https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 12 May 2026 08:04:18 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/building-a-stash-while-on-maternity-leave#post-647400 Sat, 16 Mar 2013 22:15:40 +0000 autumnlove 647400@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I pumped as soon as my milk came in and I kept at it for 9 months....i stored the most during maternity leave when I was able to pump several times a day. I had to wean at 9 months but I was able to feed LO pumped milk for 4 more months...I supplemented with solids and 1-2 bottles of formula.</p> <p>It is definitely possible! :-) good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/building-a-stash-while-on-maternity-leave#post-647328 Sat, 16 Mar 2013 20:36:46 +0000 CarrieLouWho 647328@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@blackbird - I can't point you to an article, but I've read that on these boards multiple times from posters I trust. And it makes sense to me... I've almost made it to 6 months (my goal), so now I need to decide what my next goal is :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/building-a-stash-while-on-maternity-leave#post-647320 Sat, 16 Mar 2013 20:32:28 +0000 blackbird 647320@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@carrielouwho, i didn't know about max benefits coming from two feeds a day! That makes it seem a lot more feasible </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/building-a-stash-while-on-maternity-leave#post-647312 Sat, 16 Mar 2013 20:24:18 +0000 CarrieLouWho 647312@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ladyfingers - I always pumped on one side when I first got up. My righty would do 5-6 oz and my lefty only 2-3 oz... After a while I just pumped on the right.<br /> You can do it!!!<br /> Oh, and I didn't do any remedies, although I was ready to if needed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/building-a-stash-while-on-maternity-leave#post-647302 Sat, 16 Mar 2013 20:18:38 +0000 ladyfingers 647302@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@CarrieLouWho: ok you give me hope! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/building-a-stash-while-on-maternity-leave#post-647301 Sat, 16 Mar 2013 20:18:03 +0000 ladyfingers 647301@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>God I'm scared now. I haven't started pumping regularly yet and I go back in 6 weeks! I've pumped here and there and LO has taken bottles so we know he can/will, but I have zero ounces on the fridge. Gotta get on that, I just haven't been able to fit it in yet! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/building-a-stash-while-on-maternity-leave#post-647296 Sat, 16 Mar 2013 20:15:59 +0000 CarrieLouWho 647296@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had 200 oz at 17 weeks PP and now at 23 weeks pp I have about 250. I just pumped 1 x a day while on maternity leave starting at 6 weeks.<br /> From what I've read on HB baby gets the benefits from breast milk if she has 2 feeds a day from it... So that could be a way to extend your milk + formula feed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/building-a-stash-while-on-maternity-leave#post-647242 Sat, 16 Mar 2013 19:23:23 +0000 blackbird 647242@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>alright, i have some hope that maybe i can pump enough to get me through the time i want and then i can start antibiotics soon-ish. My skin looks sooooooo bad right now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/building-a-stash-while-on-maternity-leave#post-647131 Sat, 16 Mar 2013 17:56:44 +0000 Bao 647131@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would just try and pump as much as you can, and play it by ear as far as how you are feeling once that time comes, and then decide what you want to do. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/building-a-stash-while-on-maternity-leave#post-647095 Sat, 16 Mar 2013 17:06:26 +0000 dagret 647095@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a 7 week old and don't pump on a regular basis, and have about 100 oz so far. I get about 6 oz (from both breasts) of i pump in the morning; about half that if i pump at night. My coworker gave birth 3 days after me, exclusively pumps and has 500 oz in her freezer already! She is, in her own words, "a cow" who produces up to 16 oz in one sitting! Craziness. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/building-a-stash-while-on-maternity-leave#post-647014 Sat, 16 Mar 2013 15:46:44 +0000 blackbird 647014@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Wow that's a lot of milk! I think if things are going well, I'll pump as much as I can and I know DH will want to feed her, too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/building-a-stash-while-on-maternity-leave#post-646625 Sat, 16 Mar 2013 10:51:29 +0000 anbanan15 646625@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think starting a freezer stash is totally reasonable! I didn't start pumping right away because I was producing enough for twins and my pedi recommended I not pump the first month or so. I wish I had!! Anyway by 6 months I had over 1100 oz saved that got donated. DS was EBF but would sometimes get a bottle of freshly expressed milk that never made it to the freezer so if he hadn't the stash would have been bigger. </p> <p>I would personally try to stick it out as long as possible and then depending on how much milk I had stashed keep giving just breastmilk and then switch to a combo of breastmilk/formula. DS self weaned at 21 months so we have been doing a combo with our rebuilt freezer stash to ensure he is getting some breastmilk until age 2. Good luck!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/building-a-stash-while-on-maternity-leave#post-646432 Sat, 16 Mar 2013 09:08:20 +0000 pl0508 646432@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I nurse my 7 week old but have built up a freezer stash of about 130 oz so far. Also, I block feed. After I feed him on one side in the mornings I pump a 4 or 5 oz freezer bag fr the other side ! My husband gives him a bottle in the evenings and I pump another bottle for him during that time (this goes in the fridge for the next day) . I deal with over supply so sometimes before bed I will pump again or hand express a few oz into a bottle and that goes into te freezer too </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/building-a-stash-while-on-maternity-leave#post-646353 Sat, 16 Mar 2013 08:16:55 +0000 blackbird 646353@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What's reasonable?</p> <p>My (loose) goal is to provide breastmilk until month 6. During the 3-4 months I'm on maternity leave, how much of a freezer stash could you build up? The sooner I can dry up/stop breastfeeding and pumping, the sooner I can take some antibiotics (6 weeks worth!) to clear my skin of a rare skin disease that I came down with last July. It causes dark brown/reddish scaly patches on my trunk region and my underarms, back, stomach, and chest are totally covered in these patches. Some are light and some are dark, and it's totally benign, but some areas are getting darker and I'm embarrassed to wear anything without sleeves now because they are SO DARK under my arms :( My skin is very speckled....in the winter, I could hide under more clothes. But spring and summer are coming and I don't want to look like a leper!</p> <p>I figure my options are:</p> <p>1) pump as much as possible and use it until it's out, then go to formula</p> <p>2) Hope the intensity of color fades post pregnancy (probably won't...the dermatologist said pregnancy has zero effect on it)</p> <p>3) pump as much as possible and give pumped milk and formula, spreading out the pumped milk. </p> <p>4) deal with the awful skin until the fall, then start antibiotics </p> <p>I don't know what to expect and pumping could go well or it could not... </p>