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September 2013 Moms
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Storing Breast Milk at Work

smlowe9311smlowe9311 member
in September 2013 Moms

I'm a teacher and will returning to work 6 weeks after DD is born. We will have a fridge on both floors next year so I don't believe space will be a problem. Is it weird for me to bring like a little bag and store my breast milk in one of the fridges? Or can I just use the lunchbox type bag and freezer packs that come with the pump to store the milk until I get home? 

I understand some of it will depend on how long between the time I pump and the time I get home which I won't know until the baby comes and we get our new schedule for next school year.

I'm also considering looking for a mini-fridge to put in my own room but in case this isn't an option at the time I go back to work I'm just wondering.

TIA!! 

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Re: Storing Breast Milk at Work

  • JocelynB0911JocelynB0911 member
    You can do either option that you mentioned. I always put an ice pack in my lunch bag and kept my milk in there and didnt have to worry about putting it in a fridge where other people have access to.
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  • Zmommy2Zmommy2 member
    I wouldn't think it was weird to store it in the fridge, especially if its in a bag no one would know what's in it anyway.
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  • smlowe9311smlowe9311 member
    Exactly what I was thinking. We have a handful of male teachers at school and I didn't want to make anyone feel awkward about it! haha
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  • Zmommy2Zmommy2 member
    imageanastasiacarmen:
    I would maybe keep it in a lunchbox in the fridge. That way you are free to use the fridge but no one will see the breast milk. I know that some people get uneasy about that.


    This reminded me of a friend I used to work with who got tired if people stealing her coffee creamer and started bringing it in a plastic container and wrote "breast milk" on it.. No one stole her creamer after that!
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  • VitaLunaVitaLuna member
    I work at a hospital, and it's considered biohazard and can't be stored in the staff fridges.

    With that said, I know a lot of people keep them in lunch boxes in the fridge. No one knows what it is, just assumes it's another lunch. If I'm having trouble with my cooler bag staying cold enough in my locker, that's probably what I'll do, too.

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  • jeapplegatejeapplegate
    I think keeping it in the fridge is fine.  Normally people keep it is some sort of bag.  It would be handy to have a mini fridge in your room to keep everything.  One thing that makes pumping hard is the time crunch.  It would save time to just have everything in your room. 
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  • cvl105cvl105 member
    My Medela pump came with a little cooler and freezer pack. I pumped into the bottles that came with the pump and then put them in that cooler and then in the fridge at work.
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  • kje120kje120 member
    My pump came with a little cooler that's like a little lunch bag. I kept that in the fridge and stored the milk in there every day after pumping. 
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  • PatternPattern member

    imagecvl105:
    My Medela pump came with a little cooler and freezer pack. I pumped into the bottles that came with the pump and then put them in that cooler and then in the fridge at work.

    This...I am a teacher also and my Medela cooler kept my milk cold all day until I got home...that is saying a lot..I live in AZ and often travel to different schools during the day and I could leave my pump in the car for a few hours...the freezer pack really works and the cooler fits four bottles.

    GL 

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  • JocelynB0911JocelynB0911 member
    imagelaurelannie:

    I plan on keeping mine in the fridge, in a lunch box type bag. That way it will stay chilled on the way home if I need to stop by the store or something, and also (not that I don't work with a bunch of women, half of whom have pumped and stored milk of their own once) I just feel strange about waving around my breast milk for my coworkers to see.

    "Oh hey, that just came out of my boobs, if you feel it, you'll notice it is the exact temperature of my body. Neat huh?"

    No thanks, lol.

    I giggled a lot at the last part! This is my fear of pumping while I am at work. I am hoping to only have to do it 1 to 2 times per shift. Luckily I work by myself but it can get awkward seeing the next person on in the morning. Imagine the conversation we had when I had to do my 24hr urine collection. One guy thought it was a jug of juice. I just said I am not into drinking pee and walked out.

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  • SweetPeaK26SweetPeaK26 member
    I plan on just using a thermal bag from 31 and setting it in our deep freeze at work. It will get a good hard freeze before I have to take it home!

    I think most people are ok with BM being in a public fridge as long as they don't have to see it. And I mean people who might not be comfortable with it probably won't mind of its out of sight.

    FTR, BM can sit at room temp for 10 hours, so you don't HAVE to hav it in the fridge as long as your classroom doesn't get too warm.
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