7 Reasons I Love Cloth Pads!

If you are unaccustomed to thinking about cloth women's products, this post may be a little weird for you, but lets bring it into perspective... Only recently have disposable feminine products come into existence. For thousands of years prior, cloth pads have been used for women's menstrual period. Personally I have not had experience using these while on a period, but I did buy myself some panty liners as those are about all I need of these types of products while pregnant/breastfeeding.

Why choose cloth over disposable?
1. Cloth fabric is SOFT and comfortable and does not stick to you like disposable liners.
2. Cloth can easily be washed with your underwear and other laundry, adding no extra work for you.
3. Cloth is not full of chemicals that soak into your skin and may cause other problems such as heavier bleeding during your cycle.
4. Cloth is reusable and therefore you WILL save money on cloth products.
5. Cloth means no plastics are against your skin!
6. Cloth means no waste! Nothing is being thrown away here, all reusable!
7. Cloth means fun colored fabrics. Many sites let you CHOOSE the fabric color of your pads. With ordering through Frontier I usually end up with whatever they happen to have in stock, but that's ok with me.

Which pads I have. 
I personally love my panty liners from Glad Rags. I order through Frontier Co-op and usually snatch a few when they go on sale for $5 a piece. I have a small collection now that really is enough for daily use (about 7 liners now) while not on a period. I think the savings bit will take a year or so before it catches up with me, but I'm already SO in love with my liners that I really dont care!

I did order a Party In My Pants sample pad. While it is great, it has PUL backing which I'm not terribly fond of. I keep it on the bottom of my stash and only use if my others run out (which rarely happens).

I *am* looking into buying some cloth pads for menstrual use, but I think I would prefer to use a DivaCup or something similar since I'm more a fan of tampons anyway. We will see how that goes when my period returns!

Related Posts

• How To Become a Frontier Co-op Wholesale Member

Using Herbs While Breastfeeding

Something I've been doing a little research on is the use of different herbs while breastfeeding. I thought I would go ahead and post what I have and then I can always edit later to add more information if I look into some of these other herbs listed. As you can see, some of these herbs I've looked up a good bit of information on, others not so much. On a few (fennel in particular) I've also included information I've found about using essential oils of that herb while breastfeeding.

Alfalfa

• General: may increase milk supply.

Barley

• General: may increase milk supply.

Basil (sweet)

• General: may increase milk supply.

Blessed Thistle

• General: may increase milk supply.

Chickweed

• can decrease milk supply, avoid use while breastfeeding. Source: http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/herbs-oversupply/

Dandilion

• General: may increase milk supply.

Fennel

Bitter Fennel Essential Oil (EO) Information

Sweet Fennel EO Information

• General: may increase milk supply and fat content of milk.
• Fennel is a purported glactogogue and is included in some propritary mixtures promoted to increase milk supply. No scientifically valid clinical trials support this use, although one old, small study found and increase in milk volume and fat content with fennel therapy. Source: http://www.drugs.com/breastfeeding/fennel.html
• We do not recommend using fennel essential oil (EO) to increase milk supply as the EO is not recommended as safe for babies and children under 5 years of age... Fennel (bitter), Fennel (sweet)Foeniculum vulgare - avoid using (all routes) on children under 5. Source: http://www.learningabouteos.com/index.php/2014/02/07/essential-oils-and-children/
• Fennel herb... can be used to increase mother's milk supply... passes through breastmilk to help baby's digestion and relieve symptoms of colic... can be used in combination with other herbs such as fenugreek, alfalfa,nettles, and blessed thistle... should be used in moderation since too much might actually cause decrease in milk supply... do not use fennel essential oil on small children. Source: http://breastfeeding.about.com/od/milksupplyproblems/a/Fennel.htm
• Brochure recommends keeping Fennel essential oil out of the reach of children. Source: http://www.doterratools.com/documents/Fennel_Essential_Oil_Product_Information_Page.pdf
• Fennel Essential Oil, not to be used on children under 5 years. Not to be used by breastfeeding women. Source: Essential Oil Safety second edition by Robert Tisserand (see images above).

Fenugreek Seed

• General: may increase milk supply.
• Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) appears to be the herb that is most often used to increase milk supply. It has been reported to be an excellent galactagogue for some mothers, and has been used as such for centuries. The few studies that have been done have had mixed results.  Mothers generally notice an increase in production 24-72 hours after starting the herb, but it can take two weeks for others to see a change. Some mothers do not see a change in milk production when taking fenugreek.  Dosages of less than 3500 mg per DAY have been reported to produce no effect in many women.  Fenugreek is a basic ingredient of curry powder.  Fenugreek is considered safe for nursing moms when used in moderation and is on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s GRAS list.  Fenugreek is in the same family with peanuts and chickpeas, and may cause an allergic reaction in moms who are allergic to these things. Source: http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/fenugreek/
• Fenugreek has been used in a number of geographical regions worldwide as a galactogogue to increase milk supply, and is included in numerous proprietary mixtures promoted to increase milk supply. Evidence for a galactogogue effect is mostly anecdotal. A limited number of published studies of low to moderate quality have found mixed results for a galactogogue effect for fenugreek. Source: http://www.drugs.com/breastfeeding/fenugreek.html

Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum)

• can decrease milk supply, avoid use while breastfeeding. Source: http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/herbs-oversupply/

Jasmine

• Fresh crushed jamsine is used to decrease milk supply. Source: http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/herbs-oversupply/
• Jasmine flowers show to decrease milk supply. Source: http://www.everythingessential.me/HealthConcerns/BreastFeeding.html#page=page-7
• can decrease milk supply. Sorce: http://breastfeeding.about.com/od/howdoesbreastfeedingwork/a/Factors-That-Can-Influence-Your-Breast-Milk-Supply.htm

Lemon Balm

• can decrease milk supply, avoid use while breastfeeding. Source: http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/herbs-oversupply/
• http://www.drugs.com/breastfeeding/lemon-balm.html

Licorice

• General: may increase milk supply.
• Licorice is a purported glactogogue, and is included in some asian propritary mixtures to increase milk supply; however, no scientifically valid clinical trails support this use. In fact, licorace usually reduces serum prolactin, which might decrease milk production in the early stages of lactation. Source: http://www.drugs.com/breastfeeding/licorice.html

Milk Thistle

• General: may increase milk supply.
• Milk thistle is a purported galactogogue, and is included in some proprietary mixtures promoted to increase milk supply; however, no scientifically valid clinical trials support this use. Although a study on the high potency purified milk thistle component, silymarin, indicated some galactagogue activity, this does not necessarily imply activity of milk thistle itself. Source: http://www.drugs.com/breastfeeding/milk-thistle.html

Nettle 

• General: may increase supply.

Oregano

• can decrease milk supply, avoid use while breastfeeding. Source: http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/herbs-oversupply/
• can decrease milk supply. Sorce: http://breastfeeding.about.com/od/howdoesbreastfeedingwork/a/Factors-That-Can-Influence-Your-Breast-Milk-Supply.htm

Parsley

• can decrease milk supply, avoid use while breastfeeding. Source: http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/herbs-oversupply/
• can decrease milk supply. Sorce: http://breastfeeding.about.com/od/howdoesbreastfeedingwork/a/Factors-That-Can-Influence-Your-Breast-Milk-Supply.htm

Peppermint

• General: can decrease milk supply, avoid use while breastfeeding.
• Pepperming essential oil has been usd traditionally for decreasing milk supply. Pepperming tea is a very weak form of peppermint and only large amounts (quarts) would be expected to decrease milk supply [for some women]. Some women have sucessfully used strong pepperming candies (for example, Altoids Curiously Strong Peppermints) for decreasing milk supply. Source: http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/herbs-oversupply/
• can decrease milk supply. Sorce: http://breastfeeding.about.com/od/howdoesbreastfeedingwork/a/Factors-That-Can-Influence-Your-Breast-Milk-Supply.htm

Periwinkle Herb (vinca minor)

• can decrease milk supply, avoid use while breastfeeding. Source: http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/herbs-oversupply/

Rhodiola Rosea

• General: avoid use while breastfeeding as there isn't enough evidence to prove it's safe.
• One should not take Rhodiola while pregnant or breast-feeding as the risks to pregnant women and nursing mothers have not been studied enough to know for certain if there is a potential hazardous interaction. Source: http://www.safealternativemedicine.co.uk/rhodiolaroseaandanti-aging.html
• Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn’t enough reliable information about the safety of taking Rhodiola if you are pregnant or breast feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use. Source: http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-883-rhodiola%20(roseroot).aspx?activeingredientid=883&activeingredientname=rhodiola+%28roseroot%29
• To date, the medical literature has not reported any adverse effects related to foetal development during pregnancy or to infants who are breast-fed. Yet little is known about the use of this dietary supplement while pregnant or breast-feeding. Therefore, it is recommended that you inform your healthcare practitioner of any dietary supplements you are using while pregnant or breast-feeding. Source: http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-rhodiola.html

Sage

• can decrease milk supply, avoid use while breastfeeding. Source: http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/herbs-oversupply/
• can decrease milk supply. Sorce: http://breastfeeding.about.com/od/howdoesbreastfeedingwork/a/Factors-That-Can-Influence-Your-Breast-Milk-Supply.htm

Slippery Elm

• "do not take slippery elm without first talking to your doctor if you are breastfeeding a baby. It is also not known whether slippery elm with harm a nursing infant." Source: http://www.drugs.com/mtm/slippery-elm.html
• "Scientists think slippery elm is safe in pregnancy and during breastfeeding, but no scientific studies have been done to confirm this." Source: http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/slippery-elm

Sorrel (rumex acetosa)

• can decrease milk supply, avoid use while breastfeeding. Source: http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/herbs-oversupply/

Spearmint

• can decrease milk supply, avoid use while breastfeeding. Source: http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/herbs-oversupply/

Stinging Nettels

• can decrease milk supply, avoid use while breastfeeding. Source: http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/herbs-oversupply/

Yarrow

• can decrease milk supply, avoid use while breastfeeding. Read more here: http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/herbs-oversupply/
• can decrease milk supply. Sorce: http://breastfeeding.about.com/od/howdoesbreastfeedingwork/a/Factors-That-Can-Influence-Your-Breast-Milk-Supply.htm

Find information on herbs:

• http://www.nyrnaturalnews.com/
• https://www.organicfacts.net/
• https://www.pinterest.com/HerbalAcademyNE/

Frontier Co-op

Back in October a few friends & I set up a wholesale account through Frontier Co-op. Since then we have ordered stuff almost every month and are making great savings in the process. Not only do we get bulk deals, but they offer many organic products as well.

Click here for the link for creating a wholesale customer account. There is a $10 Membership fee (I think its yearly, but it might be a one time fee... I was not the one who set up our wholesale account).

Once you create your wholesale account you are ready to go! I suggest ordering a free catalog with your first purchase so you can look through all the products available when internet isn't always up (we live in the country and don't have internet at home so the catalog is really nice for us!).

Some products that I am loving that we have already purchased and used are listed below:

• GladRags Pantyliners
• Plum Organics, Spinach & Apple Puffs
• Burt's Bees Honey Throat Drops
• (Organic & Bulk) Whole Flax Seeds
• Hyland's Baby Teething Tablets
• TwinLab Brewer's Yeast
• Rainbow Light Prenatal Vitamins

Of course I am also loving all their Aura Cacia essential oils. We have purchased/used:

• Cinnamon Leaf
• Citronella Java
• Clove Bud
• Fennel Seed
• Grapefruit
• Lavandin
• Lavender
• Lemon
• Orange (sweet)
• Oregano (organic)
• Pine
• Sage
• Tangerine
• Tea Tree

There are many other oils available, but those are the ones we have purchased so far to use.

I am always excited about their monthly sales as well. You can almost always find something you want to grab at a dollar or two cheaper than you would get it at regular price. If you use herbs and spices, buying in bulk here is also great! We love to save money by buying organic herbs in bulk. Its more costly up front, but if you have freezer space for the extra it is totally worth it! Especially for things you use quite often.

Wooden Toys For Kids

My latest thing has been finding wooden toys for my son. Quite a challenge, but there are products out there! Especially when you are able to shop online. I thought I would share a few of the things I have found recently with you.

photo via LuccaWorkshop on Etsy

I am loving these wooden alphabet magnetic letters from LuccaWorkshop on Etsy! Of course I like them cuz I'm a mom and want things to be pretty so I doubt I will end up getting them, but they ARE beautiful!

photo via LuccaWorshop on Etsy.

Now these wooden animal alphabet magnetic letters would be more to my sons taste but still please my need to have things looking pretty. These are also from LuccaWorshop on Etsy.

photo via Melissa & Doug.

These wooden alphabet magnetic letters are from Melissa & Doug. A nice feature to them is that the magnetic part covers the full back of the letter so you don't have to worry about the magnet coming off and being a choking hazard.

photo via Melissa & Doug.

These alphabet nesting stacking blocks, also from Melissa & Dough, are really neat too. (Can you tell I'm on an alphabet kick? lol).

photo via Melissa & Doug.

This wooden shape sorter cube is really awesome! It is from Melissa & Doug.

photo via Pure Kids Play.

Wooden stacking cone! I love this one because of its bright colors. It is from Pure Kids Play.


I am still looking and finding things, but this is the start of my search for wooden toys for Little C. Hope you were able to find this post useful. I've not bought or used any of these products yet, but am considering buying some of them.

Coconut Oil In Coffee

Coconut Oil has many, many benefits. One of them is helping produce better breastmilk. Awhile back I saw a post in one of my Facebook groups where a mom put coconut oil in her morning coffee. I've also heard of people putting it in smoothies, or eating it right off the spoon. I tried the smoothies, and while that is great I usually don't eat many smoothies during the cold months and eating it off the spoon is too gross for me (I don't like the texture). So I decided coffee it is...

Fun Facts About Coconut Oil
Regular consumption of coconut oil can help boost metabolism, speed up weight loss, helps with mental alertness during the day, works as a sleep aid at night, helps allergy symptoms, helps absorption of calcium and magnesium. Take a tablespoon before each meal to aid digestion.

For further reading check out this post on Organic Facts about the health benefits of coconut oil.

Back to the coffee...

Start with a hot cup of coffee and spoon out about a tablespoon of coconut oil.

 

Add it to your coffee. It will begin to melt right away as you can see above.

Stir or let it sit a few minutes in the coffee. It will melt pretty fast on its own.

This is the coconut oil I like to use for eating (I have a different brand I use for baking). Carrington Farms. Pure, unfreined, cold Pressed Coconut Oil. 100% Organic Extra Virgin.

 

Stir in your favorite creamer and you're good to go!

I usually drink the first cup pretty quick so the coconut oil doesn't have time to return to is solid stage and then fix myself a cup of regular coffee with no CO in it.

Starting Baby on Solid Foods

Long before my baby was born I knew I wanted to breastfeed for as long as possible before introducing solids. I have food allergies, and hubby has a milk intolerance so I figured I would do my best to give our little one a shot at not having food allergies or not having as many as I have.

From what I was able to read before hand, and what Little C's doctor said after he was born I knew we would not be introducing solids before 6 months old. I was able to stick to this goal and solids were not introduced until a week shy of 7 months, due to hubby's urging (he has come a long way, but didn't fully understand that babies don't really need anything except breastmilk for the first year of their lives).

As it turned out, our son really wasn't interested in solids. We started with a jar of banana baby food (I know, not crunchy!). Little C took a few bites, like three, and was done. I mixed it up and offered him some peas (also jar food cuz I didn't know any better then), those didn't go over at ALL! I tried feeding him bites of the jar bananas at least once a day for about four days and finally told hubby that Little C just wasn't interested in foods yet.

Around 8 months hubby urged me to try foods again... so out came a jar of bananas. This round went a little better with Little C eating about half a jar after being nursed before hand (I always nursed first because I knew breastmilk was more important than solids at this age). So, for most days Little C ate about half a jar of baby food.

Between 8 and 9 months we also introduced the jar blend blueberries and apples. That quickly became Little C's favorite food. We tried peas again and they were a no go, just like before. Carrots were one of the next foods we tried. I waited a full week before introducing any new foods as I have an allergy to carrots and wanted to make sure Little C's eczema didn't flare up with the introduction of this new food. Sweet Potatoes were introduced during this time as well. The very next day my poor Little C had a rash on his butt where the sweet potato poop had been when I got him up in the morning, and he had splotches of eczema all over his chest, back and arms. That food, though it was well liked by Little C, was not given again for almost a month. (He was also teething at the time so I wanted to try them after the eczema had cleared to make sure that it was the food and not something else that had caused the outbreak.

Around 10 months I introduced sweet potatoes again. This time they seemed not to bother him. About a week later, after eating them several times through the week, I realized his eczema was coming back again. We stopped sweet potatoes completely and will try again when he is older.

One jar blend that we tried was banana, apple, strawberry. Since we had already introduced apples and bananas without an issue I figured a triple blend would be okay since I would easily know if the strawberries were a trigger food. And they were. Horrible red rash on his bum and eczema flared up right away. Strawberries are another food we have avoided all together.

At some point between 9 and 10 months I learned about making your own baby puree's. I had heard about Baby Led Weaning from moms in a crunchy Facebook group I follow, but after further reading, and discussing it with hubby we decided that was not for us at this time (hubby was especially worried about Little C choking on foods).

I started buying, and mashing bananas myself to feed Little C. He loved it! (I had given him a few bites of mashed banana when he was around 8 months, but hadn't thought to feed him those instead of the jar foods). He eats almost a whole banana for breakfast most days of the week now. As he has started getting his top teeth in and learning to chew (he has had his bottom teeth since around 6 months) I haven't been mashing the banana quite so much so he can learn to mash the 'chunks' himself. He is doing beautifully with it!

Remember my Apples post? I made all that apple sauce to feed to Little C for some breakfasts so he didn't always eat bananas. As it turns out he isn't a fan of the chunkier texture of the homemade applesauce. I think I may need to run some through a food processor to make it more smooth. I think he just might eat it like that.

I have 'made' several other mashed, homemade foods for Little C and he has enjoyed most of them. At Thanksgiving I blended some potatoes with breastmilk and some grassfed butter... he was not a fan of their texture either (he was about 11 months then).

Our most recent food introduction was Plum Organics, Plum Baby & Tots Super Greens (Spinach & Apple) Organic Super Puffs. Little C loves them so much I have to keep them hidden in a cabinet or he won't eat his other foods! I like this particular flavor because of the spinach in it since that adds iron to his diet which I've read is important for this age.

With the new top teeth almost in I am looking forward to introducing other real foods to Little C. I imagine it won't be long before he is enjoying all the wonderful things I like to cook and bake! :)

Taking Meals to New Parents

Something I love to do is take meals to families who have just had a baby. After going though that experience myself I have made it my mission to take meals to any of my mama friends when they have had a baby cuz that is truly a difficult time to get anything done and food is SO important in the recovery process!

A few things to keep in mind:
-Always ask about food allergies! You don't want to fix something they won't be able to eat!

-Make sure the food you prepare is something they like (not everyone likes pasta I have come to find out!).

-Fix enough food for more than just the initial meal for the entire family. (So, in other words, make sure there are leftovers! Doesn't have to be a lot, just enough to help mama out for a midnight snack.)

-Include something with chocolate for dessert! That is always a great thing for a new mama.

-Make the sides easy to prepare! New mama's aren't up in the kitchen yet so usually its daddy who is 'fixing' dinner. Keep it easy for him!

 

Prepare a main dish. Always grease the pan so its easy to reheat. If you know the family wont be eating it right away then also include a piece of foil to make the reheating process easier.

 

Texas Toast is a great side to most pasta dishes and is a great filler too.

Include a piece of foil to put over a cookie sheet so no extra dishes have to be washed!

 

Include a vegetable.

Green beans are a pretty safe vegetable since people tend to hate them less than peas!

(While I wouldn't typically buy these, they are great for dads who aren't used to cooking.)

Salads are also versatile, but take more prep time for you.

 

Chocolate Chip Brownies! A favorite recipe of mine... and also of many of my friends!

 Cut the brownies before they are completely cool or it might be impossible to do later.

Meals can be anything you want to fix! Most of my friends aren't crunchy so I fix meals I know they will enjoy. You can take this one step further and include paper plates and disposable utensils, but I usually just take the meal.

4 Ways To Have a More Natural Christmas

Christmas is one of my favorite holidays. I have pulled out my Christmas scented candles and wax melts, our tree is up and decorated, most of the gifts are bought and wrapped, the wreath is on the door... This year I'm hoping to make some Christmas cloth napkins out of fabric I found last summer during garage sale season... Here are some ideas for celebrating Christmas a little more naturally:

1. buy a real tree.
Fake trees are pretty, but just wait til the smell of a real tree fills your house! It is the best smell of the season at our house. Since hubby & I have been married and on our own we have always bought a real tree. There are many places you can get one: Boy Scouts, a local tree farm, even some grocery stores sell them out front here in the mid-west! You can find trees for $20, sometimes even less.

2. make your own ornaments and decorations.
Get your kiddos involved decorating salt dough ornaments or enjoy cutting out shapes and baking in cinnamon dough. Cut out paper snowflakes to hang in front of the window or make outdoor decorations for the birds to enjoy too!

3. encourage your children to make homemade gifts.
From crocheting scarves, to making up brownie mixes in jars to give to extended family members, to DIY Gold Leaf Notebooks... if you are a Pinterest junkie, finding DIY gifts won't be hard!

4. bake cookies!
Here are some healthier options for the holidays: Organic Coconut Flour Cut Out Cookie Recipe. Here is a grain free, gluten free, paleo recipe Slice & Bake or Cut Out Cookies.

MERRY CHRISTMAS a little early!

Stockpiling Clothes for Littles

Clothes Little C is growing into are stored in boxes in the bottom of his closet.

I don't know about you, but I think little ones grow way too fast!

I have been picking up clothes for Little C every chance I get. I hit up a lot of garage sales over the summer and often am able to stuff Wal-Mart sacks full of clothes for $5 or less! I am always excited when I find these good deals and they have nice clothes to pick from.

I wash clothes I bring home, even if I buy them new at a store because I'm paranoid... but that's okay! I also like to know that when I get them out they are ready to go.

Once the clothes are washed I usually dump them in a pile on Little C's floor.

 

While folding, I sort into different piles for each size.

 

In some of the bigger sizes I only have a few things each so I put them in Wal-Mart sacks to keep them sorted before storing in a larger box.

 

Here is an example of a box with more than one size in it. I use regular masking tape and write all the sizes and then line them up like this. Once a size has enough for its own box I move it out of a mixed box. This usually happens when we get close the next size he will be in.

After Little C outgrows clothes I move them out of his closet and dresser and sort through them again. This time I take out anything I don't want to keep and the rest goes in a box and is stored in the basement. I have donated and sold Little C's old clothes to help pay for items we may not have been able to find in thriftier ways (B/S/T pages, thrift stores, yardsales, etc).

I love having bigger clothes on hand because it really helps save money and it's not stressful when I suddenly realize his shirts are really too small and we need bigger clothes!

Breastmilk Storage for Donating

I have been breastfeeding my son since he was born in January. I am fortunate to be blessed with oversupply. I didn't realize what a blessing it was until I joined a Facebook support group for breastfeeding mamas and saw how many were struggling with feeding their babies.

In July 2014 I heard about donating breastmilk. I really didn't know anything about it, but I started looking into it and decided that was something I needed to do. I have since donated over 1,000+ ounces to three different babies.

Pumping is a full time job. I do not pump through the night so I can focus on nursing my little one and getting plenty of sleep... which doesn't always happen anyway, but that's the goal! Sleep is important to milk production.

So... I wanted to share how I store breastmilk for donating. Its been a learning process since day one, but I finally have a system that works pretty well.

Here goes...

Milk storage starts in the fridge. After pumping I pour fresh milk into a large NUK 10oz bottle. If I already have a bottle going, I will pour fresh milk into a separate bottle and mix them once they are the same temperature.

Some days I store my pumps in a ziploc bag between pumping sessions because I know I won't have time to wash them right away before they need to be used again. (I typically pump every 3 hours.) If I store pumps in the fridge they are ALWAYS washed at the end of the day. Usually I wash them throughout the day as much as possible, but this is a quick time saver trick you might find handy. If you do this, make sure to get a new bag for storing the pumps the next day.

Here is a picture of how I label the bags. Date, number of ounces, and the time. If you aren't sure of the time you can do just 'AM' or 'PM'.

I use Lansinoh milk storage bags. I have filled them to the max (13oz. a bag), but that can cause leaking and really isn't practical. I have a full time donor baby so I usually put two bottles worth in one bag. Typically that would be 8oz. in a bag (since baby boy drinks 4oz. in a bottle at a time). I also make up 5oz. bags in the evening with 'night milk'.

why yes, that is some homemade baby food in there!

Once I have the amount of milk I need for a milk storage bag I pour the milk from the bottle in the fridge to the storage bag. I have found that they stack better once they are frozen when the bags are laid flat in the door of the freezer.

Once the milk is frozen, I move it into a freezer ziploc bag. I label the bag ahead of time with the month, year and what it is (breastmilk!). Once I have filled the bag I write the number of ounces total so it's easier to grab exactly what I need when taking a donation to a mama (usually I do 50oz in a ziplock, but they can hold more than that!)

When I am ready to start a new freezer bag I open them up like this. Since 8oz. isn't exactly completely flat I rotate the side the top of the bag is on so that the stack stays pretty even and isn't prone to flop over.

Here's the beginning of a freezer bag.

When storing milk I usually put the oldest milk on the bottom and work my way up as I have more milk available to freeze.

This is what 50oz. of breastmilk looks like. To get exactly 50oz. I usually do 5 8oz. bags of milk, and 2 5oz. bags. This is the easiest way for me to do that since the baby I currently donate to usually drinks 4oz. at a time. Of course you could do all 5oz. bags too. Just play around with it and see what works for you!

 

You saw what the bag label looked like at the beginning of the process... well here it is at the end. Once I've filled a bag I double check the number of ounces that is in it and then I write the number of ounces on the bag and circle it. This makes it easy to count up how much milk I have in the freezer.

This is what a full freezer bag looks like. You can see how the bags are opposite on every level to help them stack better.

Those blueberries were picked from a farm up the road earlier this summer!

And finally, what my deep freezer looks like! The oldest milk is in the front and the newer milk is in the back. As I take milk out to donate, I move everything forward so it stays fairly organized.


That's all I have for ya! Hopefully some of these tips help you out in storing breastmilk, whether its for yourself or to donate!