Deep Freezer for BM stash

[Myira]

For those of you with a freezer stash, did you buy a deep freezer chest for storing your BM? I am freezing flat in Lansinoh bags, but there isn't space left in the fridge freezer, so I am thinking of getting a deep freeze. Another thing is that way I do not need to rotate my stash that often. I am planning on storing it in the basement.

What brand and size do you have if you got one?

[BabbyO]

I didn't get one specifically for my BM, but we decided we needed a chest freezer before we had kids because our fridge freezer is so small.

Anyway after pricing we found chest freezers to be rather expensive. A guy at work ended up posting that he had an upright freezer (I'm guessing 12 cu ft based on the size because I can't remember exactly what it is) for sale. The price was right and in general we find this to be a great size for our family of 4, even with my 6-8 gallon sized bags of BM in there.

We are able to fit 6-8 bags of BM, 6 loaves of bread, miscellaneous meat & other frozen items.

If I were looking for something now, I'd check local listings and CL....but we don't have $$ to spend now. We were fortunate in that I knew the seller and he was only getting rid of it because his family outgrew it.

[mommylamb]

I'm thinking about getting a second freezer as well. Our fridge/freezer is always stuffed to capacity so we could use more room just for food, and I'll also be starting to BF again soon. This is the one I was looking at getting http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_04629502000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1 I think I prefer to get an upright freezer rather than a chest because I can see myself wasting food that I forget about at the bottom of a chest freezer.

[amldaley]

We decided to get a second fridge instead of a deep freezer with DD1 and, while I really love having the second fridge, I regret the freezer portion. I really want to buy a deep freezer this time around but we are moving when DD2 is 4-5 months old and no idea where, so no idea if we will have space for it.

That said, if you are really committed to extended BF and EBF, and ESPECIALLY if you are planning to return to work, I HIGHLY recommend either a deep freezer or a second fridge. It was so handy having extra supply on days when work prevented me from pumping as I should. A good friend was so faithful to her pumping and freezing schedule that she stopped pumping around 10 or 11 months and she had enough stashed breast milk for another 6 months of bottles!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't think you will regret it and if you do, they are pretty easy to sell on CL, etc.

I also recommend buying a new one or a newer model. Old fridges and freezers are energy suckers and may not be as consistent in insulation and temperture control.

[sste]

I bought the one mommylamb linked to and have been happy with it. It doesn't hold a ton but it works very well for food overflow from primary fridge and breastmilk. At one point I had the whole thing filled with those lansinoh bags . . . I will never forget the expression on the face of a guest who opened that freezer!

The deep freeze is nice because the BM lasts longer - - I think it was more like a year rather than 6 months for a normal freezer.

[smiles33]

We bought the chest deep freezer from Sears' Kenmore and I WISH I had bought the upright. It's such a pain lifting out the 4 trays (we bought our own trays) to get to food on the bottom. I had so much frozen BM in there and ultimately donated hundreds of ounces because DD2 refused bottles.

[tryin]

I love my deep freezer that i bought primarily for bm. It's not very large. I think i pqid between$200-300. Its organized very well and no deep dark holes.

[catsnkid]

I didn't really use it that much for breast milk. My daycare would only allow breast milk to be 3 months old at most anyway despite the deep freeze rules. I have one I got at Home Depot.

[Myira]

Thanks all for the suggestions. Went ahead and bought the one mommy lamb linked to above from sears today :)

[amldaley]

I didn't really use it that much for breast milk. My daycare would only allow breast milk to be 3 months old at most anyway despite the deep freeze rules. I have one I got at Home Depot.

Just curious...how would the daycare even know?

[smiles33]

Just curious...how would the daycare even know?

Not the OP, but m daycare center made us date the bag so they would know when the BM was pumped.

[marymoo86]

Not the OP, but m daycare center made us date the bag so they would know when the BM was pumped.

At mine, we have to date the bottles brought in with current day's date for that day's use only. They wouldn't "make" the bottles.

Interesting