• Using up leftover breastmilk ... yogurt?
• How to pump extra milk to save for later?
• Freezing Breastmilk

Using up leftover breastmilk ... yogurt?

This is going to sound bizarre, but I'm curious. I got a yogurt maker for Christmas and am also nursing. Has anyone ever tried to make yogurt out of their breastmilk? If it works, what kind of culture is okay to use for it? Sometimes the milk that I pump is at it's three day limit in the fridge and I end up having to dump it out. I thought this might be a way to use it before it goes bad. (I plan on giving it to my non-nursing toddler, not to my 2.5 month old.) Melissa

But you mention a ''three day limit'' on your milk in the fridge, and unless you've actually tested this and know that your personal baby won't take your personal milk after that long (in which case, ignore and forgive me), you should know that breastmilk is usually fine in the fridge for at least 5 days and often as long as 8 days. So you needn't be so quick to toss it out! You can also freeze it after 3-4 days and it will still be fine in the freezer for at least 3 months. Holly

How to pump extra milk to save for later?

I am looking for suggestions/ advice on beginning to pump and store breast milk while still actively nursing a young baby. My son is one month old, and I am beginning to think about trying to get out of the house every now and then. The problem is, we really want to keep him solely on breast milk, and he doesn't let me go more than a few hours, at most, between feedings during the day. And, for a significant part of every day, he seems to want to feed every hour--and I can never predict when that will be. I know this is fairly normal, but it leaves me at a loss as to how to feed him, pump, and still have time to get out of the house. I have been trying to pump and feed him, but in addtion to the time problem of fitting it all in, it seems like he spends even more time eating when I have pumped sometime during the day-Im assuming that its becuase my breasts have less milk if I have pumped once that day. Does anyone have advice or suggestions as to how to keep feeding him solely on breast milk while also building up a stockpile? If I don't get a break from these constant feedings, Ill go crazy! Thanks! Ann

My only suggestion (and it is not an easy one) is...if your baby is sleeping more than 4 hours during the night, set your alarm and try to get up during this period to pump. In the beginning it is very difficult to ge the timing down and I would not try it unless the sleep period is very predictable( there is nothing worse than having a hungry baby wake up and want to feed right after you have pumped). I started this in the third month and am still doing it even after returning to work at month three (my baby is now 5 months). I also pump at work and now have a supply of milk in the freezer that makes me the envy of my new mom's group. My baby has had essentially only breastmilk since day one.

My personal advice is: try nursing him on one breast only, and pumping the other one either simultaneously (if you can manage it!) or right after. This WILL mean that you will have to feed him again sooner. However, if you keep this up for a while (2 or 3 days, probably), your milk supply will increase (more demand always means more milk, eventually), and it might not be a problem after that.

I also had good success with pumping after my baby went to sleep (I'd wait 1 to 1 1/2 hours after the last feeding, then pump), or sometimes first thing in the morning before she woke up. And I always figured if she woke up and was HUNGRY, I could always give her what I just pumped, and no loss (other than my time!). Be patient: pumping sometimes takes a while to get established. As you get better and more experienced, you'll get more in a session. And make sure you have a good pump. The Gerber ones are awful. Get a Medela or something like it. Good luck! Dawn

The technique that worked best for me to stockpile a supply might not work for everyone but it's worth a try.

She was still at the point that she nursed several times a night, and for the most part she slept in bed with us. During these night nursings I would only feed her on one side. And when it was time to get up the morning my other breast would be very full, and sometimes a bit uncomfortable, but not too bad, while she was nursing, still on the other side, I would pump the full side with a small electric pump, medela. The bottle always filled very very quickly. I built up a stockplie in advance of when I needed by doing this every morning for awhile. I do remember though being very frustrated if anyone every wasted any. That stuff is like gold, it represents freedom. Elizabeth

And best to start him on the bottle anytime now and make sure he has a bottle at least once a day, even if you're not gone. Otherwise you'll find yourself in the position of the parents who can't get their 4 month olds to take a bottle! And once he does take a bottle, be sure to pump and store that milk, so you don't skip a bout of nursing and suggest to your body that it's ok to slow down production.

Good luck--you will soon able to get out of the house w/o your baby! Deborah