Two months in, twelve hundred ounces of milk in the deep freeze and sanity still intact!

Pumping exclusivily can be so draining but I’m here to tell you it’s so rewarding! I get this rush putting another hundred ounces in the deep freeze. I love hearing my husband complain about needing to buy another deep freeze for my milk.

This post is going to be more about some of the tips and tricks I’ve used these past few months that have gotten me through having enough milk for the baby sitter and still able to stash a few bags in the freezer every couple days.

Tip 1. Keep to a schedule! This is very important (even though I don’t always follow the schedule) I pump every three hours for 15 to 20 minutes or until I don’t have anymore milk flowing out. When I first started, I would wake up in the middle of the night and pump. But after a month I was aching for a good night’s sleep. I don’t pump in the middle of the night but when I wake up I pump a little long, maybe 25 to 30 minutes to completely empty myself.

Tip 2. Stay hydrated! Drink lots of water, especially while pumping. I seem to chug most of my water while pumping. Also I’ve read the drink “Body Armor” has helped a lot producing more milk. It’s has a lot of electrolytes. 

Tip 3. I’ve just recently just started pumping in the car while I’m driving. Different, I know lol. I never realized how convenient it actually was. I’m fully covered and no one can tell. Let’s just hope I don’t get pulled over lol. I start pumping after I get off work on my way home. So that way when I get home I don’t have to worry about pumping and taking care of the little one at the same time. It saves me a lot of time. 

Tip 4. When storing breast milk that im going to put in the freezer to build my stash, I would always make sure I had at least 4 bottles in the fridge ready for little one. Then I would start pouring 3.4 ounces or 4 ounces in bags. FREEZE THEM FLAT! When I started to freeze them I would put them in sandwich bags too. I then realized I was wasting time and money putting them in those kind of bags. I also use a pitcher of water and dip the bags of milk in to push all the air out of the bag and then seal it. 

Tip 5. I use two apps when pumping. (Don’t ask me why, its just a habit I formed) I use: Baby Tracker and Pump Log. Baby tracker times the whole pumping session and it can also track diaper changes, feedings and growth. Pump log is for my stash and times when my next pump is due. After im done pumping and key the info on baby tracker, I then switch to pump log and key everything in there too. I know, waste of time keying the same thing twice but it’s a habit and I’m trying my best to stay organized and create healthy habits. 

When I first started this journey I would stress bad about how I would build a stash. Knowing I was going back to work soon and there was nothing on Pinterest would explain or help me. I couldn’t find any pumping groups. So I just kinda took the tips I was given by people and winged most of it. This is what works for me! 

Like I said though ive been only doing this for two months. Ill make sure to do a post when I reach my first goal of 6 months.