breast milk storage bags?

[buttershy]

Hi all,

What breastfeeding storage bags do you recommend? Any tips and advice on storing and freezing would be great too.

Is it worth getting a hands free pumping bra too? I've seen they are about £8 on Amazon for a basic one.

I have the Medela swing single electric pump.

As for feeding from a bottle for the occasional feed when still trying to breastfeed from the breast..what bottles do you recommend? Dr Browns? Medela? Mam? I have bought some preemie teats as I hear a slow flow is better IF I need to feed her expressed milk from me in the beginning.

Thanks!

I'm using boots own storage bags and have had no issues so far.
We had mam bottles and he wouldn't use them, went and bought a single tommee tippee one which he was fine with so then stocked up on those -got a set of 8 with a steriliser and bottle warmer. Also bought a manual pump as sometimes it's just as easy as the electric one, can use the manual quietly on other boob when up for a night feed or when waiting for the bath to run without needing a plug.

Medela bags are the best. Freeze milk in smaller 2oz quantities especially initially then you can be more flexible with it eg not defrosting a full 6oz bag if you only need 4oz. Defrost bags standing in a cup or bowl as sometimes they can split when defrosting. Pump into a bottle then pour it into the bag. Depending on how much you pump at a time you can combine milk from 2 different sessions. Just chill first in fridge then combine once chilled and freeze for later use.

Don't bother with the bra unless you end up needing to pump loads. I used dr brown bottles with stage 1 teats.

Also ds is 10 weeks and still on the slow flow teats - he takes approx 5oz from a bottle feed but sometimes only 1 or 2 so I have frozen in 3oz batches rather than a full bag each time. This way no wastage, defrost a few if we are going out but seal only needs to be broken one at a time if that makes sense - this way if he only feels like 2oz I haven't wasted a 5 oz bag.

Thanks all - freezing in small quantities great idea and will be sure to look into the fridge rules about storing and adding to unfrozen milk to get a bigger quantity for freezing that seems a great idea.

I do also have a handheld Medela pump too, hadn't clicked that it might be really useful for quiet times like the night. Glad I've got both now :)

I used Lansinoh - I think I bought of amazon and froze milk flat and then stood them up in a deep tupperware tub so not to lose them in the freezer! I also bought spare bottles (ameda) for my pump so I could pump and store in the bottles in the fridge. I had a simple wishes pumping bra as I wanted to double pump as I pumped for 8 months as dd2 wouldn't feed very well. It didn't work for me - I seemed to lose suction when trying to be hands free (bra was well fitting) don't think it was my pump though (ameda lactaline double) as I also hired a hospital grade medela and still didn't work for me.

With regard bottles, I tried different ones (yoomi, dr brown, cheap boots own) we settled on tommee tippee but I can't say whether any bottle in particular will help with nipple confusion as we were only really feeding expressed milk from the early days. I was advised to feed with an cup in the first few days to help prevent nipple confusion (although we used spoons and syringes as well due to circumstances).

I've used Medela and Lansinoh bags. Both good.

The bags drove me insane and I pump a lot so I got some reusable Avent breast milk storage cups which have worked much better for us. You can reseal them which is helpful.
As for bottles Nuk. Though funnily enough dd preferres the medium flow teat.
I have no idea what a pumping bra is (am going to look it up now), I just tuck the bottom of the cup thing into my bra and stick the top bit to my boob with micro pore tape!

Sorry - I missed the bottle part. DS will only take NUK latex teats, fast flow.