small cooler bag that actually keeps milk cool?

[chrissyhowie]

I have been using the cooler pack that comes with the Ameda Purely Yours. While I love the size of it, it's terrible at keeping my pumped milk cool while I am at work! The freezer inserts are defrosted within a couple hours. Can anyone recommend a small cooler bag that works well? Any suggestions?

[brubeck]

I bought one of those mini 'collapsible' coolers. It's just big enough to hold a 6 pack of soda, and looks like a camera bag or some such. I usually put 2 of the gel freezer inserts in there (the ones that come with the freebie diaper bags at the hospital) and it stays nice and cool for hours.

[daisymommy]

I love this one:
http://www.babyuniverse.com/pro.asp?id=16258&catid=377

It keeps two Avent size bottles filled with formula cold for around 6-8 hrs! Also, if you have a staff lounge with a fridge in it, you could put your bottles of milk in a lunch tote labeled with your name on it, into the fridge. Then you wouldn't have to worry about the ice packs thawing. Several women used to do this at my last work place.

[chrissyhowie]

Thanks so much for answering. The local supermarket only had thin "lunchbag" coolers that didn't seem any different from the Ameda pack and small igloo hard case coolers. I knew someone had to make other sizes of the soft packs with decent insulating qualities! 6-pack size sounds just about perfect -- I've seen the big ones before so hopefully someone will carry the compact ones. I'll have to hit Target or Kmart.

I'll try getting new freezer inserts as well. I think the ones that come with the Ameda set would be fine if the milk were already cool, but since the milk is body temperature when it goes into the cooler I need to find ones with more freezing power. Thanks again.

[chrissyhowie]

That looks perfect!

If I put my milk in the fridge while I was at work, I know that's where they would stay!! I know I would routinely forget them there, meaning no mom milk for DD the next day! As it is, to remember my empty bottles with me in the morning, I have to place them where I will literally TRIP OVER them if I try to leave the house without them!! :+ Yes, I am a big pea-brain!

[brubeck]

I got my cooler at a sporting goods store for about $5. It is bigger than the ones that are meant for baby bottles but I am still using it now when I have a toddler using sippys and an infant using bottles, plus I can stick little tupperware containers of food in it.

It is similar to this one:

http://shop.store.yahoo.com/campmor/62582.html

Lots of stores carry these things, you could find them in many places.

The 'gel' freezer bags definitely work a lot better than the hard plastic things that look like they have Windex inside. I'm not sure why. Occasionally they sweat, but I just stick them in a Ziploc if they have a problem.

[stillplayswithbarbies]

After I pump, I leave the milk sit out to come to room temperature before I put it into the cooler. That way it does not defrost the freezer packs as fast.

I too gave up on the Ameda tote and bought a lunch size collapsible cooler at WalMart. It fits in the bottom of my diaper bag too, an added bonus I hadn't considered when I was looking for one.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel 2/27/91
Logan Elizabeth 3/25/03