EBM and bottle-feeding: a couple of basic questions

[MegBusset]

I am going out for dinner on Tues and leaving DH a bottle of EBM in case DS2 (10 weeks) wakes in the evening (he usually doesn't until after midnight but the law of sod states that he will on Tuesday).

It is the first time I have ever used a bottle, I have already asked some numpty questions about this but have a few more:

1. It will probably take a few pumping sessions to get enough for a feed (I am crap at expressing), is it OK to keep the bottle in the fridge and add the milk to it as I go (starting from tonight)?

1. I have a couple of Mothercare microwave steriliser bottles that I bought in 2007 but never used for DS1 -- is it OK to use them or do they have some kind of expiry date? (can't see any info about this on box)

1. How much should I express for one feed for a 14lb baby?

1. Can the bottle go straight from fridge to bottle warmer or does it need to warm to room temp first?

TIA!

[daisyj]

OK, I'll try to answer this to the best of my ability, but can't guarantee that this is the best,most accurate information - it's just what I do, iyswim.

1. As far as I know, you can leave ebm in the fridge for 48-72 hours. Do you have any Lansinoh nursing bags? They are great for freezing milk. I often only get about 3oz at a time, so I unfreeze a number of bags at a time when I'm out and dh is doing the feeding. My 11 lb baby takes around 6 oz per feed, so I'm guessing your 14lber would take up to 8oz, but that really is just a guess.

We either give feeds at room temperature or take from fridge and do 15 secs in the microwave (making sure to shake well to avoid any hot spots). Babies don't actually need the milk to be warm, so we've opted to avoid any extra work by just giving at room temp - although no harm in warming if that's what you prefer, of course.

Don't know about the Mothercare bottles, I'm afraid.

Hope that helps. You can get Lansinoh bags from Mothercare or online.