Managing freezer stash

[canoemom]

I am back to work after my second child and have questions about managing the freezer stash that I built up while on maternity leave. With my first child - I had such meager supply - I never had a freezer stash to contend with.

If I'm remembering correctly - milk can be stored in a deep freezer for 6 months.

My question - I am able to pump enough milk each day for my son't intake the following day. Should the care providers (grandparents) feed him that milk - or should I be freezing milk each day and always pulling the oldest milk from the freezer so that we don't end up with expired milk in a few months?

Logistically it seems easiest to just give him the milk from the day before; wondering what others have done to manage their freezer supply and ensure that none of that precious milk expires.

Thanks!

[kirstenb]

I'll be going back to work in a week and have built up a freezer stash as well. I am anticipating that I won't be able to pump quite enough milk, so I will use the fresh milk and then suppliment with the frozen milk what I am lacking. If I do manage to pump enough, I plan on using most of the fresh milk and some of the freezer milk so it won't expire. I will then freeze anything extra that I have pumped to keep up my freezer stash.

[the2amigos]

Interested to hear what others think. I always use fresh on the limited time that I pump and work (I only work weekends). And we haven't had to use any freezer stash. I'd think you'd want them to get the most current antibiodies etc. You can always use the freezer stash to mix in with foods once they start solids, use as "breast"sicles for teething, have them drink when they get older. And a LC that I used at Children's said she is ok with milk being used for up to a year in a deep freeze, just that it starts to break down the antibiodies, etc a little more after about 6 months, but it isn't BAD.

[Hannah'sMommy]

I work full time and so my 6 month old DD is at the babysitter's all day. She usually takes 3 bottles, each about 5 ounces each during the day. So I give the babysitter 10 ounces fresh to use for the next day when I pick up DD, and then she uses a bag of the frozen for one of the feedings (usually the last) during the day. I then freeze whatever I have left (usually 5-10 ounces, I'm an over-producer). This way I rotate through my freezer stash and make sure it doesn't go bad. I have a regular freezer, so I think the milk can last about 3 months.

If DD is sick or I'm sick, she just gets all fresh for a little bit so she gets the most current anitbodies. Then sometimes I'll do a "catch up" day, where she'll just get all frozen for that day. Breastmilk, even when frozen, is still better than formula

[Poodge]

I send a couple of frozen bottles once a week or once every other week to keep my freezer stash fresh. On the day I send frozen I freeze the fresh milk I would have sent.

[plunky]

Sounds like how you rotate food in a restaurant. Use the oldest that is still good, and rotate the new into the back of the queue.

[Anna Phor]

I *just* returned to work this week, and my plan is to draw from the freezer on Monday, feed Monday's pumped milk on Tuesday and then on through the week, then freeze what I pump on Friday.

[Skippy918]

I had an oversupply and pumped while on leave to build a stash. Luckily we had a deep freezer. When I returned to work, I sent fresh milk and then froze the extra. After 2 months, I was pumping what he ate, but I didn't actually have to start using the freezer stash till he was 9-10 months old. Then since I had a huge stash (1200oz), I stopped pumping and he drank the freezer stash for the next 4 months. By the time he turned 1, he was mostly on solids and was drinking ebm and whole milk. The frozen milk was about 5-6 months by the time he drank it. He didn't really notice the difference.

[CathMac]

Originally Posted by canoemom

...
Logistically it seems easiest to just give him the milk from the day before; wondering what others have done to manage their freezer supply and ensure that none of that precious milk expires. ...

This is one of those "short answer / long answer" questions. I won't even bother with the short answer, I will simply link you to some earlier posts so you have the information you need to decide your own "long answer".

a couple more pumping questions
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...sh#post7156750
Post # 12

EBM: "Use by, Freeze by, or Lose" Storage Guidelines and Info on Re-Freezing in Post # 4
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...e#post12377501

Post #s 1, 4 & 8

Good luck,
~Cath

[almadianna]

Since freezing kills things in the milk that are good I actually give the fresh milk first and freeze any left overs within 24 hours.

I label and go through my stash once a month or so and pull out the ones that need to get used within that month and those are given to the baby for the next couple of days and the fresh stuff is frozen.

I prefer him having fresh milk when possible so that is how we do it.

[purplevega]

fresh is best for baby.

Kim