idiots guide to expressing?

[littleducks]

thanks to a lovely mner i have a breast pump and just expressed just under 20 ml post feed, now what do i do with this? do i have to sterilise an ice cube tray, when i want milk can i mix several ice cubes from different expressing sessions?

You can either sterilise an ice cube tray or you can buy breast milk bags, which you can keep adding milk to in the freezer.

It'll be fine to mix several ice cubes from different times.

Depends when you want to use it. It lasts for days in a fridge - that's the best way as when you freeze it it changes taste and consistency. I wouldn't use ice cube trays as they don't have lids and therefore are not very clean.

You don't need to sterilise anything to do with bm, including the pump, just make sure it's all washed in hot soapy water.

If you need the milk later in the day keep it at room temp (up to 10 hours) and see if your baby will take it at that temp, as it's a bit of a pain warming it up. If you need to warm it just let it sit in a jug of hot water for a few min - don't microwave it.

You can add milk together from different sessions but cool it first.

There's probably lots more you want to know - kellymom is the best site.

You can get trays with a lid called 'Milk Trays', which make 30ml sticks of frozen EBM. Once frozen store milk sticks in freezer bags. I think worked out cheaper than buying lots of milk bags for tiny amounts, and can reuse the tray indefinately. Didn't sterilise it, just hot soapy water and dry with kitchen towel. Warped one by trying to sterilise with boiling water from kettle . I needed small volumes of frozen EBM so DS could have EBM on cereal at nursery, but agree for using it as a feed, fresh preferable over frozen.