nursing every hour...when does it stop? starting work friday!

[@llli*blue2000]

Originally Posted by @llli*klb1977

If that holds true, then that is pretty much what DD gets! My supply has been great so far as I am getting about 23-25 oz daily (pumping 5x), so I am not worried about that yet...freezer stash is getting large! DD just doesn't do well any other way and she is thriving at daycare, so I think we are going to continue this way. I am learning that all babies are different!

Keep up the pumping if you can!! I had an easy time pumping in the beginning and then my supply really started dropping off around 8 months. We hung in there, but it was very stressful. It can be tempting to think about cutting back on pumping sessions, but as long as you have room in your freezer, you should keep it up. You never know when you're going to get sick, get Aunt Flow, have a crazy day at work where you can only pump once, etc. etc. etc. Glad things are going well thought!

[@llli*klb1977]

Ellen- as I sit here at 6am for pumping session #1 of 5 for the day, exhausted to go to work, and dreading waking my sweet baby girl to go to daycare, I can SO understand wanting to cut back on pumping!!!! And trust me, it has passed my mind! But I am trying to keep up and save for all of the reasons you have mentioned. I would love to continue BF until she can be weaned to solids, so I will do what I can...if things change at least I know I have done my best (this coming from a Mom who had a HORRIBLE first month with DD and BF and contemplated quitting on a daily basis!)

When the day comes to give up the pump...there will be celebrating, oh so labor intensive!

[@llli*mommy2lilah]

You're doing a great job. And 16 ounces of milk doesn't seem like too much to me - it is on the high end of the 1-1.5 ounce per hour away from mom, but some need to be on the high end and some need to be on the low end in order for there to be an average amount.

Do you have a deep freezer? The milk will store for a year in a deep freezer. It sounds like you're freezing about 10 ounces a day, you're going to want that milk to be ok for a long time. I used to freeze extra every day too and ended up giving it away because I was coming up on the three month mark. I know that frozen milk is still "acceptable" up to 6 months, but since I don't have a deep freezer I don't really like using milk that is older than 3 months.

Way to go on pumping for your baby. It's hard work, but so worth it

[@llli*klb1977]

Tracie, thanks for the support. It is really worth it and I am so proud of my freezer stash. I have actually able to produce and freeze about 20-25 ounces a day, amazing! I have thought about a deep freezer, but aren't they expensive? I want to keep pumping as much as possible, because who knows when my supply might change. We are pretty tight on money right now, but then again, none of the milk in my freezer is older than a month, so I don't think I will have the expiration problem soon.

Anyway, thanks everyone!

[@llli*mommy2lilah]

Aren't you using some of the milk? Or are you using all frozen? And just rotating your freezer stock?

What I typically do is: Frozen milk on Monday, fresh Tuesday through Thursday, then freeze leftovers every day and then freeze Thursday's milk.

Are you pumping more than 25 ounces a day?

[@llli*aprilsmagic]

Just some info, in case anyone ever searches and finds this thread: Before going nuts and storing all kinds of milk, check and make sure you don't have a lipase problem, which makes the milk taste and/or smell awful. It's still OK, but many babies don't like it. I have had mamas call me on the phone, hysterical because they didn't do a trial run and figure this out before storing up a gallon or more of milk that the baby won't eat.

Test for this by thawing some milk and tasting it. It should still taste sweet. Metallic-y, sour, soapy is all bad.

And it would be a good idea to make sure your LO will take previously frozen milk. My current nursling will have nothing to do with milk that has been frozen and thawed. Nothing. He will starve first. He will only take fresh pumped (and I have a lipase problem, so I scald it and save it in the fridge if I want to save it for him).

A deep freeze isn't that expensive. I bought an upright one -- smallish -- for under $500, and probably more like $350 some years ago. Awesome investment that you will have long after you have no need to save milk for a baby.

[@llli*klb1977]

I know, I know, I should be sending fresh milk as often as possible, but I have gotten ahead of myself. I get anxious about keeping it in the fridge for too long, mostly because I pump at work for most sessions and then lug everything home on an hour and a half commute (it is in a insulated bag with ice packs). Maybe I'm just crazy. She accepts thawed frozen milk no problem. It just takes up SOOO much room in the fridge too. And yes, I am pumping between 20-25oz of milk daily, it's fairly unbelievable to me, but it's happening. I'm not going to complain though.

Thanks for posting about the lipase problem. I had never even heard of that well into creating my freezer stash. I got paranoid when I first heard about it so I thawed and tasted a while back...sweet as pie

So much info from so many people. Appreciated, but a bit overwhelming. I think we are all trying to do the very best for our babies and there are just so many ways to go about doing it. It seems like we all work out our own systems after a lot of trial (but hopefully not too much error!) Way to go working mamas!