Milk Inventory is designed so you can keep track of your milk production. It does two important things:
1) Links containers to specific pumping sessions (and optionally, feeding bottles)
2) Tells you how long and where a specific container of milk was stored and its volume.
Part 1. Creating Milk Inventory
When you record a pumping session, you have the option of tracking the milk as virtual inventory. To do this, you assign milk to different storage containers (bags or bottles) and indicate how much milk you are putting in each container.
Inventory #’s are Unique
Inventory works by linking an unique inventory # to a physical container (bag or bottle) for a specific period of time. Once that container is used, the # is retired. You can certainly reuse the physical bottle, but it’s going to get a new # the next time you fill it up.
Pump and Pour
When you are done pumping, divide your milk into storage container(s). Each container will get an inventory #.
Assign Numbers
On the ‘Add Pumping’ form, you’ll see that Trixie Tracker automatically generates sequential inventory #’s. Assign one of those #’s to each physical container, and indicate the volume.
Have your Marker Handy
Now, instead of the date and time, you write the inventory # on the storage bottle/bag.
You’re done
That’s all there is to it. You can now view your Inventory page and get a summary of everything that’s in your freezer or fridge.
Part 2. Inventory and Feeding Bottles
If you are tracking Bottles and you have Milk Inventory, you’ll notice that your inventory automatically shows up on your ‘Add Bottle’ form. This lets you manage your inventory at the same time you add a bottle.
No Need to Toggle
At first you may want to toggle back and forth from Bottles and Inventory when adding a bottle. However, this is not necessary because there’s not a volume relationship between the two — only a link relationship. The software was specifically designed this way to simplify the inventory-to-bottle process.
Here’s an example of how the process should work
For this example, assume that you pumped 4 oz into container #10 and it was stored for some period of time.
1) When it’s time for a bottle, make the physical bottle first (go ahead and pour the milk in).
2) On your ‘Add Bottle’ form, set the starting volume
3) On that same form there’s a list of the three oldest container #’s. (Let’s assume it’s #10, #11 and #12.) If you added milk from one of those container #10, click to add it. Add additional containers if needed. If you finish a container #, check the box to retire it.
You’re done
That’s all there is to it. You can now see links between specific bottles and pumping sessions, you know how long and where the milk was stored, and you were also able to retire containers from the ‘Add Bottle’ form so you don’t have to do it manually on the Inventory page.