What do I store breast milk in at work?

[CheshireDing]

If I express at work can I then pour the milk in to one of the bags I use for home freezing of the milk, or does it need to be a hard container?

Also can I just use a little cool box (like an adult would use for their lunch)?

Thanks

[addictedtosugar]

Work supplied a mini fridge, in the room that my friend expressed in, when that question occurred at our place - there was outcry from the blokes when it was suggested it could go in the communal fridge.

How long would the milk be in a cool bag? My icepacks need to be in the fridge during the day if I want to have the cool bag active for going to the butchers on my way home, especially in summer, so the icepacks may not last long enough.

[stargirl1701]

I think your employer is meant to provide a fridge.

[stargirl1701]

Nope! Just somewhere to express. Info here:

www.hse.gov.uk/mothers/faqs.htm

[stargirl1701]

How about this?

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B003IT66YY?pc_redir=1405338242&robot_redir=1&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[MotherOfInsomniacToddlers]

I kept mine in the bottle I expressed in to but with a lid rather than a teat in a cool bag in the communal fridge

[ShadowFall]

I think I'd put it in a hard container if it's going in a communal fridge.

Don't know what it's like at your work, but space in the fridges at my work is limited and people tend to shuffle stuff around a lot when they're putting things in / taking things out. Less likely to get knocked over and spill if it's in a hard container.

[impatienceisavirtue]

I used to express it into a bottle that the pump attached to and put it in a tommee tippee cool bag. Everyone obviously knew what it was ha but it made it a bit less in your face as it was in a communal fridge

[CheshireDing]

Thank you all, I have just handed my notice in at my current place so starting at a new place and therefore not sure what the fridge situation might be like.

I am in the same industry and there has always been a kitchen and offices so I know I should be 99% fine to express in an unbooked office and that there should be a big fridge full of everyones sandwiches !

That has reminded me though that yes people do more food around so maybe a hard container would be a good idea and with the lid on the bottle.

I don't know how long it might be in sat in the fridge for though - depends on when I get chance to do it I guess, maybe logically the later in the day the better then do you think ?

Will have a look at the links and Tommee Tippee too, thanks ladies

[CityDweller]

Your bm should keep fine in the fridge for several days*, so it doesn't matter what time of day you express, so long as you keep it chilled until you transport it home.

I pumped into a bottle, put lid on bottle, put bottle in fridge. Then transported home in a cool bag (I put the cool packs in the tiny freezer during the day). I didn't bother putting the bottle in anything else. I also kept all my pump parts (the one that came into contact with milk) in fridge during day in a ziplock bag (so that I didn't have to wash in between the two times I pumped at work).

*some people have 'excess lipase' in their milk, which means it doesn't keep as long and, in particular, has issues with freezing it. There are ways around this, but I'd do a test with your milk before you start stock piling it in the freezer, etc. (I have this issue and discovered it the painful way and had to ditch a bunch of expressed milk from the freezer)

[CheshireDing]

Oh that's a good idea about the zip log bag !

Feeling stressed about this and completely not worried about going to a new company