Asking for a Friend - Pumping and Using

I exclusively pumped and had a good pump...That is key #1. The second thing to do is get the milk storage bags. Lay the bags flat in the freezer (takes up less space). Obviously date the bags and then when you go to defrost, put in a glass or a coffee cup. Sometimes with other things getting tossed on top of them, it can tear the plastic bags. Freeze as much as she can and if she has to supplement with formula thats not the end of the world either.

kellymom.com has great nursing info.

I had about a 2 week stash (pumped at night or first thing in the AM after nursing baby before I went to work). I had 10 bottles that I rotated for pumping and going to daycare. I measured and labeled each one for her needs and didn't freeze unless I wasn't going to use the fresh milk in a few days. She should avoid freezing unless she has extra. When she does freeze, she should measure from a bottle to be sure it's accurate - little worse than thinking you have 4 oz when it's 2.5. Then label a freezer bag and pour the milk in. I didn't have any special container for the milk. I just found a place to sit it upright til it was solid. She will also never want to throw any out. My sister threw out milk that she wasn't using right away when her son was tiny....only to find she didn't have enough later. So save it. It can be in the deep freeze for months.

She will want a GOOD pump - Lanisoh double electric, Medela Pump in Style Advanced or Ameda Purely Yours. Cheap pumps break. She needs a workhorse. Some insurance companies will help pay for it as medical equipment.

Not totally sure I understand the question. I pumped into bottles or freezer bags - the kind made for breastmilk, not ziplocks :) I refridgerated them and brought them home from work and either froze them or used them the next day for day care or to mix cereal. To defrost, just put the bad in a cup of warm water. Microwaving or boiling is bad for nutrition and can make it too hot for safe feeding. Milk stayed good frozen for several months if I recall correctly.

Key to pumping at work is to not get lazy. Pumping is less effective than nursing, so that your supply will diminish if you don't pump enough and nurse as much as possible. If you work hard, especially in the first 3 months or so, you can build up a huge supply.

A simple google search brings up all kinds of information. Here's an example from a credible source:
http://www.llli.org/faq/milkstorage.html
Her pediatrician can and should also go over all of this with her at her baby's next well check up.

I agree with the google search (i.e. how long it can be frozen, defrosting, reheating, etc)

But we also did this. I'm the WAHD, Mrs. On Purpose pumped at the office. We used frozen BM kept for 3-4 months. In the fridge we'd keep it a few days and try not to really go over that - although some managed to hide in the fridge for a week.

To defrost, I just put 2-3 bottles in the fridge the night before for the next days use. We nuked it about 25 seconds. Yes, it loses *some* of the nutritional value in the microwave, but not enough for us to take the time to do the whole water in pan and constantly watch the bottle in the pan routine.

To freeze, we used those plastic tubes - sorry, dunno what they're called. They hold 2.5 ounces I think? Anyway, they're about finger length and maybe the same circumfrence as a quarter. Leave a 1/4 to 1/2 inch at the top for expansion and toss in the freezer. That's it.

I was in school when I had my first and didn't have access to refrigeration. I used the little cooler that came with my Medela with the refreezable ice packs. I would pump during that day and store the milk in the Lanisoh bags. When I got home, I would put them right in the freezer. I brought my daycare person a week's worth of milk at a time, so I would have some warning if he was eating more and needed some extra before the supply ran out. A great electric pump is a must, but I also recommend getting a cheap hand pump that she can throw in her purse or can use if she is somewhere without power.

This is what several clients and I have done: Whatever is pumped Tuesday - Thursday they either gave to me that evening when they picked baby up, or brought to me the next morning. That milk that was pumped on Friday they either froze or kept at home, then brought to me on Monday morning. This way I was primarily using fresh milk and just supplemented with frozen when need be. Avent bottles work great for this system. They have rubber inserts that fit into the bottle lid and create a great seal.

M

Definitely do the Google search. So much great info, and also the pediatrician will inform of good ways too.

They have special bags you can buy to properly store the milk in the freezer.

Remember the rule of 5 with the milk:

Room Temp: 5 hours
Fridge: 5 days
Freezer: 5 months
Deep Freezer: 1 year

I also vote for the BM-specific freezer bags! The purple box (Lanosinoh brand) seemed to be the best. date and measure before freezing. Lay flat to freeze, then stack (in containers by month) and use the oldest ones first. In a regular freezer, they say 5-6 months and up to 1 year in a deep freezer. I had some that were just over a year old and the place I donated (I had over 1,000 oz) still took them.

If she wants some details... my schedule was something like this (I went back to work when dd was 9 weeks old):
~6am early nurse, followed by a pump (a few oz)
8am at work
10am pump (several oz)
1pm pump (several oz)
5pm home nurse, followed by a pump (few oz)
then, nurse on demand at night (~every 3-4hrs).

Of course, there were times we'd be nursing every hour, and some times she'd go 5 or 6 hours without... just depends on the baby.
I would usually pump after each nursing session (squeeze out a few oz). I was also a pretty heavy producer. After pumping (I'd pump into a hard bottle), mark the bag and put in fridge (if to be used soon) or freezer (if I already had some in the fridge). I'd take fresh (day before) milk each day and also kept some in the freezer at daycare. They used everything. By the time we stopped BF, right at 1 year, I had over 1,000 oz in the deep freezer, so I donated it to a place in TX for preemie babies.

Tell your friend that she just needs to find her rhythm and do what works for her and her baby! Everybody is different (mama and baby)!