How To Quickly Build A Breast Milk Freezer Stash

Struggling to build your freezer stash? Check out the exact method I used to save over 100oz of milk in two weeks!

If you’ve been keeping up with me on Instagram, then you know that I’ve been blessed to build a pretty decent sized freezer stash in a pretty short period time.

And by ‘pretty decent’ I mean over 100oz in TWO WEEKS!

I won’t lie, I’m pretty shocked myself, but then again, one of my pumping goals this time around was to build a freezer stash so that I wouldn’t have to stress about milk if/when I have dips in my supply.

A dip in supply can happen at any time.

For example, whenever Aunt flow decides to rear her ugly head, I have a pretty significant drop in supply.

Going extended periods of time between pumping can also cause a dip in supply.

For instance, I’m on a plane as I type this and I haven’t been able to pump since about 1am (it’s currently 2pm).

You can only imagine

1. How swollen my boobs are right now

2. How going soo many hours in between pumping sessions can mess with supply.

I’ve been getting a ton of questions lately about how I was able to pump so much in such a short period of time and how I’ve been able to maintain even when I go long periods of time between sessions.

I’m glad to say that I’m FINALLY able to share my tips and tricks so that you can learn how to build your freezer stash FAST!

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Start Early

I started pumping the same day that my son was born.

While I did get my son to latch a few times in the hospital, I had already decided that I wanted to pump this time around (mom shammers save your breath).

Why?

Besides it being my prerogative, I simply felt like pumping was what was best for me and my little one.

So, a few hours after he was born, I requested a pump from the hospital so that I could start pumping right away.

Since I had a c-section, my milk hadn’t come in yet and therefore, by pumping, I was signaling to my body that there was a demand for milk.

I pumped ever 3 hrs for 20mins each.

Initially, I was getting a few drops of colostrum, and by the time I left the hospital, I was making almost 4oz at each session.

I truly believe that starting early set the foundation for my supply and along with the following tips, helped me to quickly build my freezer stash.

Follow a Consistent Pumping Schedule

This step is just as important as the first!

Pumping exclusively requires real commitment and dedication.

That said, be prepared to be EXHAUSTED!

The first few months of pumping require you to pump every few hours around the clock – that is, if you want to build a solid milk supply.

I followed a strict pumping schedule and as a result, I had over 100oz frozen by the time he was two weeks old.

Another huge advantage of pumping consistently during those early weeks is that baby doesn’t eat as much since he’s sleeping most of the time.

As a result, you get to save a big chunk of the milk that you pump.

Eat Foods That Help With Supply

I have an entire post on the different foods and supplements that are essential for a healthy milk supply.

I will say though, it’s SUPER important to be sure that you are eating enough and staying properly hydrated.

If not, you may begin to see a decrease in your supply.

If you do start seeing a decrease this early on, don’t panic!

Make sure that you’re pumping consistently.

You could also try upping your calories and water intake to see if that helps.

As a last resort, you could try making one of these lactation recipes to give your supply a boost!

Alternate Between Pumping To Feed & Pumping To Save

Okay soo, this is crucial as well!

By alternating what you allocate your milk to from each session, you ensure that you’re freezing milk multiple times each day.

Since the actual amount of milk pumped will vary from woman to women, I can’t lay out an exact template that you should follow, however, I’ll share exactly what I do to give you an idea of what this could look like for you.

I should also note that I pump about 6-9oz (sometimes 10) during each session.

I’m not entirely sure if this means that I have an oversupply buuut I figured that was important to note.

I also pump the most milk during my early morning session and I pump the least milk during my late night session.

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Okay, Here’s The Freezer Stash Scenario…

3am – Pump for 20mins & make 10oz

I bag and freeze 6oz and have a 3oz bottle ready when he wakes up.

I take the remaining 1oz of milk and place it in a bottle in the fridge.

-1 bottle (3oz) and 1oz (in fridge) on hand

–6oz frozen

6am – Pump for 20mins and make 8oz

Baby woke up at 5am to eat the 3oz bottle from 3am.

I make two 3oz bottles and add the remaining 2oz of milk to the 1oz bottle in the fridge from earlier.

-3 bottles(9oz) on hand

-6oz frozen

9am – Pump for 20mins and make 7oz

Baby had 3oz bottle at 7am.

I freeze 3oz, save 3oz, and save 1oz in fridge.

-I now have a total of 3 bottles (9oz) in the fridge

-I now have 9oz frozen

12pm – Pump for 20mins and make 7oz

Baby had bottle at 9am and 11am.

I save 6oz (2 3oz bottles) and add 1oz to the 1oz bottle in the fridge  (2oz).

-I have 3 bottles (9oz) in the fridge along with a 2oz bottle that I will add to later.

-Still have 9oz frozen

3pm – Pump for 20 mins and make 6oz

Baby ate at 1pm and will eat again after 3pm pumping session.

I save 6oz (2 3oz bottles).

-I have 3 bottles (9oz) in the fridge & the 2oz bottle that I will add to.

-9oz frozen

6pm – Pump for 20mins and make 6oz

Baby had bottle at 5pm

I save 3oz and freeze 3oz

-I have 3 bottles (9oz) in the fridge

-I now have 12oz frozen

9pm – Pump for 20mins make 6oz

Baby ate at 7pm and will eat again after 9pm pumping session.

I save 6oz (2 bottles)

-I have 9oz in fridge along with 2oz bottle that I will add to.

-12oz in freezer

Midnight – Pump for 20mins make 5oz

Baby will eat again after pumping session and will sleep until 6am.

I freeze 3oz, add 1oz to 2oz bottle in fridge and save 1oz to add to later.

-I have 9oz in fridge and a 1oz bottle that I will add to

-12oz frozen

Quick note…

If you noticed, I try to keep at least 9oz on hand (in fridge) and I only freeze and make bottles in 3oz increments.

I know that this may seem confusing, and it will vary depending on your supply, but if you’re exclusively pumping, it’s so important to make sure that you are delegate how you store your milk in order to build your stash FAST!

Strive To Save The Same Amount Each Time

As stated earlier, I only freeze and make bottles in 3oz increments.

While you can always save more or less, I’ve found that 3oz works best for me.

Freezer bags lay perfectly flat with 3oz vs. the 4oz that I saved with my oldest.

I found that I wasted a lot of milk when I was saving and storing milk in 4oz increments.

I’d always end up with 1oz that went in the trash.

So this time around I decided to only bottle and save 3oz at a time and it’s been working like a charm.

3oz is also perfect for when I have a pumping session where I pump an odd number (ex. 7oz).

I’m able to make 2 bottles or save 2 freezer bags of milk. 

Then I’m able to use the leftover oz to add to if baby wants more or if I pump another odd amount.

RELATED: 7 Foods That Will Boost Your Milk Supply

& that’s how I saved over 100oz of breast milk in 2 weeks.

I now have well over that amount but I’ve stopped counting.

To give you some perspective though, I went out of town recently and was able to leave behind 10 bottles (30oz) and an entire deep freezer worth of milk for my little one.

To say that I’m grateful is an understatement.

Anyone who pumps exclusively knows how exhausting it can be.

However, I’m here to tell you that those late nights will pay off!

I hope these tips were helpful and that your freezer stash is coming along nicely!

Do you have a freezer stash?

If so, how much do you have saved so far?