If you want to build a freezer stash of breastmilk AFTER YOUR C SECTION, without the headache of pumping around the clock, this is the BREASTFEEDING TOOL for you!
When I was pregnant I remember every time I was on Pinterest I would see article about how to build a freezer stash of breastmilk.
These posts would go on and on about the perfect pumping strategy to get plenty of milk stocked away while still feeding your baby. Most of which involved nursing a baby and then pumping.
And that sounded exhausting, intimidating, and a little bit like I was NEVER going to do anything but breastfeed or pump again.
As a new moms who is recovering from a c section are facing a long list of other challenges – you don’t need to add “around the clock pumping” to that list.
THE BASICS OF BREASTFEEDING AFTER A C SECTION
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Did you know that breastfeeding after a belly birth (aka c section) can actually be completely different than breastfeeding after a vaginal delivery??
***mind blown***
C Section moms can face a lot of different breastfeeding challenges starting with the fact that baby is often a lot more sleepy because of all the medications mom is taking that pass into the milk.
Finding a position that is comfortable for mom and baby is also a big challenge for c section moms.
And of course- supply is a big concern. Some women make too much, some worry they aren’t making enough and everybody wants to know how to keep baby fed and how to build a freezer stash.
You can read more about the basics of breastfeeding after a c section by clicking here, but if you’re worried that breastfeeding will be (or already is) a challenge for you, I highly recommend an online breastfeeding class.
Milkology is an online breastfeeding school that will help you become a confident and empowered milk makin’ mama. Milkology offers online courses that focus on breastfeeding basics, pumping, and mastering your milk supply.
I could fill a book about all the things I wish I had known when I was trying to master breastfeeding with my first baby, after an emergency c section no less!
I recommend Milkology classes to new c section moms just like you so that you don’t have to make the same breastfeeding mistakes I did!
WHY YOU MIGHT WANT A STASH OF MILK IN YOUR FREEZER
You might be asking yourself why you even need a stash of milk in the freezer. Especially when you’re just focused on trying to feel better, but there’s plenty of reasons a new mom might want to have a secret stash of milk in her freezer.
- You’re headed back to work.
- For the days you want to run errands or have lunch with a friend and leave baby at home.. You might find keeping a few extra ounces of milk on hand gives you the freedom to leave baby home with dad or grandma so you can have a little mommy-time.
- For those pump and dump nights. On those nights when you have more than one glass of wine, you might find that you’ll need to “pump & dump”. In other words, pump at the milk, test it using alcohol test strips, and then tossing milk that might have too high of an alcohol content.
- In case of emergency. God forbid something should ever happen to you or your child. But just in case, breastfeeding might not be an option in that moment. A freezer stash will give you peace of mind. Or if you needed to be another family member and leave baby at home, a freezer stash will come in handy in those “just in case” moments of life.
- In case you need to take a medicine that’s not safe for breastfeeding. Things can happen and suddenly you find yourself needing to take medication that isn’t safe for breastfeeding. Keeping a stash on hand can help feed your baby if this were to happen to you.
- You can use breastmilk for other things. Did you know there’s a ton of stuff you can use breastmilk for, including making a lotion out of it! How crazy is that?! I’m like the dad from “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, except instead of Windex I use breastmilk for everything!! Have a burn? Breastmilk! Cradle cap? Breastmilk. Diaper rash? Breastmilk. Breakout? Breastmilk. (Yes, seriously) House needs to be cleaned? Breastmi….ok it doesn’t work on everything, but you get the idea!
- For those growth spurts when you can’t quite keep up. My littlest is currently having a growth spurt and it’s draining me. In more ways than one. It’s nice to have a little extra milk on hand to give him on those days when I can’t keep up or I just need a break from the cluster feeding.
- Dreamfeeding at night. If you don’t know what what dreamfeeding is you should look it up! I’m not an expert on it but it’s basically this idea that you feed baby in his sleep. The theory is that it’s supposed to help him learn to sleep for longer stretches. And it turns out that sometimes breastfed babies dreamfeed better with a bottle! Who knew!
- When you’d rather not breastfeed in public. I don’t know about you but there are some places that feel a little weird to just sit down and start breastfeeding….like church. Occasionally I’ll bring a bottle of pumped breastmilk along with me to make feeding baby on the go easier.
- To mix with baby food. When your baby starts solid foods you’ll want to think them out and I found that breastmilk is the best for this. An added bonus is that might find it easier to introduce new foods since they will have the familiar taste breastmilk mixed in.
- When you just need a break. Hey, we all have rough days and sometimes you just need a break. Especially when baby is cluster feeding, and that’s ok. Keeping a small stash of breastmilk in your freezer will help you get much needed rest.
HOW DO I BUILD A FREEZER STASH OF BREASTMILK AFTER MY C SECTION?
You’re ready to start building your freezer stash of breastmilk, but you need it to be E-A-S-Y! Because you’ve got a newborn and you’re tired, and your c section incision is still tender.
Just remember that a “stash” doesn’t have to mean hundreds and hundreds of ounces. A “stash” could simply be 24 ounces….just enough for you to be away from baby for one day.
Or your “stash” might be an entire freezer-full because that’s what you need or want or produce. Either way, building a stash shouldn’t be stressful, even if you’re returning to work – you’d be surprised
The easiest way for a c section mom to build a freezer stash full of breastmilk is to use a haakaa manual pump.
I know what you’re thinking. Why would I use a manual pump when I have an electric one? Isn’t that going to be so much work?
And the answer is, not if you get the right manual pump!
I can’t believe I didn’t find this pump until baby number three came along! A friend recommended it to me and it changed the way I breastfeed. And it allowed me to quickly and easily build a freezer stash of breastmilk without even trying!
How does it work? This manual pump isn’t like other manual pumps. You don’t have to actually pump anything, the pump does all the work for you.
How?
When you’re feeding the baby you will have a letdown of milk on both sides. But baby can only latch onto one side at a time, which means the side without baby is just leaking like crazy. Super annoying and kind of stressful when you start to think about all of the milk you’re losing.
So this manual pump uses suction to attach to your breast and it catches all of that milk that is letting down while baby nurses! And because it’s using suction it actually pulls out more milk too!
It’s kind of crazy how the haakaa works, but it’s the best way to build a freezer stash for a new c section mom.
The best part is that the pump doesn’t completely drain your breast which means baby can still eat from both sides. You’re just catching milk you would have lost anyway (and maybe a little extra) and then storing it.
Since my third baby was born about 5 months ago I have only used my big electric pump twice but I still have a freezer stash of over 150 ounces of breastmilk!
The vast majority of that stash is extra milk I caught using my haakaa manual breast pump as it leaked during a let down. Well worth the money I spent on this incredible manual breast pump.
If you make it a habit to always use the Haakaa manual breast pump whenever you nurse, you will be able to easily catch and store plenty of milk.
And here’s the best part, this pump is ridiculously affordable! It’s easy to use, easy to clean, easy to store.
Everything about it screams easy. And what new mom doesn’t want easy?!
If you are a new c section mom who wants to build a freezer stash but you don’t want to spend a ton of time pumping this is the pump for you.
