when have you used your freezer stash?

[patronus]

i've been back to work for 2 weeks now and am having an easy time pumping more than enough milk for my lo.

i've been able to bank 5-8 oz of extra milk per week now that i'm back to work and i've got a freezer stash of about 200 oz.

barring any illness or medication, i'm not sure when i'd ever need to use it. i don't think i could donate it because for a good portion of the time i spent pumping it i was on a couple meds (reglan to deal with low supply at first and then a penicillin to deal with mastitis.)

under what circumstances have you dipped into your freezer stash?

[akind1]

I WOH 2-3 days a week. We dip into the freezer stash every week, because it is usually at least 2, often a few days more than 2, days from my last pumping to when I go to work again. (for example, if I WOH Weds and Thurs, then Thurs milk is frozen to be used the following Weds. Even if I work Friday and the following Monday, I will often freeze Fridays to be used on Monday)

Also we have used the freezer stash for the rare occasions MIL has watched DS and I didn't have fresh pumped (doubly rare, as MIL has watched DS only 3-4 times, and only 1 or 2 did we need to use frozen)

still save it in the event your DC ever needs more than you pump in a day

[texmati]

when you get pregnant again and your supply drops drastically. j/k kindof.

Some woman also dip into there frozen when AF start's up again. Or,to use with solids once your LO start's on solids. Or, if you have to travel for work on short notice. 200 ounces would get you through a few days of bottle only.

This is a great link about using your stash responsibly.
http://www.workandpump.com/freezerstash.htm

i had about the same amount saved up. I started donating to HMBANA here in texas. You may try posting on milk share to see if there is a mama near you that will take the milk despite the meds.

I

[octobermom]

I'm diabetic so I like to have a basic 3 day stash frozen cause forbid I end up hospilized that seems to be my average stay... I haven't had to dip into it for that though but since I can only store in the freezer door I don't trust it longer than 3 maybe 4 months tops so I'll be slowly using some and restocking with fresh..

Deanna

[hildare]

good question..
i'm a wohm full time, my dh is a sahd. normally, she just eats what i pump each day. however,
we've used freezer milk for various reasons:
when dd has had a growth spurt/teething etc. and wanted more than i had pumped
when af made supply go down a bit
when i was in a big hurry in the morning to get out the door, and she had woken to eat recently enough that i failed to pump that morning
when i was too damned lazy, busy, or demanded upon to make that 3rd pumping at work, or else i had to work late..
and, my personal d'oh! when i have forgotten- on more than one occasion-- to put the milk in the fridge upon getting home after work. that is what having a baby does to my brain.
you will use that stash, even if you are not a space cadet like me...

[aylaanne]

I work nights. When DS was about 8 months old, he nightweaned with my husband. I kept pumping at work for a while, and then stopped, but I still have about 50 oz in my freezer downstairs. It's all expired now, so I can't use it for DD or donate it, but I hate to just throw it out. I'm going to make soap with it in the winter.

We dipped into the freezer stash when he hit growth spurts, and needed the extra milk. I think for DD we might also thaw out milk for the transition to cup drinking, since DS still won't drink any kind of milk from a cup (he's still nursing though). And, like others have said, it's good for when baby starts eating solids to mix with the solids.

If you think of it, freeze some in ice cube trays, and put it in a mesh feeder this summer to help cool the baby down.

[eclipse]

I never had to dip into my stash, thankfully. Especially when I was pumping for DD, I pumped way, way more than she could drink. I ended up donating a bunch to a friend whose baby had a heart defect and she wasn't able to produce enough for him.

[DCMama01]

I WOH FT and freeze whatever I pump on Fridays and leave DD frozen milk to drink on Mondays so that my freezer stash stays fairly current. I've also used frozen milk when I've forgotten to bring milk home from work that I pumped and when I spent a weekend away from DD.

[LindsC]

I am just now dipping into my stash and DD is 11 months old. The only reason we are doing it is because I am only pumping once a day since I weaning from the pump. I am only needing to take 16ish ounces from my stash weekly so it's going to take a looonnng time to use it all up.

[Quinalla]

Growth spurts and low pumping days. If I don't get enough sleep, my pumping supply drops quite a bit.

[hotharmony]

I also might mention that your out put may decrease the longer you pump. If you are sure your not going to use your stash why not post in the finding your tribe are for where you live an find out if anyone needs milk. Some will even accept the milk with drugs in it.