Stocking your Milk Bankby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 28 Jul 2009 04:13 AM Breastmilk is commonly called, "white gold" or "liquid gold," because of its high value. Why not put some of this gold in a bank so you will be prepared for a rainy day. Establishing and stocking your own milk bank is a great idea. Sometimes the best-laid plans can change, affecting your ability to breastfeed. Maybe you have some dental work that requires medication. Or maybe you have to spend a few days in the hospital or away from your baby. Whatever the reason, when you have to stop nursing, it is a critical time for your breastfeeding relationship with your baby. Many moms wind up giving up on breastfeeding when something like this happens. This is a real shame. If the cause is only temporary, then you can resume successfully breastfeeding. Even if you cannot resume breastfeeding, let us say that you have to take an ongoing medication that is not compatible for breatfeeding, you can still extend the time that your baby is on breastmilk when you have a good stock of breastmilk in your freezer. If you wind up not needing the milk yourself, you may be able to donate it. Start banking your milk as soon as you are well established in your breastfeeding relationship. You want to make sure that your breasts produce enough extra milk. They will get used to the extra demand. I found it easiest to pump in the morning. That is when you tend to make the most milk. You will need the following: a breastpump, breastmilk bottles or bags that can be frozen, and a freezer. As far as pumps go, most people prefer a double electric pump. The are fast and easy to use. You can pump directly into a bottle or breastmilk freezer bag. For me, it was easiest to pump into a bottle and then transfer to a bag, since there was less of a chance of the milk spilling this way. Check back for part 2 tomorrow! You can read more blog posts by Mary Ann Romans here! Related Articles: Would You Nurse Another Mom's Baby? Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantbaby tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags breastfeeding, milk bank, nursing Discuss this article
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