BM "stash"

[birkmmm]

1. Are you working or SAHM?
I work part time but I still get to nurse DS

2. How much do you have in the freezer now?
Around 600 oz

3. What is your freezer goal (if you have one)?
I want to nurse till he's 1 I know I have more Than I need so I'm donating a big chunk of it to a friend. I have legit anxiety about using my freezer stash - it's like I get joy about building it but I don't want to ever use it.
It's a little obsessive

4. How do you organize it?
I put about 10 days worth of milk bags in a gallon zip lock once frozen and its in the deep freezer and labeled with dates and ounces

[westiemom]

I didn't know there was a 9 month supply dip! What causes that? Maybe I need to pump more!

[jbeans27]

Aug 27, 2016 5:23:29 GMT -5 westiemom said:

I didn't know there was a 9 month supply dip! What causes that? Maybe I need to pump more!

I don't know if it's a real thing esp if you're able to nurse baby on demand but in talking to other moms that pumped it seems like that's when we started to struggle to keep up.

[birkmmm]

I know my sister had a 9 mo supply drop too but was able to produce enough for him by lactation cookies, fenugreek and other things

[snoris]

I didn't think of stashing for potential future supply crashes. I don't know much about it. I always thought I'd just power pump again if I had a supply dip? Guess I should look into it.

[jbeans27]

Aug 27, 2016 7:48:18 GMT -5 snoris said:

I didn't think of stashing for potential future supply crashes. I don't know much about it. I always thought I'd just power pump again if I had a supply dip? Guess I should look into it.

I honestly wouldn't be too concerned in your situation since you WAH and can nurse on demand. Maybe someone else with a similar situation can weigh in though...

[k3am]

I don't think it's so much of a supply dip as it is the pump starting to become less effective.

[aaemommy]

Aug 27, 2016 5:23:29 GMT -5 westiemom said:

I didn't know there was a 9 month supply dip! What causes that? Maybe I need to pump more!

I've never heard of it. I didn't know it was a "thing." At that point I had quit my job to take a temp job as a stepping stone to what I really wanted to do. But it paid a lot less. And the week between jobs our car crapped out and we had a buy a "new" one.
Long story, it was a super stressful time and I just thought it was because of that.
It's interesting to hear so many others here say they've dealt with it or know people that have dealt with it around that time though!

[ellipses]

1. Are you working or SAHM?
Working, starting last week.
2. How much do you have in the freezer now?
90 oz
3. What is your freezer goal (if you have one)?
We still haven't bought a chest freezer and we are so limited on freezer space. We are almost at our max. with what is in there. I had supply issues with DS1 so I never had much of a stash. I seem to have an over supply with DS2, so hasn't needed any of the freezer stash at daycare yet. If we had the room, I'd get as large of a stash as I could so I could stop pumping at work sooner but give him breast milk until 13 months, and still nurse at home.
4. How do you organize it?
I have a sterilite ice cube bin that fits the bags upright perfectly. It can almost hold my stash right now, but most of it is in the Medela bags and I dislike the uneven way they freeze flat. I'm using them because they were given to me, but I prefer the Lanisoh bags which you can freeze flat and I think the container could hold more of them.

Eta: I put the oldest milk in the front of the bin and pull from there, and put the new milk in the back.

[ellipses]

This is the bin we have.

www.amazon.com/Sterilite-72508006-White-Ice-Cube/dp/B0042FN98Y

[jbeans27]

Aug 27, 2016 9:25:24 GMT -5 k3am said:

I don't think it's so much of a supply dip as it is the pump starting to become less effective.

Pretty much this... I'm sure my pump was fine because I replaced every part possible but I think my body was just over pumping. I love working but pumping is definitely challenging! Fortunately my Bfing relationship with DS was never a problem.

[fishbulb]

annarose and @frenchtoast, have you thought about donating what you pumped before you went soy and dairy free? I just signed on with the Milk Bank of North Texas. There's a questionnaire to fill out, they pay for you to have a blood draw to check for infectious diseases, and they cover the cost of shipping if you don't have a drop off location near you. The minimum donation they ask for is 100 oz and you can donate milk that you pumped before you signed up. There are plenty of milk banks around the country that would probably happily take your milk.

[wanderingheart]

1. Working mom

2. I have about 120 ounces.

3. I don't really have a goal...I have about 7 days worth (since they eat 16 ounces each day that I miss). My goal is to keep nursing until 1 year so hopefully I'll be able to keep up with both of them until then. So far so good!

4. In gallon ziplock bags, I have 40 ounces in each. Makes it easy to count, ha. It's organized by month.

[helloerrbody]

There isn't a point in me participating in the questions since I have low supply and my "stash" isn't from myself, but just putting it out there - if you every have leftover milk or milk your baby can't drink for whatever reason, please consider donating it! Us low supply mamas are BEYOND GRATEFUL for milk donors!!

[ellipses]

I couldn't remember my system for storing milk with DS1, but I was just reminded of the hack I used. Stack the milk bags flat in a small gift bag, with a rectangular hole cut at the bottom of one of the short sides that is just the right size to slide out the bottom bag of milk. As you fill new bags, stack them at the top of the bag.

[k3am]

Hah! I remember why the gift bag didn't work for me.. my supply is big enough that I would need multiple gift bags. So then once one is full, you start a second. And then needing to find a way to refill bags and what not. Just didn't work out.