Energy reserves

With all of the energy talk going on last nite in the Presidential political debates, I thought I'd tackle my own energy reserves questions (ie. breast pumping).

I didn't take a formal breast feeding class and I borrowed the pump from my good friend Kelly so I sort of went in blind on this entire "new mommy" topic. So, I just read the little manual that came with the pump and here we are... But the last two weeks with Greta's tummy distress forced Derek and I to take a look deeper into everything including what is and is not acceptable when pumping...

For instance, the manual says that freshly pumped breast milk is good at room temp up to 10 hours. Seemed a little long to me but also highly convenient. Does anyone know if this is on target or should I be refrigerating/freezing if I don't use in an hour or two after pumping?

I understand that if you use refrigerated breast milk - you should use it within 2-3 hours.

We haven't frozen any yet but I plan to this weekend since Greta and I are taking a short trip to FL to visit the Ellek grandparents next weekend. So... can you thaw at room temp? If so, how long is it good for? I do understand you must use it within 24 hours if thawed in the refrigerator.

Any other tidbits or tips? Please post!

FYI, today is Greta's weigh in and the doc hopes that she has gained 4-5 oz since her last weigh in on Friday. I'll report the results later today... Fingers crossed!