Stocking up: How much breastmilk should you store?

Breastfeeding is a beautiful experience that comes with its own set of challenges. One such challenge is making sure your little one has enough milk when you're not around. This calls for the need to stock up on breastmilk! But how much is too much? And how do we know how long it will last? Fear not, dear mama (or papa), for I have got all the juicy details on storing that liquid gold!

To freeze or not to freeze: The ultimate question

Before we dive into quantities and measurements, let's first address the age-old question of whether we should freeze our breastmilk or store it in the fridge. The answer is simple - both are fine! The difference lies in the length of time you plan to consume it.

• Storing fresh milk: If you're planning on using your pumped milk within 24hrs, then storing it in a clean bottle and placing it in the fridge will suffice.
• Freezing away: On other occasions where immediate consumption isn't an option 😢 , freezing your expressed milk by transferring them into sterilized containers can prolong its lifespan from about three months to even six months or more if deep-frozen.

Note, freezing can alter some aspect of this awesome fluid like fat content etc., but fear not as these are minimal changes 😉

Is there a magic number of ounces?

When deciding how many ounces of breastmilk you stockpile daily/weekly/monthly/etcetera (yeah yeah, smiley face emojis use outdated terminology), there are various factors at play that could influence the amount needed;

1) Age - newborns require smaller amounts often while older babies may take bigger feeds less frequently 2) Weight – heavier babies generally demand more nourishment than lightweight ones 🤰🏽👶

Keeping these in mind, we can come up with standardized ounces amounts as a guide.

• Just beginning and below 2months: Starting off roughly around 1.5 to 3oz per feed meeting an average of about 24 ozs
• As the months progress - at two to three months you'll supply an estimate of around four or five ozs assuming baby is fed about six times daily resulting in a total output of approximately 30 oz.
• Fast forward even more... by nine to twelve months + expect that you may be pumping lesser while they may take fewer feeds some formula etc :smiley: rest assured tho; your little one’s breasts buds need not be worried for their food source will still keep on ticking 🕰️outputting might drop by half (probably down-to 15oz).

To break it down further:

Keep in mind these charts work together with watching weight gain and so forth 😁

And before we move on, here's another thing I think would help us put this into perspective;

On 'Babycenter' there's this great piece which outlined the amount stored over specific days for certain scenarios often encountered 😉 Let me paraphrase phewwww ¯(ツ)/¯

Should my breast milk stash handle life-changing moments?? "stockpiling an extra day or two just achieves enough breathing room when unexpected issues arise"

That being said;

If mom works full-time outside her home, she'll leave an average of about 10-12 ounces during which the caregiver feeds baby(s) through multiple smaller portions averaging I'd say between 1 to 3 ozs in a single feed.

Got that? Good! You're now officially on your way to building your stockpile empire 💪💪

Donating and sharing: can/should you give away breastmilk?

We've all been warned against strangers bearing gifts, but what about shareable milky gifts within close circles - family or friends – ?? As tempting as it may sound;

No, unless following professional instructions 🙅‍♀️🙅‍♂️.

The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) warns mothers against distributing milk informally due to various reasons such as increased risk of contamination by bacteria/viruses which aren't tested for among other concerns 😕.

So only donate or receive expressed milk after checking the bank's health status and quality control measures taken while acquiring it :wink:, this help keep everyone safe-health-wise😊

Also remember that each human body is unique so babies develop differently; just because another breastfed child took certain amounts doesn't necessarily mean the same quantities will work perfectly fine with yours (no comparisons needed) 😉

To Wrap!

At this point, we hope this piece gives you a good idea of how much 'liquid gold' you'll need when looking to start storing up some extra-nourishing meals. With these guidelines provided here along with recommendations from your paediatrician and/or lactation consultant whom you should always consult before starting any formula feeding whether exclusive or mixed ;), Should be able to gauge appropriately on Your ..(errrm..I meant THE mini version’s appetite levels 🤣).

After all said-and-done lets note thus:

Best Practices In Storing:

1. Never lay frozen bags flat on an iron surface to prevent separation if disposed at a later time
2. Always write the date expressed/ stored
3. Use only sterilized containers - This goes without saying in ensuring that bacteria and other harmful organisms do not find their way into your baby's food supply.

Now go forth, superhero mom, and make it clear that nothing can hold her down! 💪💥

😛 Alrighty then.... Byeıllılııl█████████oh darn it typed more than I was supposed should have installed that 'Word Count Unit' app after all lol