Freezing breastmilk frustration

RondackHiker · May 2014

I'm having a hell of a time getting bubbles out.

The photo below was after five minutes of trying to get all the air out and there are STILL bubbles, which I've told can lead to freezer burn.

I'm hoping to donate this supply and don't want to donate freezer burned BM. Any tips? I'm really frustrated and don't remember this from when I pumped for DS.

cattuccino · May 2014

I don't see a photo (yet?) I'm assuming a BM bag. I seal most of the zip lock part up until one edge, then gently squeeze until the breast milk is right up to the zip lock and then seal. I still get tiny bubbles. ...but haven't noticed freezer burn on any (and I have some from 2 months ago.....I just have a more frustrating lipase issue... )

RondackHiker · May 2014

This is the photo.

RondackHiker · May 2014

StephCammie511 said:
I don't see a photo (yet?) I'm assuming a BM bag. I seal most of the zip lock part up until one edge, then gently squeeze until the breast milk is right up to the zip lock and then seal. I still get tiny bubbles. ...but haven't noticed freezer burn on any (and I have some from 2 months ago.....I just have a more frustrating lipase issue... )

That makes so much more sense. I've been partially sealing and then stripping my fingers upwards to squeeze the air out, rather than trying to squeeze the milk so it fills all the space. So much more logical!

Oh and fuck lipase. Is it all your milk?

karich · May 2014

Stand it up, put your fingers on the bag where the milk starts. Slide your fingers to the top of the bag, pushing the air out. Then seal.
That's what I do to get the bubbles out.
You can lay flat to freeze.
Does that make sense?

ETA: I can post pictures in AM when I freeze if you want.

RondackHiker · May 2014

karich said:
Stand it up, put your fingers on the bag where the milk starts. Slide your fingers to the top of the bag, pushing the air out. Then seal.
That's what I do to get the bubbles out.
You can lay flat to freeze.
Does that make sense?

ETA: I can post pictures in AM when I freeze if you want.

This is what I've been doing and it's failing to remove big bubbles. I swear I could do this when I froze for DS. Why is it so complicated now?

It's sealing a little ziplock bag. Seriously, Rondack. Figure this shit out!

iwubrory · May 2014

Hmm, I never painstakingly removed bubbles with ds, in fact I never paid much attention to it in almost a year of pumping and freezing. But now I'm paranoid, there was a big bubble in one of my bags the other day.

Dexter&11 · May 2014

Erm - we're supposed to get the air out before freezing? I've been freezing in Tupperware pots so there's NO way the air was removed first....is freezer burn really a issue? I'll have to get rid of my entire stash if so and I don't really pump to freeze anymore since LO started BF'ing properly

iwubrory · May 2014

Wait a minute.. aren't special glass or plastic containers/bottles made for freezing breastmilk? You wouldn't be able to get all of the air out of those.

ETA Like this from Medela https://www.amazon.com/Medela-Breastmilk-Freezing-Storage-Free/dp/B0009XBX4K/ref=sr_1_2?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1401117462&sr=1-2&keywords=breast+milk+container

@Dexter&11 I bet you're fine.

JackieP1023 · May 2014

I have been doing my best to get bubbles out, although not always succeeding. I didn't realize it was a problem, though.

cattuccino · May 2014

RondackHiker said:

StephCammie511 said:
I don't see a photo (yet?) I'm assuming a BM bag. I seal most of the zip lock part up until one edge, then gently squeeze until the breast milk is right up to the zip lock and then seal. I still get tiny bubbles. ...but haven't noticed freezer burn on any (and I have some from 2 months ago.....I just have a more frustrating lipase issue... )

That makes so much more sense. I've been partially sealing and then stripping my fingers upwards to squeeze the air out, rather than trying to squeeze the milk so it fills all the space. So much more logical!

Oh and fuck lipase. Is it all your milk?

@RondackHiker‌ yes - even in the fridge it starts getting that smell only after a day or so. It's been a nightmare. Some frozen Zoey will still take.... more willingly at night or sleepy, so we're strategic with the frozen....which sucks because my supply is tanking and we're using it more.

mythaldo · May 2014

The instructions for storing milk that I got at my hospital's breastfeeding class said to leave a little airspace in the bag for breastmilk expansion and to avoid leaks. They also instructed to store the bags standing up instead of laying flat. I've only had one previously frozen bag leak so far, but really ice only opened 5 or 6 and I do notice a soapy lipase smell, so I've wondered if the airspace has anything to do with it.

SuzyQq02 · May 2014

Like others have mentioned, I was told to leave a little air space so the bags didn't burst, so I get the biggest ones out but don't push out all the air. I've been using my oldest frozen to start the week per kellymoms's schedule, which is from early tomid March, with zero issues. I wouldn't toss anything without trying it first.

cattuccino · May 2014

@BlueDot818‌ I recommend testing it before you really need it. It's how I began to discover my lipase problems. I'm glad we had expressed fresh milk because she wouldn't take the frozen.

boogerbearoriginal · May 2014

I've never heard of air bubbles causing freezer burn. But I usually try to get most of the air out just for storage ease.

@BlueDot818, you should let LO try some frozen. Most will take it just fine but better to find out sooner rather than later if you have a problem. AND you'll want to rotate through it no matter what. One, it sucks to toss milk for no good reason (so no sense in leaving it to sit and expire) and two, it's best to feed LO milk as close to dates as possible. While there's no harm in feeding LO 4m old milk, so long as it smells fine, it's generally best practice to offer freshest milk by rotating.

We do 2-3 bottles are fresh from day prior, and have she occasionally takes a 4th bottle which is always frozen. Except Mondays, when we do all frozen.

tenfour · May 2014

whoops - i never worried about the bubbles until now. @rondahiker, yep lipase is a major biotch. do any of you scald? that seems to work for me (well i should say it worked for my oldest, i haven't tried any of my scalded frozen stash yet with this one).

Want a personalized experience?

Freezing breastmilk frustration

Re: Freezing breastmilk frustration

Choose Another Board

Search Boards