Hellobee Boards Topic: How did you build up a BM stash?

Hellobee Boards Topic: How did you build up a BM stash? https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000 simplyfelicity on "How did you build up a BM stash?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-build-up-a-bm-stash#post-2496057 Tue, 15 Mar 2016 23:27:37 +0000 simplyfelicity 2496057@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I pumped daily after our first morning feed and got about 8 ounces each time. I did it everyday for 3 months and quit. It was much harder after he got through the sleepy newborn phase. By the time I went back to work, I had about 350 ounces. DesertDreams88 on "How did you build up a BM stash?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-build-up-a-bm-stash#post-2496022 Tue, 15 Mar 2016 21:51:46 +0000 DesertDreams88 2496022@https://boards.hellobee.com/ At 2 weeks, I tried to fit in one daily pump. I find it extremely difficult to pump when I'm home alone with baby, because I never know when he'll wake up from his nap. If he wakes up in the middle of the pump session, I have to stop, rush to clean up things and throw it in the fridge while he's crying to be fed. So on the weekdays when I'm home alone, I wait until DH gets home, then I feed LO, shower, and then pump. Meanwhile DH takes care of LOs diaper change and getting him down for a nap. On the weekends, we do the same exact thing, except we try to do it after the first morning feed . Usually this process means that I'm pumping right in the middle of two feeding, so it doesn't affect the feedings at all. Showering helps me relax and encourages letdown. Anything I pumped 2-4 weeks got frozen. We started bottles at 4 weeks. We do a fresh 3oz daily bottle during the week, and anything extra or on the weekends gets frozen. At two months, we might introduce an evening formula bottle, and while he feeds I will pump and freeze it. I go back to work at 2.5 months. peaches1038 on "How did you build up a BM stash?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-build-up-a-bm-stash#post-2496011 Tue, 15 Mar 2016 21:33:43 +0000 peaches1038 2496011@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I also pumped after his early morning feed. I would reliably get 6-8oz and have a huge freezer stash. yellowbird on "How did you build up a BM stash?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-build-up-a-bm-stash#post-2495995 Tue, 15 Mar 2016 21:14:30 +0000 yellowbird 2495995@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I started pumping after his first feed at around 3 weeks old. Then when I went back to work I added another pump around 9:30-10:00 before I went to bed. Everything I pumped at work during the week, he would eat, but my morning and night sessions were extra to build my stash. FannyMae on "How did you build up a BM stash?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-build-up-a-bm-stash#post-2495798 Tue, 15 Mar 2016 17:42:22 +0000 FannyMae 2495798@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I pump after every early morning feed - usually around 4am. She only feeds from one side, and the other is usually engorged by then, so I pump around 120ml. I hardly ever give her a bottle, so I usually freeze a bag every morning (from the day before). Currently have about 40 x 120ml bags in the freezer, which I will either use as bottles in the future, or mix into her breakfast when she is eating solids. PawPrints on "How did you build up a BM stash?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-build-up-a-bm-stash#post-2495312 Tue, 15 Mar 2016 13:09:29 +0000 PawPrints 2495312@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I did one pump every day immediately after LO went to bed at night. She would reliably sleep from 7pm to at least 11:30pm so I knew if I pumped at 8pm I would be sure to have enough by the time she wanted to feed again. Initially we used that milk to do a bottle every evening to make sure she stayed accustomed to it and we didn't have to deal with bottle refusal. But I had a big supply so I was typically pumping 2x what she would eat in one feeding, so the surplus went into the freezer. Run2shore on "How did you build up a BM stash?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-build-up-a-bm-stash#post-2495256 Tue, 15 Mar 2016 12:37:10 +0000 Run2shore 2495256@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I started pumping to build a stash around 8 weeks. I would pump once a day, in the morning, after feeding LO. That allowed me to save up enough milk to cover the first two days back to work at 12 weeks, with a small surplus. mdf106 on "How did you build up a BM stash?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-build-up-a-bm-stash#post-2495245 Tue, 15 Mar 2016 12:30:32 +0000 mdf106 2495245@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I pumped right after feeding. At first you would not get much, but if you do it every day, it should increase your supply. As early in the day as possible is best, because your supply is highest then, but I never managed very early, because I preferred to shower and eat breakfast. I started pumping at two weeks with both. With my first I tried to pump twice a day, and with my second once a day. I went back to work at six weeks, and I might have started later with a longer leave. With my first, my stash was pretty small when I went back to work, but it was bigger with my second, despite pumping less often. mfa_lady on "How did you build up a BM stash?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-build-up-a-bm-stash#post-2495237 Tue, 15 Mar 2016 12:26:49 +0000 mfa_lady 2495237@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I pumped after DD's first morning feed when I was on maternity leave, starting at about 3 weeks. I also went back to work at 10 weeks, and had a tiny stash (maybe 50oz?) when I went back. Once I got back to work, I had to figure out a routine that worked for me to get enough/stay comfortable. That schedule changed a little (and was rough from about 4 - 7 months, when she was growing a ton and not eating solids yet) but eventually I had a few hundred ounces in the freezer by the time she was about 10 months old. mrsbubbletea on "How did you build up a BM stash?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-build-up-a-bm-stash#post-2495225 Tue, 15 Mar 2016 12:20:31 +0000 mrsbubbletea 2495225@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I think the key is to find out when your supply is highest coupled with when baby tends to do a longer stretch. Whenever I tried to pump in the evenings i would get like nothing! He cluster fed a lot of the evening and just draiiiiiiinnnnned me. It always made me depressed when I tried! But in the morning, my supply was the highest for sure and even if he had just nursed I would always be able to get at least a couple of ounces. I know some people have luck with pumping like 2 hours after baby goes to bed but there was NO way I was doing that! Plus like I said, I may not have even got anything! I think the key is to experiment. Also, I think some people try pumping just 5 or so min after every feeding. Then even if you get a small amount by the end of the day you should have at least a few ounces! mrsjyw on "How did you build up a BM stash?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-build-up-a-bm-stash#post-2495220 Tue, 15 Mar 2016 12:16:31 +0000 mrsjyw 2495220@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I started pumping around 2-3weeks. My morning supply was too much for DS, so I fed from one and pumped the other (5oz a day). I did it throughout maternity leave and up until five months or so, when I weaned from that pumping session. I also got quite a bit from leakage while nursing the other! My main freerzer stash is from that pump session in the am though. ShootingStar on "How did you build up a BM stash?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-build-up-a-bm-stash#post-2495212 Tue, 15 Mar 2016 12:13:52 +0000 ShootingStar 2495212@https://boards.hellobee.com/ When I had DS I was never able to build up a stash on maternity leave. From week 2-8 we had thrush and I was afraid to save the milk. I also felt like I was nursing around the clock and had no idea when to pump. My leave was shorter too, and I was back at work part time at 10 weeks. So if you built up a stash on maternity leave, how did you do it? When did you start pumping? How often? How did you manage the timing of pumping around feedings?