Kiinde

FeroceFamily

Has anyone used the kiinde feeding and storage system? I absolutely love the concept but haven't had any one to get advice from. If you have used it what are some tricks and helpful hints? Thanks!

ldmw

I am going to be using it once baby arrives and I start pumping. I've done a lot of research into it. I recently spoke to a coworker that uses it. So while I don't have advice, here is her advice.

The system truly is awesome. You pump into one bag and store and feed from that bag. No washing bottles or transferring milk. (Huge time saver, and time is money to me.) The only washing that needs to be done is the nipples. You will likely start on the fast nipples and then work way down to medium and then slow. She recommended 4 nipples of each flow. The customer service is amazing. If you have any questions or issues, they are prompt to reply and send replacements. It took awhile for daycare to get used to the system because they haven't seen it before, so be prepared for extra instructions.

FeroceFamily

Awesome information! Thank you so much for sharing!

Leahauc

We got the system because we found such a good deal that it would be stupid not to try it. Gotta wait for the baby to be born before we can use it, but it seems like an awesome idea and I had a hard time finding negative reviews on it. The only legitimate complaint I could find was that some people couldn't get a good seal when attaching the bag to medela pumps but that def does not seem to be the consensus and could just be human error on some people's parts. I plan on using the kiinde bags the majority of the time and pumping into medela's bottles included with the pump only if we have a day trip or something planned that the milk will be used quickly for.

Leahauc

Quick question though, may be my pregnancy brain. If you're switching between breastfeeding and bottle feeding, I was under the impression that you start with slow flow nipples or else the baby may get lazy and refuse the breast? Did I misunderstand?

FeroceFamily

I was wondering that too... But going to research more. I totally get what you are saying!

Ecarabeo217

@Leahauc I was just thinking the same thing! Slow flow nipples are even recommended further down the line if also giving the breast in order to avoid breast rejection because the flow from the bottle is easier.

okieamy

I am still exclusively breast feeding, but I have the system. I hooked everything up to my pump last night so I'm ready to go once I start pumping. It hooked up to my Lansinoh pump really easily.
As PPs have mentioned, I thought you wee supposed to start with the flow flow...that's the only one I have extras of

Meljeanbrown

I've used mine for two months now. I love it! Here's some of the things I have come across that may come handy in the future for you all.

1. Start with slow flow nipple. The milk doesn't flow freely like some of the other brands, so it's more like breastfeeding. The baby has to suck and massage the nipple to get milk out. One problem with the nipples I've come across is the hole tearing larger, leading to a faster flow. My daughter is an aggressive sucker tho. There are ridges around the hole to prevent a lot of tearing but if your baby is suddenly choking after using one nipple for a while, that may be the problem. Customer service at Kiinde know the nipple holes can tear. They sent me free nipples. Some newborns do well on the medium or fast flow.

2. Pumping into the bags is great, but I personally don't like it. It's hard to determine exactly how much you pumped into the bag. You have to make sure the bottom of the bag is flared out all the way. Before pumping I used to blow into the bag to open it all the way. I just pump into the bottles my pump came with and then pour the milk 4 oz at a time into the bags, then freeze them. I like to be accurate so pumping into the bags is not for me. A couple people on YouTube recommend the same thing. Check out the reviews there too for some tips.

Bonus: if you have an iPhone, download Pump Log. It's the best pumping app I've found. It has a pumping timer and a whole part where it calculates how many days you have left of pumping depending on your production, freezer stash, and how long you plan to feed your baby your milk. It also has graphs to easily compare milk production each week. This is great to catch any decrease in milk supply early.

FeroceFamily

That's great information! Thank you very much for your help.

Leahauc

@Meljeanbrown, newbie question. If you do blow into the bags before you pump, do you need to squeeze the air back out before you freeze it? I guess this applies to any bags.

okieamy

Update: I pumped for the first time this morning straight into the bag. I didn't blow into it, I feel like that would introduce unwanted bacteria. Instead I just pulled the bottom of the bag apart after there was milk in the bag.

@Leahauc from what I understand you're always supposed to try to get as much air out as possible.

Leahauc

Good to know. Thanks!!

Lena122

I don't have experience with this system but I did pump for a year. I usually pumped 2-3 oz per side so I would end up with the 4 oz/session that my baby needed but pumping into bags would have made it impossible to actually store the milk in the necessary 4 oz bag for a bottle that I would need. I would have had to combine bags anyway. I would rather save the bags and pump into a reusable bottle that I can wash. Also, how much that's reflected in the bag is definitely different than what's in a bottle, regardless of if you blow into or flare the bag. Try it out with water to see.

If you're able to pump exactly what your baby need from one breast then this seems like a great system. Otherwise, it'd be easier to take 5 minutes a day to hand wash bottles.