Wwyd?

[ChetMC]

Older DS will be twenty months old on January 9th. Younger DS will be three months old on January 9th. I just started pumping, and am currently getting about 8oz a day. I'm working on increasing that, but I don't expect I can get it up any higher than about 12oz per day.

What would you do with the pumped milk? Freeze it as a just in case for the younger baby, or give it to the twenty month old?

Younger DS will need pumped milk two days a week (probably just one 5oz bottle).

So far, I've been giving the pumped milk to older DS... he weaned at 12 months when my milk dried up. However, with our other babies I've always stockpiled milk in the freezer and it feels weird to not be hording milk like that.

[LilMomma83]

I'd give it to whoever I felt "needed" it more. If your older child eats well and doesn't have health issues I'd probably give it to the baby, but, if your are concerned about nutrition or antibodies for the older child I would give it to him...you could always switch it up too...

[ChetMC]

Clarify

Little DS is nursing and gaining well. The choice is between having a "just in case" freezer stash for younger DS or giving the milk to older DS as I pump it.

The downside of having kids so close together is that they have all weaned quite early (12 to 14 months) due to my getting pregnant. I do think it's preferable for babies to be breastfed for 2 to 3 years. I'd planned to pump for older DS once I had milk again, but now that I'm actually doing it, it's stressing me out to not be the freezing milk for the baby!

Now, in the past the freezer stash has been useful for me working part time, and for supplementing when I started to lose my milk due to pregnancy. This is the last baby for us though, so I shouldn't have to worry getting pregnant this time around... and I'll only be working for 13 weeks... but apparently, I like the security of freezer stash.

[ChetMC]

Bump

Anyone?

[sunnygir1]

Could you do some of both? Maybe freeze 5 oz every other day and give the rest to your older child.

I pumped and saved more frequently with dd than I am with ds, probably because I am chasing a toddler around all the time. I do have a small freezer stash, but rarely use it.

Dd weaned at 27 months, so I felt pretty good about that and have only given her breastmilk a couple times since then.