I'm returning to work tomorrow (wah!!!) and put together D's first cooler full of expressed milk to take to daycare. I will be pumping now 4-5 times per day, and will probably pump enough milk to almost cover the amount he'll need every day. Should I freeze what I'm pumping and take the daycare stash from my older frozen stuff, or just use the already frozen stash to supplement whatever I pump during the day? I'm so confused!!
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I think use freezer stash to supplement so he is mostly getting fresh but following to see what more experienced moms suggest.
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Personally, I give daycare a gallon size ziploc bag full of the frozen bags and they thaw them for me each day. I always give them the oldest stuff I have first. My reasoning is that I only have about a 2 week freezer stash so nothing is going to be too old. Plus I also didn't want to let the freezer stash to get too old.
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Following too to see what other mamas say. Good luck tomorrow! I'm not looking forward to going back.
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I would use the frozen milk to supplement. Fresh milk is better, it loses some of the nutrients once frozen. I would just keep an eye on your frozen supply and make sure to cycle through as it gets old. I've also read some moms give fresh milk Tues thru Fri and freeze what they pump on Fri, then thaw it for Mon's bottles.
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@sunshineandsushi: I agree. I've always read that the fresher the better in terms of antibodies, etc. I don't even think it's necessary to freeze Fridays milk for Monday. I don't.
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@78h2o: true! Two days in the fridge is totally fine. Now that I think about it, I think what I read was the freeze Fri's milk and thaw out their oldest milk for use on Mon, that way they can cycle through before it gets too old.
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@sunshineandsushi: Gotcha! That makes sense!
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I do what @sunshineandsushi suggested! Fresh Tuesday -Friday, freeze Fridays milk & then pull down oldest milk for Monday. I send 3 bottles a day - Mondays it's 2 frozen & 1 fresh ( that way I feel like she's getting some milk for her current nutritional needs.) Hopefully that makes sense.
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I agree, freeze what you pump on Fridays, Defrost on Monday and use fresh the rest of the time!
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@78h2o: Neither do I - I usually leave Friday's bottles in the fridge until Monday. I like to avoid freezing if there is going to be a short turn around time like just a couple of days.
@sunshineandsushi: That's a great idea. Although I don't have much of a freezer stash, now I know how I can incorporate what is frozen. Thanks!
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I like to give her fresh milk as much as possible so I always send fresh to day care (and I sent Friday's pumped milk on Monday, two days in the fridge is totally fine). I use frozen milk to help supplement if for some reason I don't quite keep up with what she'll need. My primary plan for the frozen milk is to mix it into purees when she starts eating solids.
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@CarrieLouWho: That's what I'd do if I had a freezer stash! Makes sense to use just a little bit of the oldest freezer milk at a time since it was designed to meet the needs of a younger baby and does not have as many calories, etc. as newer milk designed for an older baby.
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@MamaMoose: Exactly the same for us!
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Do you also nurse or are you an exclusive pumper? If you nurse when you are around your baby, I would freeze all the fresh pumped milk and cycle through the oldest milk for daycare.
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@autumnlove: Today is my first day back, but my plan is to nurse first thing in the morning, then 2x at night - when we first get home and then before bed.
@MamaMoose: That's a great idea - using hte frozen milk for purees! I'll have to see how I do with pumping at work, but so far I've gotten 10 ounces with 2 sessions, 2 more to go today, and I think we only need 15 ounces a day? So I should be good to cover each day with fresh milk. Thanks!
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