How to store expressed milk?

[Rain1975]

My first shout for advice but I'm sure it wont be the last. Been home three days with my week old daughter and am having a relatively good bf day today.

First go with a pump this afternoon and have been able to express a little milk but am unsure how to store it. I got a small amount earlier which is sealed in the fridge and managed to get another small bit an hour later. My DH helpfully pointed out that seperately there wasn't enough to fill a teat (there is I just think he was expecting niagra) so should add the new milk to the earlier lot. Is this ok to do? Don't want to contaminate two lots. The newest lot is sealed in a bottle with a teat lid and cap on. Will it stay sterile?

Any advice much appreciated am very proud of my tiny amount of milk and dont want to spoil it.

Thanks

Congratulations!

As long as both lots of milk are the same temperature when you mix them it's fine. So, keep two bottles in the fridge - that way you can add the most recently pumped milk to what you had pumped earlier and then use the newly emptied bottle to express into again. Does that make sense?

As long as the bottles are clean and sterilized before you start you don't need to worry. breast milk is sterile and antibacterial it's self so there's a lot less to worry about than with formula (which is non-sterile and a perfect breeding ground for bacteria).

Links to some handy information.

Firstly, congratulations on your daughter!

You should be proud of your milk, it's amazing stuff. I remember so well how precious every drop was at that stage.

Yes you can add the new milk to the milk you already have, you need to let it cool down first though. EBM can be stored safely in the fridge for 3 days, and at room temperature for 6 hours.

Here is a very helpful page on Kellymom - when you get a chance have a look at the rest of the site, it's wonderful. Get your DH to have a look too - mine felt useful being able to find out the facts even though he couldn't help with the actual feeding!

Kellymom

x-posts norktastic

lol! Kellymom is grand isn't it, getting DP to have a look too is a really good idea.

Oh, one more thing. You can 'collect' breast milk during a feed by wearing a breast shell on the breast you're not feeding from. How much you'll get depends on how leaky you are, I found it worth the while in the first few weeks

Thanks so much for your advice will have a look at kellymom. Phew, there is so much to learn! A breast shell is a great idea will get one of those asap.