need to stockpile some breast milk in their freezer.
WHO NEEDS A STASH OF BREAST MILK IN THEIR FREEZER?
The answer to that question is easy. Every breastfeeding mom should have a breast milk stash. Having extra milk on hand is not just for working moms.
You need a freezer stash because of emergencies. The unexpected happens, often with frustrating regularity. I will always remember the mom I saw who had emergency gallbladder surgery. Her 3-month old baby had never even taken a bottle before. That was a lot of firsts that little girl had to deal with all at once. She had never been away from her momma either. They all did fine. But having a freezer with a stockpile of milk would have helped decrease the stress. I am sure you have all kinds of questions about this magical breast milk stash. I’ll do my best to answer them.
Milk Storage Guidelines PrintableGet the Guidelines by the American Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine. Subscribe and get access to my entire library of free printables and ebooks. (Please check your junk mail filter if you don’t receive an email within 5 minutes.) Subscribe
Hold up, you don’t have the key to breastfeeding confidence quite yet.I know you can’t wait to get your hands on the Breast Milk Storage Guidelines Pintable, but before that magic happens you need to check your inbox for your confirmation email. Once you do that you’ll have access to all the fabulous freebies in the Breastfeeding Confidential Breastfeeding Resource Library where you will find the Breast Milk Storage Guidelines Pintable. Look for the email that says: Please confirm your request for Breastfeeding Confidential Resource Library Access **If you do not see this in your inbox check your spam/junk folder then add me to your list of cool email senders.
HOW TO STOCK UP ON BREAST MILK WHILE BrREASTFEEDING
Momming is hard. It is so time-consuming. It may have made your head want to explode to think there is one more thing that you have to think about. The truth is you just gotta start somewhere. Start pumping for your stash once breastfeeding is well established for you. There are lots of ways to multitask to build a stash of breast milk. Pick the one that seems like it will work best for you. I want to give you some guidelines so this doesn’t stress you out.
Related Post Everything You Need to Know About Pumping Breast Milk!
HOW MUCH MILK SHOULD YOU STASH?
The amount of milk you keep in your freezer is an individualized amount. It depends on your comfort level. It depends on whether you can pump lots of milk.
Milk Storage Guidelines PrintableGet the Guidelines by the American Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine. Subscribe and get access to my entire library of free printables and ebooks. (Please check your junk mail filter if you don’t receive an email within 5 minutes.) Subscribe
Hold up, you don’t have the key to breastfeeding confidence quite yet.I know you can’t wait to get your hands on the Breast Milk Storage Guidelines Pintable, but before that magic happens you need to check your inbox for your confirmation email. Once you do that you’ll have access to all the fabulous freebies in the Breastfeeding Confidential Breastfeeding Resource Library where you will find the Breast Milk Storage Guidelines Pintable. Look for the email that says: Please confirm your request for Breastfeeding Confidential Resource Library Access **If you do not see this in your inbox check your spam/junk folder then add me to your list of cool email senders.
TRICKS AND TIPS TO GET MORE MILK FOR YOUR STASH
If you are one of those moms who has tons of milk then you probably can skip this section. If you are a mom who has more of an average supply you may have to take advantage of some of these tips and tricks. Try Power pumpingPower pumping can be done a couple of different ways.
Related Post Your Ultimate Guide To The Benefits of Power Pumping Use A Wearable PumpA wearable breast pump like the Willow® Pump is a battery operated pump that you put in your bra and go about your day. You don’t wear it constantly. But if you are a mom who just doesn’t have a single extra minute to pump with the Willow® Pump you can pump while you are doing something else. Related Posts Complete Willow Breast Pump Review By A Lactation Consultant Everything You Need to Know About Pumping Breast Milk!
WHERE TO KEEP YOUR MILK STASH
Keep your stash of frozen breast milk in the back of your freezer. That way it is exposed to less frequent changes in temperature. If you have a lot of milk you will either need to be mega organized or you will need a stand-alone freezer. It can be worth it to invest in a freezer. you can take advantage of sales and when you have a lot of things to harvest from your garden. I recommend an upright. I had a chest freezer for ten years. I used to do freezer cooking. When the freezer was full the things on the bottom weren’t going to be seen for a couple of months. Either will work though. Freezers are great to have if you have space and the room in your budget to purchase one.
ORGANIZING FROZEN BREAST MILK
Once you have more than one bottle of milk you officially have a stash! You will want to keep your milk stash organized. You want to use the oldest milk first and keep that rotation going. This rule is different than what you do with fresh or refrigerated milk. If you have milk that is not frozen you use the freshest first. The method used most frequently to store milk in the freezer:
Sounds easy enough!
MILK STASH ESSENTIALS
A few supplies are required to keep your milk organized and to ensure that it gets used in the proper order.
ALTERNATIVE METHOD OF STASH ORGANIZATION
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a bit of an earth mama. I like to minimize my use of plastic, especially disposable plastic. But this method is not just about my environmental agenda. This method allows you more flexibility in terms of how much you can thaw at one time. My preferred way is to freeze your milk in Milkies Tube Trays.
You can freeze the tubes and then store them in either glass or plastic containers. You can label the containers with the date so that you are sure you are rotating your stash of milk.
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH LEFTOVER MILK?
Milk in a freezer is good for 6-12 months. Don’t you love a guideline like that? Which is it? Six months or twelve months? Twelve months is twice as long as six months. Six months is optimal and 12 is acceptable. The older milk is not bad the older it is. It’s just not as good and is still better than formula. Even when you stop breastfeeding you can still give your kiddo breast milk in a cup until it’s all used up. If you find yourself with milk that you aren’t comfortable using or you have so much you know that you aren’t going to use it, you have options.
Babies love breast milk popsicles! Related Post 10 Genius Ideas of What To Do With Leftover Breast Milk
THE LIPASE PROBLEM
A very small percentage of women have an excessive amount of the lipase enzyme. This results in their milk having a sour or soapy smell and taste. No mama wants to have a freezer full of milk only to find out her baby won’t drink it. After you have frozen some milk thaw it and make sure your baby will drink it. Make sure it doesn’t smell or taste weird. The solution to high lipase levels is to scald the milk before freezing. You heat it to about 180˚. At that temperature you should see bubbles forming around the edges of the pan. Don’t boil it!
FINAL THOUGHTS ON YOUR BREAST MILK STASH
I hope I have convinced you to build a stash of your breast milk. The ideas and tips provided in this blog post should help you get this essential breastfeeding task completed before you know it. How long does it take to build a breast milk stash?How long does it take for breastfeeding to become 'established' so you can start pumping for a breastmilk freezer stash? It can take a minimum of 3-4 weeks postpartum, or on average 6-8 weeks postpartum, for you to feel like you have this breastfeeding thing down.
How do I start my freezer stash while breastfeeding?Breast Milk Backup Stash: How to Pump Enough Milk to Store. Add an extra pump session after your milk supply is established.. Choose your storage bags wisely.. Freeze the right amount in each bag.. Store your bags efficiently in your freezer.. Don't stress about building a large stash.. How do you make a breast milk stash without making oversupply?I've found the best way to build a stash of breast milk without causing your body to permanently over-produce is to create a pumping schedule and accumulate the stored milk gradually over several weeks. Pumping just a few ounces extra a day over a few weeks is enough to build your stored milk.
How much breastmilk should I stockpile?In general, for 8-10 hours away from your baby, you'd need between 9 and 16 oz, split between 3 or 4 bottles. If you're unsure of where in that range you need to be, try doing a pump/bottle feed test run to see how much your baby takes in a single feeding, then multiply by the number of bottles you're sending.
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