Tips on getting a freezer stash of BM for when I return to work

[mum2JRC]

My son is currently 4 months and I will be going back to work 3 days in Oct.
I feed on demand and I'm now sure how to go about getting a couple of sessions in a week of expressing so I can build up a bit of a freezer stash before going back to work.

I've only expressed a handful of times and the most I've got from one session is 4 oz often its less than that.

I presume as my son will be 7 months by then he will only need a couple of feeds in the day. I'm planning on BLW too at 6months.

TIA

The easiest way is to keep a wide necked bottle in the fridge - well two actually. After each feed, sit down and hand express into the bottle. Then the next time, do it into the other bottle, next time, tip one milk into the other, and express into empty and so on. Once you have 4oz of milk, put it into a EBM freezer bag, lie it flat in a plastic box (otherwise the corners get bumped and they leak when defrosted) and freeze.

You'll build up a stash really quickly like that for the days when you can't express at work for some reason, someone tips your milk down the sink, or you leave it at home.

I wouldn't stress too much about building up a supply. Expressing will be much easier once you go back to work as you will be missing feeds and so have more milk available.

If you do want to build up a stock then I'd wait until you start weaning and then when he starts reducing his milk intake then express this "surplus" milk. This way you won't be asking your body to start produce more milk just for the expressing.

Do you know that he is ok with a bottle?

oh and 4oz sounds pretty good if you are also feeding him.

disclaimer - am no expert but expressed for both my boys (I went back to work at 6 months both times)

Just wanted to add that if you are going with BLW then it may be a while before he drops any feeds as it takes them a while to really eat rather than just suck on stuff! It's fab though, check out the BLW thread in weaning.

wideawakemum, i know i am researching this very early as dc2 hasn't even arrived yet but i have time on my hands and have been thinking about when i do stop bf but would still like dc to have breast milk. im quite impressed that you never had to use formula. Do you mind me asking just how much milk you ended up with in the freezer. DH is saying he thinks we need to buy a spare freezer for the garage just for the milk im planning on expressing. Also do you know how long bm can be frozen for?