Yoselin This post is about what a breast milk brick is, as well as how to make them, and why you should make them.
As breast pumping is becoming more accessible for many more women (myself included), women are able to take a little bit more control on how much milk they produce.
Due to my postpartum anxiety and because I was exclusively pumping, I was obsessed with my milk output.
The obsession and anxiety got me up to 40 oz of breastmilk per day. I maintained this milk supply for 12 months, ever since my daughter was just one month old.
My daughter was drinking a measly 15 oz per day until she was 4 months, then she went up to 20 oz per day until she was 6 months, and then the most she drank per day was just 24-28 oz.
READ MORE: Best Portable Breast Pumps
So even at her highest, I was pumping way too much for her to keep up. But everyone told me their kids were drinking 30+ oz per day, so I believed my daughter would soon be drinking that much. But my daughter never drank that much, so I was left with more than 1,400 ounces of frozen breastmilk by the time she was 12 months (and that doesn’t include the 400 oz I donated).
Because of how much breastmilk I was freezing, I had to maximize space and learn how to make a breast milk brick.
What is a Breast Milk Brick and Why Should You Make Them
In this article, I will cover what a breast milk brick is, how to make them, why you too should make them, and finally, how to get your frozen breast milk bags flat.
What is a Breast Milk Brick and Why Should You Make Them
What is a Breast Milk Brick
A breast milk brick is a commonly used term to how pumping moms choose to organize their frozen breastmilk stash.
A brick consists of adding as many breastmilk bags that fit into a two-gallon ziploc bag.
Depending on how you freeze them and which breastmilk bags you use, 7-15 breastmilk bags can fit inside a two gallon ziploc bag.
Instead of saying “a two gallon ziploc bag with breastmilk bags inside,” it is much easier to call it a breast milk brick.
So why is it a breastmilk brick? This is due to the appearance of how the ziploc bag looks after being neatly stuffed with breastmilk bags. It really does look like a brick.
How to Make a Breastmilk Brick
In order to make a breastmilk brick, you will need to 1) Produce enough milk to freeze, 2) freeze your breastmilk bags flat, and lastly, 3) purchase two-gallon ziploc bags to add your breastmilk bags.
You need about 7-15 breastmilk bags to create one brick.
Once you have created your brick, check the date of the oldest breastmilk bag and the date of the most recent breastmilk bag. Once you have these two dates, you can label your breastmilk brick’s date (i.e., 1/12/23 is the oldest date and 2/1/23 is the most recent date. You would label the brick “1/12/23-2/1/23”).
By labeling the brick with the dates of the breastmilk bags, it will allow you to organize your bricks from date, as well as helping you rotate your frozen breastmilk stash.
You should always use your oldest frozen breastmilk because breastmilk is only good for 6-12 months in the freezer and we do not want to waste any of the liquid gold.
I used a long organizer bin in my freezer. I would freeze my breastmilk bags flat, then once they were frozen, I added it to the long organizer bin. Once the bin was full, it was time for me to make one breast milk brick.
Why Should You Make Breastmilk Bricks
Breastmilk bricks help you organize your freezer and allows you to maximize freezer space.
Furthermore, when you use breastmilk bricks, it is also a good idea to label each brick with the dates the breastmilk was pumped.
Now you have created a system that allows you to effortlessly find your oldest frozen breastmilk to use first.
In addition, because if you are already making breast milk bricks, then chances are that you have a deep freezer. It is just not convenient to go to your deep freezer every time you want to take out one breastmilk bag. So when you know you’ll consistently start using your breastmilk stash, then you can transfer your oldest breastmilk brick from the deep freezer into your fridge freezer for easy access.
From there you can repeat at needed.
How to Freeze Breastmilk Flat
Freezing your breastmilk bags does not only make them look nice and uniform, but it also helps you save space and utilize your freezer space effectively.
If you want to use what you already own to freeze the breastmilk bags flat, then you can get a cardboard box and cut two rectangles, slightly longer and wider than a breastmilk bag. Get two hair ties and create your own FreezeFlat. This is the method I used because of budget reasons.
Another method I used was to simply lay the bags flat in the freezer. They will not be as flat and/or uniform, but sometimes that was good enough for me.
Another option that many moms do is getting one cookie sheet and laying the bags. They then get another cookie sheet and lay it over the breastmilk bags. The con with this method is that it is bulky and takes up much freezer space.
If you want to save space and prefer using something meant for doing this, then the items below can help you successfully freeze your breastmilk flat.
What is a Breast Milk Brick and Why Should You Make Them
Creating breast milk bricks is such a big accomplishment, so if you are already making them, congratulations! I know many moms struggle with our breastmilk supply, so if you have been consistently trying to create a freezer stash, having even one breastmilk brick is huge!
I recommend How to Increase Milk Supply During Period next if you struggle with supply dips during your time of the month.
P.S. If you would like to know more about milk supply dips during your period, read more here: How Much Does Milk Supply Decrease During Period.
Other Breastfeeding Posts:
- How to Organize Breast Pump Parts
- How to Wean From Pumping Schedule
- 17 Must-Have Breast Pumping Supplies
- Best Portable Breast Pumps
- Legendairy Milk Barrier Bags for Breast Milk Storage Review
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