Ameda lactaline question

[joa]

So I am back to work 2d a week in January when DD is 5.5m old. She has finally accepted a bottle and I hope to be able to express enough for her daytime feeds (I'll be out 8-6.30 at least). I have just got myself an Ameda Lactaline double electric pump and am trying to get my head round how i will use it at work. Do I sterilise it in the morning before work and then store it in a bag before use- so that it no longer is sterile surely ? And once I have used it once, I assume I can just bung it in the fridge in a plastic bag- but that will be like leaving an open bottle ofEBM in fridge.... It is all a bit more confusing than the manual Avent pump which has bits to clip on to keep it sterile...

Also, being a double pump novice, do I get myself going with a single pump and adjust controls to get let down and then put the other one on? Is a pumping bra really essential? I'm thinking I might try and get creative with an old bra as £37 seems an awful lot of money!

hmm, bra first = not sure why you'd need any sort of special bra...? or am I being thick...

Lactaline - use it the way it works best for you, I just stick it on both breasts on full suction and cycle and it works fine for me but you need to trial it. they suggest low suction high frequency at first then swap round to high suction low freq I think but really it's whatever gets the milk out!

Lots of people don't sterilise at all and there's a massive long discussion about this further down this board. i've been advised that sticking em in fridge between expressings in any one 24 hour period is fine, with obv a damn good wash/brush etc in that 24 hour period. What I do is also have a sealable container for freshly expressed milk, bung that in fridge after one session then when you express a fresh lot you can cool it in fridge before adding it to already cooled stuff - I believe adding warm milk to cooled isn't such a good idea...

Doubtless others will be on also to advise...

One of my past clients did expressed for six months while at work for her baby. She also used a double pump.

As she was based in America they don't sterilise at all(though they do dishwash), so I wouldn't be to fussy about it. Am sure it will be fine if it's sterilised in morning, and kept in plastic bag in fridge. She put the EBM into the special BM freezer bags as then we froze some each day.

Didn't realise there was pumping bars, all the mothers I've worked with just use normal nursing bras. And I think you would just have to do what you feel as to whether you pump oneside or both at same time....

just cut a slit up an old bra and then re-seal it with stick-on velcro or a safety pin. so great for typing .

Thanks...

Am glad that someone understands what I mean by the bra things... I want to have hands free to use the computer if possible, for all that, err, work I will be doing... .

I have the halterneck bra (Easy Expression) which only cost £7 plus £4 postage from USA via ebay. The company are called supermomz and are good. Just ordered the bustier which I reckon will be better as it has a zip down the front so no need to remove top first. This was £19 incl. postage. Much cheaper with a good exchange rate!

that's a good deal, piquino. the good thing about the bra is just for getting you started off, cos the cup things to stick to your tits after a while.

I went for the bra as I am exclusively expressing and end up having to do various things while expressing as it is so time consuming. I needed something very secure and didn't trust my handiwork with a normal bra!

Hi Joa - me and my Lactaline are very good friends - went back to work ft when DS was 4.5 months, and expressed for his daytime feeds till he was 14 months. Still use it now (19 months) when I'm away on business.
You can buy extra pump sets for the Lactaline, so you sterilise it all and then put in a sealed plastic bag or box (I used an airtight box which I washed out and then filled with boiling water just before I put everything in)for the next day. I couldn't put the pump set in the fridge, as it all had to go in the canteen fridge, so the extra collection set was perfect.
As for the actual pumping - stick both on, and then switch on. I pumped in the first aid room, so just needed one hand free to turn the pages of my book, so sort of hooked one arm round one collection set, and held the other bottle. Or had pillow on lap and rested them on there. You can also sort of put them down your bra if wearing a non bf one.
Only have one set of Ameda bottles, so pumped into one of those, and the other side into a brandname bottle, then decanted the right amount into that one so that it was a feeds worth. This did take a bit of juggling as they don't attach, just push over the pump bit.

ah, gotcha - you mean that handsfree expressing?! And there was me typing with me nose all those bloody years...

I cut holes in a particularly heinous old bra for this purpose, but if you don't have any hideous enough to mutilate, I'm sure Kellymom had a top tip about using hair elastics and hooking them over the lactaline horns and then hanging the whole cobtraption off your nursing bra clips.

ahhh, the dignity...

er, that would be "contraption", I believe...

hello joa.

how muck milk does dd need? I went back to work at 6 months with both ds1 & ds2 and managed to get away with no pumping at work. Each morning I feed one side and pump the other. Then in the evening I do the same. This gives me 2 pumped feeds per day which is plenty. I guess some people would find this painful but for me it was fine and saved a load of hassle.

One more suggestion... The rule here is that DH does all the sterilising and bottle washing. He seems to think this is fair as he knows how much I hate the pumping and likes to feel he is helping.

I agree that sterilising once a day and thorough washing in between is fine.

I like the avent pots for storing milk - can be used for much longer than the packet says.

Good luck.

Hi there, I'll be in a similar situation in the new year and plan on expressing whilst at work using an ameda lactaline. I'm going for a similar solution to cmotdibbler, so I've bought some extra collecting sets from ebay. That way I don't have to take up most of the fridge at work! Just to let you know that they were reasonably cheap on ebay - definitely worth it for the hassle. It does mean that there will be more kit to clean at the end of the day, but having just read love2sleep's post - think i might make that DHs problem!

Thanks for all these suggestions, I think I might go for some extra collection sets as I need to get some spares anyway. I might try the pumping at the same time as feeding trick though, that might mean I only need to pump once at work, as I don't think I will get enough for one feed at one pump. She currently has 2/3 feeds in the time I will be away, although the 3rd one is frequently just a top up to keep her going during bathtime, so hopefully will be dropped once she is having solids at that time.

Definately like the idea of DH doing the sterilising- but as he is full time and I will just be working wed and fri I doubt he will play ball!

Hi, I use the ameda, and cold water sterilise it with milton at some point during the morning when I remember, then rinse it all with boiled water just before using. I transport it in the container soak it in as has lockable lid. I bought the bra but have ended up hardly using it and still manage to eat lunch/ read or use computer, it stays put! Only ever pumped once/day (out 8-4.30) so just rinse the horns and leave washing it till at home. Managed to get 2 feeds worth out of one long lunchtime pumping session at first (2 full ameda bottles), now he's older I get less and combine the 2 pump bottles for one small feed in a cup. Also did the pumping one side/baby on the other thing in the morning b4 work at first, kept another sterilised hand pump by the bed last thing at night, pumped during 1st feed, then put whole thing in fridge and sorted milk and pump out after work. Also a fan of the lactaline, just packing it away as planning to stop pumping when go back after xmas, 16 months old, pumping at work for 9 months, feel a bit sad to stop, but starting a new job, so feel is a good time. All the best with return to work

Ps, I have not needed any other spare parts. The pump itself did break recently, but ameda treated it as an emergency and I had a new one the next day! Do find having lots spare bottles handy though, as sometimes forget collect from nursery.