Stop With The Freezer Stash
Without fail, every time I talk to a first-time mom (and often second-time moms) who is breastfeeding, she is laser-focused, ultra-anxious and dead set on building a massive freezer stash of breastmilk. I get it. Just like with money, the more we have and save, the safer we feel. The problem is, this focus on a freezer stash comes from a scarcity mindset. And a scarcity mindset is often the hidden driver of anxiety, fear, perfectionism and struggle. None of which you want when you’re a nursing mother.
A Scarcity Mindset
We can go down plenty of rabbit holes on all the negative ways scarcity mindsets control the worst parts of us. It’s something I struggle with every single day.
When you believe you have to fill a freezer with breastmilk there is an underlying belief that you don’t have enough, you won’t have enough or that if you don’t achieve x, you’re not doing it right. This is true for money and milk. The tighter you hold it, the more you fear you’ll lose it, the easier it goes. When it comes to nursing and pumping, a scarcity mindset puts undue pressure on your postpartum nerves.
I’m not suggesting you dump your freezer stash, stop saving milk or dive into nursing and pumping without a solid plan. But know that a focus on filling a deep freeze might not be serving your purpose. A full freezer is nice (as is a full bank account), but at the end of the day, you really just need enough milk to get you through the next day (more if you have to travel… which definitely requires a solid plan). When it comes to pumping, it’s okay to be a “Just Enougher”. That’s not failure and it shouldn’t be scary.
Trusting Abundance
It’s a radical idea to trust your body. To trust your baby. To trust God (or the universe or Mother Nature). To simply believe that you will have enough breastmilk when you need it. To inherently know that you will breastfeed and pump for the right amount of time for you and your baby. To let go of the striving, the fear, the comparisons and self-criticism. To be okay with just enough, and not being “perfect”.
I am in awe of the pictures of freezer stashes that are shared on social media — but they also stress me out. As do the breastfeeding and pumping guides and schedules that are laser focused on pumping and saving as much milk as possible. It’s incredibly freeing to let that go and find a rhythm and mindset that is calm and realistic. The Just Enough mindset.
Cultivating an abundant mindset when it comes to breastfeeding is radical. But it’s not hard. The secret is gratitude. Appreciating, without fear, every bottle you pump and every day that you nurse. Watching your baby grow and thrive and trusting that you will feed this child. This is letting go of control and doing the best that you can.
Don’t let the freezer stash goals stress you out.
Take it one day at time and trust right where you are. And, if you’re interested in a pumping plan and support that isn’t all about hoarding milk, we’re here for you.