EBM question - Help?

[csa]

i will be going back to work in a couple of months' time and thinking about supplying nursery with EBM instead of formula. but how do you transport this? in a frozen state? defrosted? in the sterilised bag? in the bottle? if in the bottle, how long would the bottle stay sterile for?

[Roxswood]

It depends how long before you are going to use it that you've expressed.

If you're going to use it within 48 hours it doesn't need freezing, and can be transported in a cool bag and put straight into the fridge at nursery. They can then warm it by standing it in cold water. As long as the bottle you express into is sterile you can keep milk at 5 - 10 degrees for 48 hours.

If your milk is already frozen I would say take it out of the freezer that morning as you're leaving and put it into their fridge. They can then defrost by standing in lukewarm water, then heat in warm water when they need it.
To do this easily you'll probably need to freeze your milk either in a sterile ice cube tray (so you can pop out a few cubes into a sterile bottle to take) or in bottles ready to go.
The Avent Via system seems a fairly good idea but of course it depends whats easy to use with your pump and for you, because you might need quite a few bottles if you're freezing milk in them.
I had the normal Avent bottles and actually ended up with loads of them because everything I bought seemed to come with a couple free.

I hope this helps you, and good luck!

Love Clare (peer supporter)

[csa]

can you put the avent bottle in the freezer?

[beansprout]

You can buy tubs that Avent make for freezing milk or you can buy Lanisoh (and other makes) sterile plastic bags.

[Roxswood]

yes you can put the avent bottle in the freezer. They have the sealing discs and with those I used my bottles for storing milk first and then for homemade babyfood.

[popsycal]

i use breast milk freezing bags
the night before i take it out of the freezer and put it inthe fridge
in the morning it is either totally defrosted or nearly defrosted
once it is warmed in a jug of lukewarm water it is fine

[hunkermunker]

I always used Lansinoh bags - they're a grade of plastic that doesn't leach into the milk.

[csa]

thanks all for your advice. i currently freeze them in boots sterilised bags. so, from what i think you are saying, if i defrost it overnight in the fridge; stick it in a sterilised bottle and give it to the nursery in the morning, it should be ok for them to warm it and give it to ds for his afternoon feed (about 2.30 pm)?

anyone know how much a 6mo should have for this feed? i expect he will be weaned by then (shock horror given current guidelines ) and i will continue to breastfeed him in the morning and the evening.

[popsycal]

csa - yes about preparing the feed....i do exactly that

my ds2 is 5 months and u havent started weaning yet - plan to do it around 6 months

i give him about 7oz per feed....

[Magscat]

csa - agree with what you are planning - I do same. My dd is 7 months and has 2 x 6oz bottles to take to nursery although she doesn't always take it all.
She has lunch & tea (jar or equivalent size) and she was having breakfast but started to drink less milk so I've cut back on that to get her to drink more milk.

She has her milk at nursery about 10am & 2.30pm.

Hope this helps xx

Popsycal - how's the expressing going ?

[popsycal]

i have thrush at the moment (again!!!!) but I am on school holidays so not sucj a daisy the cow....

I am still expressing and giving him a bottle at least every other day and expressing once a day to build up a little supply

thanks for asking

[csa]

thanks all. now all i need to do is get him to take the bottle. poor dh tried yesterday for a good 45 minutes. bless him. in between screaming the house down and feigning sleep, he managed 1 oz! me? i hid in the garage tidying up toys

[popsycal]

we had same problem - try a MAm ultivent teat and try feeding him standig up with him facng away rom you ,,,,,thats how i got ds2 to take a bottle eventually

[csa]

thanks popsycal. will try the standing up thing tomorrow and let you know how i get on. i don't think the teat is the problem - i think it is more "this is not mummy and hence, totally unacceptable" but then.. willing to try anything although i don't think i will last 45 minutes. more likely to give up in 5; 10 max!

[popsycal]

how old is baby?
i ask as i was sent a free sample of slow flow MAM ulri teat which is still seale din packaging as we are using medium flow - you may have it if you wish,....

[csa]

popsycal, thanks. that's really nice of you. but he's 3.5m at the mo so think he is probably on medium flow?

[popsycal]

yes - he probably is.

you can pick them up from bigger boots stores
they are the only thing that worked for us after a huge battle with ds2

good luck!