https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:05:23 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-how-many-oz-in-freezer-stash-when-you-went-back-to-work#post-1302089 Thu, 26 Dec 2013 21:17:02 +0000 Sparkler 1302089@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Zero here too! I had A LOT of social obligations while on maternity leave, so was always pumping for those events! I just pump for the next day. I also feel like the breast milk composition changes, so I would rather my LO have milk from "now"! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-how-many-oz-in-freezer-stash-when-you-went-back-to-work#post-1302084 Thu, 26 Dec 2013 21:12:55 +0000 bisous 1302084@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had about 100 oz. I am still pumping extra most weeks...and if not, at least just enough for my LO at daycare so I have barely dipped into it. I did donate to someone locally through HM4HB when I had a huge surplus! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-how-many-oz-in-freezer-stash-when-you-went-back-to-work#post-1302052 Thu, 26 Dec 2013 20:56:03 +0000 danda 1302052@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>That's pretty much what I do. I usually send 4 x 3 ounce bottles and one or two are from frozen and the others are fresh. I then freeze what's left over from pumping. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-how-many-oz-in-freezer-stash-when-you-went-back-to-work#post-1301848 Thu, 26 Dec 2013 18:46:40 +0000 singingbee 1301848@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@danda: so, let's say I'm sending 4 4 oz. bottles, send two from frozen and two fresh? I'm not sure how much she will need just yet. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-how-many-oz-in-freezer-stash-when-you-went-back-to-work#post-1301828 Thu, 26 Dec 2013 18:30:10 +0000 danda 1301828@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Jennimac: Fresh milk has the most nutrients as compared with frozen. I'd send some of your oldest frozen with some fresh every day, and make sure you pump as much as you're sending. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-how-many-oz-in-freezer-stash-when-you-went-back-to-work#post-1301683 Thu, 26 Dec 2013 16:43:11 +0000 BabyBoecksMom 1301683@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't have a freezer stash until after I went back to work. It was a little stressful at times. </p> <p>@Jennimac: I have always heard the same thing as your LC told you. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-how-many-oz-in-freezer-stash-when-you-went-back-to-work#post-1301647 Thu, 26 Dec 2013 16:18:41 +0000 singingbee 1301647@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Revel: and @septca: I've heard what y'all Sao about the freezer stash. My question to you is that I called my lactation consultant and asked her what I needed to do to prepare for going back to work. She told me to start pumping after I feed LO at the times il be gone. I won't get much at first, but it will get my body ready for when I'm gone. Start freezing what I get and then start sending the oldest milk to the sitter's. based off what y'all are saying, that would be the wrong way, right? What do you suggest or will that keep my body thinking and knowing what lo needs? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-how-many-oz-in-freezer-stash-when-you-went-back-to-work#post-1265243 Fri, 06 Dec 2013 12:18:39 +0000 Revel 1265243@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I can't echo enough what @septca: said. Using the freezer stash is a very slippery slope if you don't want to end up supplementing. I had about 85 oz when I went back, and have actually built that up to close to 200 oz now at 6 months. I rotate through the frozen milk on Mondays. I pump a lot and on the weekends to keep up with LOs needs and to add a little bit here and there to the freezer. I try not to use it to make up ounces day to day unless it's the odd day where meetings keep me from pumping or we go out at night or something.</p> <p>All that said, my freezer stash is like my security blanket! I love knowing it's there and I think it has allowed me to stress less about pumping. I think your 250 ounces is an ample freezer stash, but I'd feel equally comfortable with the 115 you have now. I always figure if I end up with a huge stash at 9 or 10 months I can try to drop a pump. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-how-many-oz-in-freezer-stash-when-you-went-back-to-work#post-1265241 Fri, 06 Dec 2013 12:18:16 +0000 jedeve 1265241@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Five ounces, maybe? I didn't get my pump for months due to my POS insurance company. </p> <p>I was never one of those people who could pump a ton at a time. I pumped before I left for work, twice at work, and nursed LO at lunch. After a month or two I dropped the am pump. At one point my supply dipped and so I started pumping in the am and pm religiously. Then I could drop the am pump again, but I kept pumping right before bed, a few hours after LO went down. </p> <p>I guess that's kind of a lot. But my point is it isn't necessary to have hundreds of ounces in the freezer or be able to pump ten ounces at a time! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-how-many-oz-in-freezer-stash-when-you-went-back-to-work#post-1265229 Fri, 06 Dec 2013 12:14:07 +0000 Boheme 1265229@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had 300 ounces. I still pump about 20 ounces extra a week, so we haven't really touched it! I'd say the amount you're shooting for is plenty :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-how-many-oz-in-freezer-stash-when-you-went-back-to-work#post-1265227 Fri, 06 Dec 2013 12:12:13 +0000 mrsjyw 1265227@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had around 120 oz? I only wohm 2-3 days a week and this worked out perfectly for us. And came in handy when AF came back at 4.5 months and my supply took a temporary hit. We cycled it out from the get go and he just finished the last of my freezer stash a few days ago at 12.5 months pp :( so bittersweet! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-how-many-oz-in-freezer-stash-when-you-went-back-to-work#post-1265224 Fri, 06 Dec 2013 12:11:04 +0000 Mrs. High Heels 1265224@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't really count it all, but it filled up half my deep freezer so I'm guessing I had at least 300-400 ounces. Even now that DS is 10 months, every time I pump I get at least double the amount that I need to replace a feeding, so my stash doesn't seem to be dwindling. I need to figure out what to do with it soon or else all that milk is going to go to waste! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-how-many-oz-in-freezer-stash-when-you-went-back-to-work#post-1265190 Fri, 06 Dec 2013 11:56:14 +0000 danda 1265190@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had 400 oz but it's definitely more than we need! I send 12 oz per day to daycare and pump anywhere from 12.5 - 18 oz at work, so the stash keeps growing. I like the idea that it may let me eventually drop some pumping at work earlier than I'd otherwise be able to. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-how-many-oz-in-freezer-stash-when-you-went-back-to-work#post-1265172 Fri, 06 Dec 2013 11:49:25 +0000 MsLipGloss 1265172@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had 0. ZERO. NADDA. ZIP. ZILCH. I got thrush a few weeks before I went back to work so I had to throw everything out. We still did just fine, we just had to supplement a little earlier than I wanted to, but we still did just fine. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-how-many-oz-in-freezer-stash-when-you-went-back-to-work#post-1265125 Fri, 06 Dec 2013 11:32:54 +0000 cmomma17 1265125@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I only had 68 oz (which I was very proud of at the time!!!).<br /> Now, at 7 months PP, I have about 12-15 oz in the freezer. </p> <p>I wish I had about 100 oz when I returned to work. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-how-many-oz-in-freezer-stash-when-you-went-back-to-work#post-1265118 Fri, 06 Dec 2013 11:31:27 +0000 bhbee 1265118@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had maybe 50oz, 10 bags or so. I never had a supply issue so in the end I actually ended up building up even more while working/pumping, and had to throw it all away at the end because it wasn't enough to donate. </p> <p>so if your supply is keeping up now, I wouldn't stress too much about having a huge stash. if you get to the #s you mentioned I think you will have more than enough! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-how-many-oz-in-freezer-stash-when-you-went-back-to-work#post-1265097 Fri, 06 Dec 2013 11:25:37 +0000 Rescuemom10 1265097@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think I had close to 100 oz. But I added while I pumped at work. For the first 7 months or so I was able to pump more at work than what she needed for the next day. So what I pumped "today" would be what she had at daycare for tomorrow. Everyday I would get maybve a couple extra oz. SO I kept adding to it. I never counted how much I got up to...but at 40 weeks into BF and pumping LO would no longer nurse. I could BARELY get anything from pumping and I was taking every herbal and tryting everything to increase my supply. Just didnt work. Its amazing how once you start really using your stash how FAST it goes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-how-many-oz-in-freezer-stash-when-you-went-back-to-work#post-1265080 Fri, 06 Dec 2013 11:17:48 +0000 septca 1265080@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had maybe about 40-50 oz. Now, at 10.5 months, I have about 5 spare oz.</p> <p>Just some unsolicited advice: I wouldn't worry too much about your stash. It's nice to have some extra BM for mixing with oatmeal/food and for when you need a bottle and just really don't want to pump (date night, etc.). But it's really dangerous to supplement your regular pumped milk with milk from your freezer stash because it doesn't send the message to your body to make more milk. See here for some good info: <a href="http://www.workandpump.com/freezerstash.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.workandpump.com/freezerstash.htm</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-how-many-oz-in-freezer-stash-when-you-went-back-to-work#post-1265065 Fri, 06 Dec 2013 11:14:26 +0000 autumnlove 1265065@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think your goal # is good! I had 1000s in my stash when I went back to work...I pumped a lot during maternity leave and didn't use the milk because my LO hated bottles.</p> <p>We are using milk from July right now. She gets 20 bottles during my work week...one 4 ounce bottle in the morning from DH and three 5 ounce bottles at daycare. I nurse when we are together! I still pump during work hours. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-how-many-oz-in-freezer-stash-when-you-went-back-to-work#post-1265053 Fri, 06 Dec 2013 11:12:40 +0000 edelweiss 1265053@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i'm guessing that i had about 120 oz (estimating 20 6-oz bags). at some point, maybe when LO was 5 months, he started needing more and i wasn't producing enough so my stash was getting depleted. i added an extra pumping session to help increase my supply, which seemed to work. although around the 9 month mark i was overproducing by a little because he was eating purees/solids (mostly purees) a bit more regularly. </p> <p>we're at 11 months so we'll see how the next month or so plays out, but at this point i feel like if my stash gets depleted, it's okay because we're close to using cow's milk or we could use formula. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-how-many-oz-in-freezer-stash-when-you-went-back-to-work#post-1265049 Fri, 06 Dec 2013 11:11:40 +0000 yellowbird 1265049@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had about 150oz and it was plenty. I finished my stash (I rotated it so they never got old) when she was 11.5 months. I went back to work when she was 9 weeks! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-how-many-oz-in-freezer-stash-when-you-went-back-to-work#post-1265036 Fri, 06 Dec 2013 11:09:20 +0000 mediagirl 1265036@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think I had about 100oz. I was SO HAPPY to have it when my supply dipped during sicknesses and other problem times. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-how-many-oz-in-freezer-stash-when-you-went-back-to-work#post-1265028 Fri, 06 Dec 2013 11:07:45 +0000 lawbee11 1265028@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am going back to work part-time in a month and a half. I currently have around 115 oz in my freezer stash. I am thinking I'll have around 250 oz when I go back to work. </p> <p>What would've been your ideal amount? For the last month I've been pumping one side once a day, so I could easily add another session, but I hate pumping and would rather not. I am worried about having enough for when we start solids/start introducing cow's milk (in addition to making up for any deficits if she eats more than I can pump at work each day). I know a lot of people mix BM with oatmeal/cow's milk to help with the transition. If you did this did it require you to dip into your stash quite a bit?</p> <p>I am not planning to BF past a year. I wouldn't mind continuing with morning/evening sessions, but I am not planning to pump past a year. We have a deep freezer so anything I pump will be good for 12 months. </p>