Does anyone else build up milk stocks like this?

[Arimeh]

Being new to breastfeeding, I'm always worried that if I pump (to have some in the freezer just in case!) that I'll be taking away a bit of her next feed, cos I'm always concerned bout my supply.

So I came up with an idea, when feeding from one side, hold a cup under the other side and catch the excess milk that comes out when I get let down on the feeding side. I've been getting 10-20 ml per feed just from holding a cup there

Last night I put away 60ml for that day's efforts in the freezer, put it in a sandwich bag and wrote the date on it so I know how long I can keep it for.

Now I can get my "emergency" stash - without worrying about it taking milk from the baby...

Is this weird of me to do this?

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

Not weird at all, my stepmum used to do it.
I also had a very strong let down and could have done it but never seemed co-ordinated enough... well done hun

[peanutter]

not weird at all.

by the time I went back to work, I had about 4L stored!!

Go for gold, I say.

[*TripleJ*]

i know i get a massive let down and i would do it im just too lazy ha ha

[Arcadia]

Sounds like a great idea. I don't leak at all this time around, but it would have been a great idea when dd was a newborn. I used to leak like a jersey cow.

Oh and if you want to express on a regular basis, just do a little bit each day and your supply will catch up. I have never seriously expressed though... Too lazy.

[helle]

Nup. Too lazy here too!

[MrsFabuloso]

Great idea hun. Another one who's too lazy. Besides I don't get much leakage (if any!) from let down anymore either, so not really worth the effort. If I need to pump for any reason, I do it between DS2's bedtime and his next feed (I stretch it out to 4hrs, so I pump usually about 2hrs or so before another feed). So I'm not taking from his 'supply' and by the time I feed him again, my milk has topped up again.

[onthefly]

It's a good idea. I could have done taht with DS but too lazy (and then he wouldn't drink the ebm I did have anyway). This time no leaking and can't be bothered actually pumping

[CrazyLady]

I think i should start doing this when DD isn't crashing around. Now that I'm not trying to do a pretzel impression getting DS on "bad nipple" side I can take advantage of the side that has good letdown.

[Eenee]

Seems like a good idea but I've never had leakage. I do have an emergency stock in the freezer though. I generally pump last thing at night or if she goes four hours between feeds (very rare, she's a two hour feeder) I need to pump from the otherside for relief cos she only takes one side at a time.

[Arimeh]

hehe I'm still doing it nearly every day, getting a nice little stash in the freezer - today I got a huge amount out after one feed, so today's donation to the freezer should be pretty good!!

It only lasts for 3 months in a regular freezer doesn't it? I could make smoothies out of it for the kids.. LOL

[~clover~]

I've never bothered with back up in the freezer, but when DS was 5 weeks old I had a night out.
Before I left I put a grumpy, not hungry DS to the boob, just to get letdown happening, holding the cup under the other one then would take him off & hand pump.. when it started to slow, I put him on the other side & did the same...

Ok, that confused me, but hopefully you get the gist??

[meow]

Awesome!! I never leak and I'm lucky to get 20mls in 20mins of expressing, so I'm jealous! I just don't have a back up and I'm still waiting on a haircut

[STARRYSKY]

I used to when DS was a NB, until I stopped leaking anyway (around 4-5 months old) not that he ever took a bottle ...

[Loveinamist]

I used to do that but I used those breast shells. Although I never got to a fridge quick enough so my stash didn't build up very well. I still leak terribly even though I have been breastfeeding now for over a year!