Want to just sit and cry

[Clydesdaleclopper]

Have just got home from holiday to find the freezer switched off and all of my expressed milk defrosted - 3.5 pints of it DS is starting nursery next week and I've been expressing every night for the past couple of months to build up a supply for him. I'm absolutely gutted.

much sympathy...

So sorry, what a terrible thing!
I think you SHOULD have a good cry.

I'm really sorry to hear hat...Cry? I'd scream!

so so so much sympathy. similar thing happened to me - I lost 7 pints when my DH left the freezer door open just before DS started nursery. it's so heartbreaking - not just the loss of milk (We have managed without the huge stock, we're still breastfeeding and expressing 4 months later - I've never managed to restock the freezer) but it's also the time and effort it took you to build it up.

I consoled myself with wine, chocolate and a good cry (and in my case a bit of rant at DH!)

Oh nooooooo!

Oh, how frustrating! So sorry for you . At least you have a week to get a couple of feeds stocked up, not that it's any consolation .

All that forward planning, I really feel for you. At least you've got a few days in hand to start attempting to rebuild stocks for your DS. Try to relax, all that good holiday feeling with hopefully give you a strong let down. So sorry.

Clydesdale, do you actually need such a big stock? I generally found that what I was able to express in work was enough for my boys the next day in nursery, so didn't need a huge freezer stock. So, so long as I had one day's worth I was sorted.

Unfortunately I can only express small amounts at a time - about 1oz - even if I haven't fed for quite a while so it takes ages to get enough for a feed. I will only be able to express once or twice whilst at work so I'm going to fall short on the amounts. I really feel like swearing lots now.

Can you feed him ebm from your newly defrosted stock and express to build up your frozen supply again? I hear breast milk keeps for a lot longer than you might think in the fridge.

Oh - just re-read op - just back from hols - ouch!

oh no. I think I would have vomited at the realisation and then just sobbed for hours.

Clyde this is a really crappy thing to happen, I am really sorry. Looking forward though, is there any way you can increase the amount you express? Are you using a good double pump, such as the ameda lactaline? Do you have an expressing bra so you can relax and do other things (like MN for example!) whilst you express? Have you tried doing it just after coming out of the bath/shower?

Grim

Really feel for you

I feel for you. I read your post to DH and he said he could imagine the fuss I would make if it happened to me!

Some suggestions that might help:

• pump when DS feeds - works really well for my let down, and its worth it even though its a hassle
• try it in the morning. I can sometimes get no more than a few drops in half an hour in the evening, but over the same time in the morning I get at least 1.5oz (normally around 2, sometimes as much as 4)

Good luck in getting some stored in time!

That milk will last in the fridge for eight days so you can still use some of it!

Unfortunately I was away for 2 weeks so it is past being usable.

I have just ordered a double pump so I hope I can get some more out using that when it arrives. I will try the pumping while I'm feeding tomorrow morning but DS is so distractible now it might be a bit tricky

Oh no, I would cry
How old is your DS?

He is 9 months. I really don't want to give him formula as DH has Crohns.

I would cry too

Second the recommendationf or ameda lactaline, and also would add that the amounts I could express at work far exceeded what I could get in a regular expresing session at home. Do take a piccy of your LO to look at while expressing, or even better, a video (I had one on my phone)

hope it works for you

Do you have any holiday you can take? Any chance you can leave work and go to nursery to feed for the 1st few weeks?