Using breastmilk from storage bags

SavedByLove

Hi all: I will be going back to work in September so I have started pumping here and there to start creating a "stash."  I have a couple of questions since this is my first LO.  I'm sorry if this has been asked before (I really wish the bump message boards had a search feature!!).  Any help is greatly appreciated!

1)  For Daycare, do you send them the thawed bags or move the milk to bottles and give them the bottles?

2)  I've noticed that the milk separates (fat/hindmilk rises).  Additionally, the hindmilk tends to stick to the inside of the bags.  I obviously don't want that important hindmilk left behind when I transfer it into the bottle.  I know if I warm up the BM in the bag, it unsticks but I'm pretty sure you shouldn't warm up BM and then refridgerate again, right?  So, how do you get all the good stuff out of the bags?

3)  Do you have to refrigerate the milk prior to placing in the freezer?

4)  Should you get the air out of the bags or leave the air in?

 

(FYI - I am using Medela storage bags right now)

Sorry - I have a lot of questions!    Any and all help is appreciated.  I think I may XP this just to get a wide array of responses.  TIA!

BeccaMarie

SavedByLove:

Hi all: I will be going back to work in September so I have started pumping here and there to start creating a "stash."  I have a couple of questions since this is my first LO.  I'm sorry if this has been asked before (I really wish the bump message boards had a search feature!!).  Any help is greatly appreciated!

1)  For Daycare, do you send them the thawed bags or move the milk to bottles and give them the bottles?  My center was fine with either method.  I preferred to prepare the bottles myself, just so I could monitor milk quantity better.

2)  I've noticed that the milk separates (fat/hindmilk rises).  Additionally, the hindmilk tends to stick to the inside of the bags.  I obviously don't want that important hindmilk left behind when I transfer it into the bottle.  I know if I warm up the BM in the bag, it unsticks but I'm pretty sure you shouldn't warm up BM and then refridgerate again, right?  So, how do you get all the good stuff out of the bags?  I never had too much of a problem getting it all out.  Often times I would prop the bag upside down over the bottle while I did something else for a minute, and it would drip out eventually.

3)  Do you have to refrigerate the milk prior to placing in the freezer?  I never did.

4)  Should you get the air out of the bags or leave the air in?  Get out as much as possible

 

(FYI - I am using Medela storage bags right now)  Ditch the Medela bags.  Way too pricey.  I preferred Lansinoh bags, but Gerber makes affordable bags as well.

Sorry - I have a lot of questions!    Any and all help is appreciated.  I think I may XP this just to get a wide array of responses.  TIA!

Cheerio B

SavedByLove:

Hi all: I will be going back to work in September so I have started pumping here and there to start creating a "stash."  I have a couple of questions since this is my first LO.  I'm sorry if this has been asked before (I really wish the bump message boards had a search feature!!).  Any help is greatly appreciated!

1)  For Daycare, do you send them the thawed bags or move the milk to bottles and give them the bottles? I sent the milk bags. When the milk has been in them, the fat sticks to the sides. DC was able to heat the bags up and pour into bottles we didn't lose anything. I did make sure to always send frozen bags in a zip lock, that way if the bag leaked during thawing the milk didn't go everywhere for them.

2)  I've noticed that the milk separates (fat/hindmilk rises).  Additionally, the hindmilk tends to stick to the inside of the bags.  I obviously don't want that important hindmilk left behind when I transfer it into the bottle.  I know if I warm up the BM in the bag, it unsticks but I'm pretty sure you shouldn't warm up BM and then refridgerate again, right?  So, how do you get all the good stuff out of the bags? As long as your daycare is OK with it, just send in the bags. otherwise, I found that swishing the cold milk around ALOT got a decent amount of the hindmilk off the bags.

3)  Do you have to refrigerate the milk prior to placing in the freezer? I think so. When i pumped it when straight into a fridge or cooler bag so it was always cold.

4)  Should you get the air out of the bags or leave the air in? Get as much air out as you can. You'll get really good really fast at getting the air bubbles out of the bags without spilling milk.

 

(FYI - I am using Medela storage bags right now)  You didn't ask but I had much better luck with the Lansinoh bags. Medela was more likely to split or tear which makes a huge mess when thawing.

Sorry - I have a lot of questions!    Any and all help is appreciated.  I think I may XP this just to get a wide array of responses.  TIA!

RootBeerFloat

1)  I preferred to make the bottles and send those.  I sent pumped (not frozen) milk more often than not, so I transferred the milk from my pumping bottles to drinking bottles.

2)  Again, I usually stored milk in the pumping bottles, but the milk separation was still an issue.  I'd roll the bottles between my hands (not shake, but kind of a swirling motion) and/or let them sit on the counter for a few minutes to mix the hindmilk back in.

3)  No.  You can freeze freshly pumped milk right away.  But you can't mix cold milk with warm/room temp milk.

4)  I usually squeezed the air out.

And not that you asked, but I used Lansinoh bags.  They were awesome.

sarag0116

SavedByLove:

Hi all: I will be going back to work in September so I have started pumping here and there to start creating a "stash."  I have a couple of questions since this is my first LO.  I'm sorry if this has been asked before (I really wish the bump message boards had a search feature!!).  Any help is greatly appreciated!

1)  For Daycare, do you send them the thawed bags or move the milk to bottles and give them the bottles?

Check with your DC.  Mine requires the bottles be already prepared.

2)  I've noticed that the milk separates (fat/hindmilk rises).  Additionally, the hindmilk tends to stick to the inside of the bags.  I obviously don't want that important hindmilk left behind when I transfer it into the bottle.  I know if I warm up the BM in the bag, it unsticks but I'm pretty sure you shouldn't warm up BM and then refridgerate again, right?  So, how do you get all the good stuff out of the bags?

Well I use what I pumped the day before for bottles.  The milk still separates like this in the bottles in the fridge so I shake them up really well before making my bottles.

3)  Do you have to refrigerate the milk prior to placing in the freezer?

NO.

4)  Should you get the air out of the bags or leave the air in?

Air OUT.

 

(FYI - I am using Medela storage bags right now)

Sorry - I have a lot of questions!    Any and all help is appreciated.  I think I may XP this just to get a wide array of responses.  TIA!

EllaSmella

SavedByLove:

1)  For Daycare, do you send them the thawed bags or move the milk to bottles and give them the bottles? I do both. My daycare is fine with either. I would ask your daycare which they prefer. I mostly send bottles because the bags can leak/rupture if not handled carefully etc.

2)  I've noticed that the milk separates (fat/hindmilk rises).  Additionally, the hindmilk tends to stick to the inside of the bags.  I obviously don't want that important hindmilk left behind when I transfer it into the bottle.  I know if I warm up the BM in the bag, it unsticks but I'm pretty sure you shouldn't warm up BM and then refridgerate again, right?  So, how do you get all the good stuff out of the bags? My DC warms the milk up in the bag and then transfers it to the bottle. However, you can also get the hindmilk off the sides of the bags just with the heat of your hand (I do this with bottles as well).

3)  Do you have to refrigerate the milk prior to placing in the freezer? Usually. I generally just freeze what I have over at the end of the week. I do put the bottles in the fridge oldest to newest (newest in the back) so that at the end of the week I have the newer milk left over which is what I freeze.

4)  Should you get the air out of the bags or leave the air in? You should get the air out.

Jessi+Aiden

I would ask your center which they prefer the milk in. My back up center (Aiden stays with my MIL most of the time) said they are fine with frozen milk in bags or pre made bottles, but since the frozen milk must stay in the food center freezer they have to page to have it brought up as opposed to having the bottle in the fridge in the room with the babies.

I also like the lanisoh (sp?) bags, mostly because I find them far cheaper.

I have also found that shaking up the cold bags mixes the fat and skim together pretty well.

And definitely squeeze the air out! They store so much better that way :-)

celiabwatson

1)  For Daycare, do you send them the thawed bags or move the milk to bottles and give them the bottles? I pump right into the bottles he drinks out of and send those. I freeze into bags at the end of the week and put that in my freezer. I keep 2-3 bags of milk in my day care provider's freezer just in case, otherwise we use the stash when my husband stays home with him on Mondays.2)  I've noticed that the milk separates (fat/hindmilk rises).  Additionally, the hindmilk tends to stick to the inside of the bags.  I obviously don't want that important hindmilk left behind when I transfer it into the bottle.  I know if I warm up the BM in the bag, it unsticks but I'm pretty sure you shouldn't warm up BM and then refridgerate again, right?  So, how do you get all the good stuff out of the bags? I find that I can shake the milk up in the bags and get most of the good stuff mixed back in, sometimes it takes a little heat from my hand. But I'm almost never trying to get milk out of a bag unless I'm using it right away, so I could easily warm it and mix it that way as well.3)  Do you have to refrigerate the milk prior to placing in the freezer? I put my milk in a cooler when I pump until I get home, then I either refrigerate or freeze. I imagine it could go right in the freezer, I've just never had a need to do that.4)  Should you get the air out of the bags or leave the air in? Air out

pitterpatter129

To get the fat off the sides, I just run it under warm water for just a few seconds.  It's enough to warm up the sides of the bag and get the fat off, but not long enough to actually heat up the milk.  Then pour in bottles.  I take bottles to daycare just to make it easier on them and so I know exactly what he's getting and how it's heated, etc.  Remember to NEVER SHAKE breastmilk.