Pumping questions, esp. AVENT ISIS users!!!!

[aliceinwonderland]

Maybe I should also post on feeding forum...I have gotten very comfortable with the lounge!!
I will start pumping this week to start building my stash. The nurse said it's ok to do so, my baby is gaining more than enough weight :):) We suffer from oversupply :) in the morning, so I'll pump then, just once a day.

I have the ISIS, and will use that until I find out that it doesn't work well enough...Here's my questions:

1. DO you let the EBM get cold in the fridge before putting in the freezer, or throw it in directly?
2. I would like to feed using the AVENT or Dr. Brown bottles. How do I store the milk: do I pump into the AVENT container, then put it in the bag, then when ready to feed put it BACK into an AVENT bottle?? Can I pump into the Gerber bags directly with the ISIS??? I do not want to mes with disposable bottles and such.
3. INITIALLY, when introducing the bottle, how often did you give it? I have no reason to bottle-feed until the end of June, but would like to go out all by myself or with DH once in a while before then.
4. In terms of sterilizing, do you just pour boling water over the stuff?? I don't have a steriliser, but can get one if necessary...

I thought I had more questions, but can't remember now. :(

Thanks so much in advance!!

[llcoddington]

Well, I am certainly no expert, but I'll tell you what I do and then hopefully if I am wrong, someone will correct me.

1. Yep, I put the EBM in the fridge until it's cold and then put it in the freezer. But, this is more because I usually don't have time that very minute to label a bag and pour the milk in.
2. I use the Avent Isis pump, which is attached to a bottle and then pour it into a Gerber bag, then fridge, then freeze. I'm not sure you can pump directly into the Gerber bag, but I probably wouldn't. I would be afraid it would somehow come off and all that liquid gold would spill!
3. Well, on this one we messed up royally. Lauren will not take a bottle and this is probably due to us not trying early enough and not being consistent. So, I would say err on the side of trying too often to give a bottle!
4. I sterilize by boiling for 10 minutes in a big pot. But, if you have a good dishwasher, people just do that instead. My dishwasher is pathetic and gets nothing clean (the joys of renting), so I do sterilize.

Hope this helps!

Lana
mommy to Lauren 12/5/03

[deenass]

The above is good advice with regard to method but I second GIVE THE BOTTLE EARLY AND DON"T STOP GIVING IT!!!!!!

My son was given a bottle at 3 days (before my milk came in while hospitalized for jaundice) and took it well and continued to nuse like crazy. We gave him a bottle of expressed breast milk (or formula when I ran out of EBM) during the first few weeks and he took both breast and bottle fie (probably gave a bottle once a day for those few weeks). Then I stopped giving the bottle ... BIG MISTAKE! Wouldn't take one after that.

[aliceinwonderland]

Thanks! I'm glad people are suggesting to give the bottle early. Was going to wait till the exact 3 week mark (Thursday), but now probably won't!!

[stillplayswithbarbies]

>1. DO you let the EBM get cold in the fridge before putting
>in the freezer, or throw it in directly?

I have put it directly in the freezer. But if you know you will be using it within a week, don't freeze it, just keep it in the fridge. Freezing does destroy some of the good stuff in the milk, and changes the texture and taste, so only freeze it if you have to.

>2. I would like to feed using the AVENT or Dr. Brown bottles.
>How do I store the milk: do I pump into the AVENT container,
>then put it in the bag, then when ready to feed put it BACK
>into an AVENT bottle??

Yes. Or you could use the new Avent Via system, which lets you pump into storage containers, freeze in those, and then feed from them too.

You won't know what bottle your baby will take until you try, so storing in the Gerber bags would be good for now.

>Can I pump into the Gerber bags
>directly with the ISIS???

No. I have tried to pump into the Gerber bags and it always made them leak. You can pump into the drop in liners using the Pumpmate or the Playtex One Syep system. (search the feeding forum for info on those)

>I do not want to mes with disposable
>bottles and such.

I found the disposables to be so much easier to use.

>3. INITIALLY, when introducing the bottle, how often did you
>give it?

Every day. Once a day we tried. And tried.

>I have no reason to bottle-feed until the end of
>June, but would like to go out all by myself or with DH once
>in a while before then.

You'll be able to build up a great stash by then. It's so much easier to go back to work knowing you have plenty in the freezer. And then at the end you get to stop pumping several months sooner to use up the end of the stash.

>4. In terms of sterilizing, do you just pour boling water
>over the stuff?? I don't have a steriliser, but can get one if
>necessary...
>

I just boiled everything in a big pot.

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

[lizajane]

>
>1. DO you let the EBM get cold in the fridge before putting
>in the freezer, or throw it in directly?
RIGHT IN
>2. I would like to feed using the AVENT or Dr. Brown bottles.
>How do I store the milk: do I pump into the AVENT container,
>then put it in the bag, then when ready to feed put it BACK
>into an AVENT bottle?? Can I pump into the Gerber bags
>directly with the ISIS??? I do not want to mes with disposable
>bottles and such.
I PUMPED INTO BAGS AND USED THE DISPOSABLE SYSTEM FOR A WHILE, THEN I STARTED USING THE BAGS FOR STORAGE THEN DUMPED THE DEFROSTED MILK INTO THE BOTTLE
>3. INITIALLY, when introducing the bottle, how often did you
>give it? I have no reason to bottle-feed until the end of
>June, but would like to go out all by myself or with DH once
>in a while before then.
WE GOT LUCKY. WE INTRODUCED AT 7 WEEKS. WE HARDLY EVER GAVE HIM A BOTTLE (NO REASON TO, I AM A SAHM AND WE COULDN'T AFFORD TO GO OUT!) AND HE NEVER HAD ANY TROUBLE SWITCHING BACK AND FORTH NO MATTER HOW LONG IT HAD BEEN SINCE HE HAD A BOTTLE.
>4. In terms of sterilizing, do you just pour boling water
>over the stuff?? I don't have a steriliser, but can get one if
>necessary...
BOIL IT ALL IN A BIG POT FOR 5 MINUTES. WE WOULD DUMP IT ALL INTO A COLANDER AFTER BOILING.

AND I THINK THE ISIS IS GREAT!! WORKED REALLY WELL FOR ME!!
>
>I thought I had more questions, but can't remember now. :(
>
>Thanks so much in advance!!
>

[aliceinwonderland]

appreciate all the responses!!!

[em_jon98]

1) I usually chilled it in the frige before freezing.

2) When pumping to freeze, I usually pumped into a bag fitted into a Avent disposable holder. You can pump into bottles and freeze, but I found that milk frozen in bottles takes forever to thaw. Milk frozen in bags thaws pretty quickly. I did lose some milk in the transfer to the bottle (I never really liked to feed in the disposable liners after we lost a few bottles to leaks, etc.) and that was heart wrenching because I was a LVP. However, I never knew if I was going to have enough milk from the previous day's pumping until I made bottles in the AM, and I didn't have time to wait for a bottle to thaw. Poor planning, I guess, but just another POV for you. ETA that I used the Melda bags, even with the Isis, because I got a ton with my PIS. However, the Isis screws on pretty tightly to the Avent disposable holder, so you shouldn't have a problem with spillage when pumping, just be careful when you take the bag off the disposable holder.

3) If you have your supply established and no other nursing issues, introduce often and keep it up. We didn't start early enough with Lindsey. She liked to eat, so it wasn't an issue, but it stressed me out my first few days back at work.

4) If your ped. recommeds sterilizing, you can throw everything in a colander and boil it in a big pot of water for 5-10 minutes. You can also use the dishwasher as an alternative.

HTH