Are you thinking about how to build a freezer stash while nursing? Some would say that there is an art to it. If that is true, it’s a good thing that you’re doing your homework!
There are a number of things you’re probably unsure of right now. Is it even necessary to build a freezer stash while nursing? How much should you stockpile? How much time should you be spending on pumping in order to effectively build a useful stash?
Let’s get to answering all your questions below!
4 Important reasons to make a freezer stash of breastmilk
If you can build a freezer stash while nursing, you are at an advantage in many ways. Some of them are:
- Your partner, family and friends can all experience the joy of breastfeeding your baby as well! Particularly if your baby is exclusively breast milk-fed, this is a privilege that only you will have unless you have the option of others feeding your baby with some pumped milk. This is definitely one of the more pleasurable reasons to start pumping while breastfeeding.
- Apart from your loved ones enjoying the experience of feeding your baby, you can also choose to occasionally catch a break from the hard work of breastfeeding if you want to.
- For medical purposes, if you need to go on a course of medication for a short period where your baby cannot nurse while you are on it, you can make sure that your baby can continue to be exclusively breastmilk-fed from your freezer stash.
- Breast milk production is all about demand and supply. If you are trying to increase your milk production, building your freezer stash by pumping is a good way to encourage your body to produce more milk.
READ: How to increase your breastmilk production QUICKLY!
When should you start a freezer stash of breastmilk?
Give yourself at least a month after getting fully into the swing of breastfeeding before you start to build your freezer stash. I know people who started building their stash the day they started breastfeeding because they wanted to encourage more milk production. You can certainly start to build your stash the day you start breastfeeding if you prefer.
I would recommend waiting at least 4 – 6 weeks because around that time, you have been breastfeeding for a while and have hopefully dealt with any pain or discomfort that you may have felt the first few weeks of discomfort. If you experience any discomfort in the beginning and you add in the use of a breastpump, you may only be putting yourself at risk of greater pain which is likely to spoil your experience of breastfeeding in the long run.
4 Top tips to maximize your freezer space for breastmilk
- Use breastmilk freezer bags rather than bottles or any other fixed form containers. These are the ones I used.
- Lay the bags flat as that takes up less freezer space and then place the bags standing up once the milk is frozen
- Use the brick storage method
- Though not directly related to space, labelling each bag with the date you pumped it helps you to ensure that you arrange them with the most recently pumped bags at the back of the freezer
How much breastmilk should I stockpile?
This is a personal decision that you can base on your baby’s age or how much you notice they drink in one nursing session.
I would say that you might find it advantageous to stockpile enough for at least a week and have varying quantities in each bag.
How often should I pump to build freezer stash?
Again, this is your personal choice. It will largely depend on how large you want your breastmilk stash to be. The larger you want it, the more time you will have to spend pumping.
The frequency of pumping will also be dictated by how much time you can realistically dedicate to pumping. Are you a working mom? Do you have other little ones whom you have to cater to when your baby is not latched on to you?
It might be easier for some moms to decide that they will pump everytime they are nursing. A major benefit of doing it this way is that you are maximising the amount of breastmilk you pump as generally the amount of milk produced from one breast is higher while your baby is latched on to the other breast.
The key here is to establish a pumping routine so that whether you are pumping once or six times a day, it is regular.
What time of day should I pump to build my freezer stash?
If, as I suggested above, you are pumping everytime you breastfeed, then you are unlikely to have fixed times of day where you pump to build your freezer stash.
However, you might want to dedicate only one time of day for pumping.
It is recommended that you pump between 2am and 4am. This is because this is the time when your body releases the milk-making hormone prolactin.
What is the rule of 6 for breastmilk storage?
The rule of 6 for breastmilk storage simply dictates that once you have pumped breastmilk:
- it is good at room temperature for 6 hours only
- It is good in the refrigerator for 6 days only and
- It is safe for your baby to consume when it has been frozen for no longer than 6 months
Can you mix two bags of frozen breastmilk?
Generally, yes it is fine to mix two bags of frozen breastmilk.
Can you double freeze breast milk?
Yes, you can double freeze (or re-freeze) breast milk. You can only double freeze breast milk if the milk did not completely thaw. If it completely thawed, it is unsafe to re-freeze it.
Are you trying to build a freezer stash while nursing? How is it going?
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Great and useful tips! I wish I had that when my kids where little.