Please help stresses about expressing and storing and sterilising etc

[Nikkisister]

I have a week to express enough milk for my 8 week old to last about 3-4 feeds (about 6-10 hours). I also need to buy all the necessary equipment.

I have no idea what to buy to express with as I have only ever breastfed my babies. What do I need to buy? Will a cheap pump be enough? How many bottles will I need to fill up? Also I am on a tight budget and will only be needing to express this one time so don't want to invest in expensive equipment iykwim.

How do I go about sterilising the bottles and how long do they stay sterile for (once I have sterilised them) and how do I keep them clean etc.

How do I store the breast milk? Do I need to freeze it or will it last a week in the fridge. How do I transport it safely? Will keeping it with a cold pack be enough or do I need to store it in a flask?

How long can it be left out of the fridge?

Can I mix the different expressed milk ups (for example if I express on Monday and Tuesday can I store those 2 expressed feeds in the same bottle?)

Please help I am quite stressed about this and have no one to ask. I am sure there are other important things I need to know about it also but haven't thought to ask, so other advise would be helpful :)

And how much would a baby drink each feed roughly? If I don't pre - warm the milk is it safe to offer baby it again after a few hours (kept in cold pack of course between feeds)?

Here are some general guidelines for you - they're the Australian ones but I assume they're pretty much the same.

Guidelines

Pretty sure you can rent a breast pump from chemist shops if you are doing this as a one-off. If it's to become something you'll use moving forward then get yourself a good pump - I really liked the one I had - Avent I think? Was ages ago, though so might be worth reading reviews to see what's the latest and greatest.

See if you can hire a pump - the NCT rent them out, there's an organisation called Breaststart that also loan pumps. If no luck there, ask your midwife who might know who to speak to at your local maternity unit. Rental is cheaper than buying and pump will be hospital grade (and therefore quick and effective).

One method is to pump one breast while feeding LO with other - if logistically possible, I've never managed it! Or double pump. Best times are between 2-4 in the morning, first thing in the morning or just after a feed.

Can store for 5 days at the back of the fridge (see Kellymom for how long you can freeze) - yes you can mix, but if you mix "Monday's milk" with "Tuesday's milk" you can only keep for five days from Monday.

Amount to feed will depend on weight of baby - ask midwife for guidance as they can usually give you an estimate - or baby's appetite. At 8 wks my babies were still v small and would take around 80mls but this varied.

Look for a microwave steriliser - I have a Tommee Tippee one which I got from Aldi for £5. Think they have a baby event coming up

Have you tried the baby with a bottle before? Might be worth practicing in advance in case he / she won't feed this way.

See here:

kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/what-to-expect-when-pumping/

I think you would need:

• pump (hand pump is cheaper than electric and more flexible in terms of location but I found it very slow and only really got much out if I was really full)
• Both pumps we bought came with various bits and pieces eg bottles, box for sterilising in the microwave so check this before buying anything else but if not then you would also need:
• storage containers: I used the milk bags - easy and pre-sterilised, can use for fridge or freezer
• bottle (s). How many you buy depends on how possible it is to wash up and sterilise in between feeds
• sterilising: as far as I know most things can be sterilised by washing in soapy water then putting in boiling water for 15 minutes. Otherwise the cold sterilising tablets are very cheap - we got ASDA own brand ones although as we have an electric steriliser we didn't ever use them.

There is information about storage here
www.nct.org.uk/parenting/how-express-and-store-your-breastmilk

Oh - and cut a slit in each cup of and old bra to help hold the pump in place. Best advice I was ever given! Left my hands free for eating cake reading

You can get disposable microwave sterilising bags too.

That is so helpful, thank you. Now off to read the links :)

If your dishwasher has a 70 degree run then there's no need to sterilise. I found it best to give the bits a wash in soapy water first though as breast milk leaves a sort of film.

You don't need to sterilise the pump components after every pumping session. Just pop everything into a freezer bag and store in the fridge. Sterilise once every 24 hours.

If you're only doing it as a one-off and don't want to buy an expensive pump you could just buy a hand-pump. It's more tedious, but I found I tended to get a higher yield as you can more intuitively adjust the suction rate and pressure. I used the Calypso amaryll, but I'm sure any hand pump would do the job.

Great info above, but I don't think anyone has mentioned that the bottles don't need to remain "sterile". You sterilise them to get rid of any milk residue which could become a nasty bug, thereafter they just remain "clean". I imagine you'd re wash them if they had been stored on a dusty shelf or for a long time, but once sterilised they're fine with the kids/tears and covers on.

It's just occurred to me - if you've never expressed and don't own any bottles, do you have a plan b in case baby won't take the expressed milk from a bottle?

Thanks anything that makes it so much clearer about sterilising. I didn't understand that before.

Plan b will be cup feeding. I have a medicine cup and a doidy cup to use if necessary.

You don't actually need to sterilise a pump
Or bottles if only using breast milk not formula. Hot soapy water is enough. My babies were in NICU and that was the advice they gave.