Breastmilk Stash ?

Question

Hey my baby just turned 6 weeks today. I’ve been trying to EBF however I had or at least I felt I had a low milk supply so I supplemented with formula half or more then half of the time..even though my baby’s latch was perfect, I wasn’t confident That I had enough for her and didn’t want her to go hungry. She willingly goes from breast to bottle with no nipple confusion. I spent a lot of time pumping like crazy trying to get enough milk that my baby would need each day. Each POWER pump session I would end with 1-1.5oz total from both breasts, witch wasn’t enough to me. I figured if she took 2-3oz formula bottles every 2 hours then I’d need to be able to produce 2-3oz of breastmilk every 2 hours to meet her needs. I now know breastmilk intake is typically less then formula because breastmilk has more fat and calories exc. ✋🏼I’m learning. Lol. Today I decided no more bottles, no more pumping. I’m trusting my body to provide for her. I’m keeping a close eye on her diapers to make sure she’s taking in enough milk. Baby had a great day and nursed perfectly and seemed to be overall happy after feedings. That aside, my next question is how do I build a freezer stash? Now I’m not talking about any crazy amount I’m just thinking for when I return to work, I would like to able to continue only feeding breastmilk if I can so I would need to send milk daily to her daycare. So, if I’m currently pumping basically exactly what my baby needs, how will I ever be able to freeze milk ? I’ve pumped shortly after nursing and my baby leaves my breast empty I maybe pump at most 2mm from each side.
pic = milkdrunk 😂

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Answer

I’ve been able to build a stash by only nursing one side at a time and using a haaka on the other. My baby gets full (not cranky 2+ hours between feeds and plenty of wet diapers) I get anywhere from .5 to 3oz off the opposite breast each session. I can count on one hand the times I’ve had to pump to relieve after not being able to nurse while out and using a bottle. My boy is almost 5 months and I have about 400 oz saved up.

Answer

You don’t need a huge stash, even to go back to work. You only need 1 days worth of milk for the first day of daycare. You will pump while at work for the next days bottles. I had a massive milk stash and literally never touched it.

Answer

You don’t need a huge stash at all. Maybe a day or two to start with. 
You will be pumping while at work to replace what babe drank that day. You’ll need to pump every 2-3 hours while at work. 
Babe only needs 24-32oz in 24hrs. So having 60oz saved is more than enough. Save in portions of 2-3oz. So 20 3oz bags. That won’t take long to get, so don’t rush. 
You can use the haakaa on the opposite breast you are feeding on. This is a gentle non stressful way to save some milk. You don’t need to do it every feed.

Answer

As long as you’re able to pump what baby needs for the next day while at work, you don’t need a stash for more than a day. I didn’t have a stash with my first and had to supplement. I had a huge stash with my 9 month old and we aren’t using it. I’m able to pump what she needs. I’ve donated nearly 1000 oz of my stash and still have 500-600 oz. I doubt we’ll ever use even a quarter of it. I’ll probably donate most of it too.