Storing BM

[HeatherW]

Hello:

I am interested in hearing everyone's ideas about how they store and freeze their BM.

Thanks in advance!

[Momof3Labs]

I pumped into the Medela bottles using my PIS and then refrigerated the milk for a couple of hours. Then I would pour it into the Gerber Seal n Go milk storage bags in 3-4 oz increments, mark the bags with the amount and date (actually I'd mark them before pouring) and lay them flat in the freezer. After a day or so, I would move them to a big ziploc bag. I would put the frozen milk in the bags by date, so we knew to work through one bag at a time (use the oldest milk first).

I had about 350oz in the freezer at the peak, and didn't lose a single ounce to freezer burn. The only way we'd lose milk is if DH made up a bigger bottle than Colin would drink, or if he thawed milk that didn't get used within 24 hours. Then we'd have to pitch it.

[stillplayswithbarbies]

I use the Pumpmate system to pump directly into the drop-in style bags that come with it, freeze in those and put them in a big ziploc freezer bag. To feed, I just put them directlt in the bottles the night before and they thaw.

Before this I was using the Gerber bags, but this is much better because you don't have to pour the milk from bottle to bag. And these are much easier to put into the bottles, just drop them in. The Gerber bags are a pain to put into a bottle.

I pump twice a day at work. In between, I put the horns and bottles with milk in the refrigerator and then just take them out and pump again, adding to the same containers.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

[kaitlinsmommy]

I pumped into the PIS bottles and then tranferred to Avent or Evenflo storage containers that I put right in the freezer.

[KGoes]

I pump into bottles at work. When I get home, I fill up DD's bottles for daycare the next day and "bank" the rest in Lansinoh milk bags, which I date. I also note the amount, since I have noticed the calibration on bags and bottles seems to be different. I then arrange bags by date, so I know where to go first. I use freezer bags, but friend if mine uses empty popsicle boxes, and this seems like a handy idea, especially to keep the milk away from freezer walls. When I'm pumping on the weekends, I just tie a milk storage bag (Gerber or Lansinoh) onto the horns (I use a PIS) with twist ties and pump straight into the bags.
Kelley
DD born 7/30/03

[momma_boo]

On average, I pump anywhere from 10-14 oz of BM while at work. I leave 2 bags (5 oz each) of milk at the daycare when I pick her up. Any extra milk gets collected and stored in 5 oz amounts into Lansinoh bags. I try to leave one bag of fresh milk in the fridge "just in case" but rotate it into the freezer as soon as I have enough for another bag. I hope that part made sense. This way, the freshest milk is in the fridge and the other bag gets retired to the freezer within a day or two.

I freeze the bags by laying them flat. I found out that this way, they fit into those plastic ice cube bins standing up (making it easy to keep them in date order so that the older milk is in front). You can get the bins from target for less than $2 from rubbermaid.

DD usually takes three bottles at daycare (I only leave enough fresh milk for two bottles). So her third bottle is a bag of frozen milk. They keep a stash of frozen milk in their freezer, which I replenish every few weeks. This way, the frozen milk doesn't sit around too long and gets used. Also, I don't have to supplement with formula even though I technically do not pump enough for her to have during the day.

Weekends are pumping marathons for me, so that I can build up my stash even more.

Sorry this ran a bit long - HTH!

[Andrea S]

I pumped into the medela bottles and stored in gerber bags.

Andrea
mom to Andrew 8/14/02

[lizajane]

i pump once every night just for the stash. i use an isis pump and avent bags. i put the bags into a rubbermaid plastic "show box" in the freezer. i don't change the quantities. i just put whatever i get into the bag into the freezer. sometimes it is 2 oz, sometimes 5 oz. usually 3-4. then when i need to make a bottle, i take out the oldest bags that combine to make 8 oz.