Moms who work outside the home have a lot to think about before heading back to their place of work after staying home with baby. And maybe, you don't work outside the home but have a trip, outing or other commitment that you need to safely store some milk away for your baby to continue to have the hard earned breast milk you both have established so well!
I'd like to provide you with some evidence based information, along with some real life mom advice to make you feel equipped and prepared to do it all right so that your precious milk doesn't get wasted from a simple mistake.
If you are planning on returning to work after time at home with baby postpartum, it is a wise idea to start pumping one time a day after baby is about one month of age. You will find that the breastfeeding medicine world (including me!) will advise to not pump for the first month of baby's life in order to allow your body and your baby to establish a good, consistent milk supply aside from any extra stimulation. Though our society tends to be very "number oriented" in that we want as MUCH milk stored in that freezer as possible, it is okay to move towards the mindset of being equipped with at least two days worth of milk stored in your freezer before heading off to work.
Now, of course, any extra you accumulate above that is bonus points, for you mama! But - stressing is only going to cause anxiety - which as we all can surmise, actually then means LESS milk in that freezer from high stress levels during your pumping sessions not producing the numbers you have made up in your mind that indicate adequacy in your eyes.
Finding a consistent time of day that you can sit down to pump for 15 minutes is going to provide your body with extra stimulation and consistent signals to your hormones that an extra feeding is needed per day. This will allow you to save up that milk in your freezer, without compromising calorie intake, how much baby is needing to continue to grow and continue to be nourished. My best advice to you is: pick your first pump in the morning or last pump of the night. Morning time is great because of the high prolactin levels your body has been producing all night, so you likely have quite a good amount left in there to pump some for the freezer and still provide for baby's first morning feed. Night time is just as good because baby has gone to sleep, and if you're staying up a few hours after their last feeding, you're simply asking your body to produce a few extra ounces for you meanwhile upping your supply and hormone levels to keep working on milk production all night long!
So, here you are, pumping your consistent session per day.
But.. now what??
How do you store it, how long can it stay fresh or frozen, what do you put it in?
Sooo many questions- am I right?
Here's where the tips and tricks come in handy!
According to La Leche League International- these are the best recommendations for milk storage time frames, temperatures and places to store. This has been extremely handy to myself and many others I have talked to about storage. The guidelines set forth are consistent with the World Health Organization and the CDC too, so all the better to have back up from all the important people!
Utilizing these guidelines will ensure you're offering the freshest milk to your baby and that the family members or caretakers caring for your baby while at work feel informed and understanding of how to ensure baby is remaining safe while being fed pumped breast milk!
If you are pumping enough milk to build up a freezer stash - I'd like to list a few helpful hints below to streamline your process, maximize storage and keep things simple for you and everyone involved.
Milk Storage Bags
Though there are plenty of milk bags on the market, I can say I have had my fair share of experience with each brand and similarly, have heard lots of feedback from others regarding their opinions too. Now, I'm not one for many generic brands of products (just my thing, for some reason!) but I can proudly promote and recommend Target's Up&Up brand milk storage bags.
These bags are durable (never had a leak, myself), cost effective and holds up to 6 ounces (whereas some bags only hold 5oz). They also lay down flat really well and therefore conserve your freezer space once frozen. I have also had good luck with the Medela pump storage bags but the cost difference is quite noticeable in relation to how many bags come in a box. Unfortunately, I would recommend steering clear of Lansinoh's bags, as myself and many others have experienced leaks which caused us to lose our precious milk - which I don't wish upon anyone! Truly - you'll never understand what its like to cry over spilt milk until you have to cry over spilt milk!!
<--Buy one via Amazon, Target or a baby supply store
Make one with a 12 pack coke can box, wrap in wrapping paper & tape it securely -->
Well mama- you've finally made it! You've got all the supplies you need, the process that works for you is being perfected and you should be proud of yourself for providing milk despite circumstances that drive you outside of the home (real life, right?!)
Take a tote like this along with you so that your milk stays cold enough and concealed to make it back home safe to that nursling of yours who appreciates so much what you are doing for him and her!
Questions, concerns, need more help?? Just reach out!! I'm here to help.
References upon Request
Primary source of information:
La Leche League International
I'd like to provide you with some evidence based information, along with some real life mom advice to make you feel equipped and prepared to do it all right so that your precious milk doesn't get wasted from a simple mistake.
If you are planning on returning to work after time at home with baby postpartum, it is a wise idea to start pumping one time a day after baby is about one month of age. You will find that the breastfeeding medicine world (including me!) will advise to not pump for the first month of baby's life in order to allow your body and your baby to establish a good, consistent milk supply aside from any extra stimulation. Though our society tends to be very "number oriented" in that we want as MUCH milk stored in that freezer as possible, it is okay to move towards the mindset of being equipped with at least two days worth of milk stored in your freezer before heading off to work.
Now, of course, any extra you accumulate above that is bonus points, for you mama! But - stressing is only going to cause anxiety - which as we all can surmise, actually then means LESS milk in that freezer from high stress levels during your pumping sessions not producing the numbers you have made up in your mind that indicate adequacy in your eyes.
Finding a consistent time of day that you can sit down to pump for 15 minutes is going to provide your body with extra stimulation and consistent signals to your hormones that an extra feeding is needed per day. This will allow you to save up that milk in your freezer, without compromising calorie intake, how much baby is needing to continue to grow and continue to be nourished. My best advice to you is: pick your first pump in the morning or last pump of the night. Morning time is great because of the high prolactin levels your body has been producing all night, so you likely have quite a good amount left in there to pump some for the freezer and still provide for baby's first morning feed. Night time is just as good because baby has gone to sleep, and if you're staying up a few hours after their last feeding, you're simply asking your body to produce a few extra ounces for you meanwhile upping your supply and hormone levels to keep working on milk production all night long!
So, here you are, pumping your consistent session per day.
But.. now what??
How do you store it, how long can it stay fresh or frozen, what do you put it in?
Sooo many questions- am I right?
Here's where the tips and tricks come in handy!
According to La Leche League International- these are the best recommendations for milk storage time frames, temperatures and places to store. This has been extremely handy to myself and many others I have talked to about storage. The guidelines set forth are consistent with the World Health Organization and the CDC too, so all the better to have back up from all the important people!
Utilizing these guidelines will ensure you're offering the freshest milk to your baby and that the family members or caretakers caring for your baby while at work feel informed and understanding of how to ensure baby is remaining safe while being fed pumped breast milk!
If you are pumping enough milk to build up a freezer stash - I'd like to list a few helpful hints below to streamline your process, maximize storage and keep things simple for you and everyone involved.
Milk Storage Bags
Though there are plenty of milk bags on the market, I can say I have had my fair share of experience with each brand and similarly, have heard lots of feedback from others regarding their opinions too. Now, I'm not one for many generic brands of products (just my thing, for some reason!) but I can proudly promote and recommend Target's Up&Up brand milk storage bags.
These bags are durable (never had a leak, myself), cost effective and holds up to 6 ounces (whereas some bags only hold 5oz). They also lay down flat really well and therefore conserve your freezer space once frozen. I have also had good luck with the Medela pump storage bags but the cost difference is quite noticeable in relation to how many bags come in a box. Unfortunately, I would recommend steering clear of Lansinoh's bags, as myself and many others have experienced leaks which caused us to lose our precious milk - which I don't wish upon anyone! Truly - you'll never understand what its like to cry over spilt milk until you have to cry over spilt milk!!
Milk Storage in the Freezer
When freezing your milk, find a very flat surface within your freezer to lay them down so that you potentiate the room within your milk storage area. When sealing your bag before placing it in the freezer, seal the bag almost completely and leaving only a small hole in the seal to let air out of. Place the bag on the edge of your counter and thin all the air out via that small vent you left until there is no air visible in the bag. Seal the remainder of the bag and lay bags flat on top of one another until completely frozen.
You can then utilize one of the following methods to set aside a designated area in your freezer to safely store your supply for future use.
<--Buy one via Amazon, Target or a baby supply storeMake one with a 12 pack coke can box, wrap in wrapping paper & tape it securely -->
Well mama- you've finally made it! You've got all the supplies you need, the process that works for you is being perfected and you should be proud of yourself for providing milk despite circumstances that drive you outside of the home (real life, right?!)Take a tote like this along with you so that your milk stays cold enough and concealed to make it back home safe to that nursling of yours who appreciates so much what you are doing for him and her!
Questions, concerns, need more help?? Just reach out!! I'm here to help.
References upon Request
Primary source of information:
La Leche League International
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