Storing your milk stash?!

[Home-Bird]

I have a little stash that ive been building since lo was about 2wks old. I like to give my daughter a bottle from time to time so she is used to them incase, for what ever reason someone else needs to look after her. Ive always just stashed each bag with what ive expressed at the time, be it 3, 4, 5oz etc but now im expressing 6 an 7oz off one boob.
So my question is do you stash the whole 6 and 7oz or split it in two bags of 3oz?
ive heard some people do this

 

[Sproglet]

Personally I store it all together- but my reason for the stash is in case I have to take a med that is incompatible with breastfeeding, in which case she'd need more than one bottle. If she just needs one bottle for some reason I'll defrost a smaller bag (which is the older stuff anyway).

 

[Jokerette]

I always broke it into smaller bags of 3-5oz, I figured I could always pull out two bags if needed but I didn't want to be stuck wasting any! BF babies don't ever need larger bottles than 5oz anyway

 

[Home-Bird]

Thanks ladies. Its never really crossed my mind before..until today when expressing, I had to change bottles as i'd reached the 5oz limit on my medela. I always wondered why they only did small bottles on the breast pump

Think I will separate it into smaller batches, that way its less likely to have any waste. I breastfeed on demand so she's a grazer..she struggles with 4oz+ in one go from a bottle x

 

[toby1331]

They do have the bigger bottles that'll attach to the pump. I looked into them but couldn't imagine that size hanging off me as I pumped!

I find it easier to freeze 3-4 ounce bags.

 

[xxlovexx]

I always freeze in 4-6 oz portions. I've been told that you can combine milk that you've pumped within 24 hours (which is what I do when I'm able to pump enough)...so if you pump 20 oz a day, I would personally freeze in four 5oz portions OR five 4oz portions. Or you could just freeze the whole 7oz together...I've been told that BM can be warmed twice but must be used within 8 hours after being warmed the first time....my DS rarely gets bottles, but at 4.5 months old, he stayed with a friend for 6 hours and drank 8oz within 5 hours.

 

[Jess19]

Ive been storing bags since my little one was home with me, my milk didn't come in until I left the hospital anyways.
I have a very good supply right now, and I just purchased a bottle for her that is ideal for BF babies.
We're getting married in April, so I have to start introducing the bottle soon.
Most of my bags are 4-6oz and I combine milk, I pump once or twice a day.

I have a question though.....
The bags from the first 3 weeks I feel are bad because I had to take pain meds, I had a c section.
I really don't feel comfortable giving her that milk
What do you ladies think? ??

 

[Twinkie210]

I started off freezing 3 to 4 oz bags, but since I EP little guy eats more like a formula baby than a BF baby. He will now take 6-8oz at a time, so I am freezing larger portions. Unless you know LO will take more at one time, it is always safer to freeze smaller portions.

 

[Jokerette]

I have a question though.....
The bags from the first 3 weeks I feel are bad because I had to take pain meds, I had a c section.
I really don't feel comfortable giving her that milk
What do you ladies think? ??

what was the medication?

 

[Home-Bird]

Thanks ladies. I think I'll just do smaller portions. I expressed off 6oz the other day when she slept all day she had it when she woke up but had little bits over the course of an hour or so rather than in one go.

Ive never reheated after its been heated. I once thawed in warm water and when it cooled it went all curdly. ive read since that apparently that can happen but its no harm to the baby..it just doesnt look too appealing!
so now I just try to thaw in the fridge over night or room temp x