Expressed milk... can I...? (stupid question)

[sleeplessinseatle]

All the guidance talks about using a 'container' to store the milk.

Is there any reason why I can't express straight into the sterilised bottle I plan to feed from, if I'll just be storing in the fridge?

Also, an American friend told me about milk storage bags which open out and you pop inside the bottle when you're ready to feed, iyswim. Has anyone heard of these?

I used to express straight into the bottles (not for freezing).
never heard of those bags, sorry - why are they better?

I use Avent bottles, express straight into them and then whack into the freezer, then just warm up and pop a teat on.

Not heard of them either sorry. I used to express into bottles or the milk storage bags.

Thanks

I've got tommee tippee bottles, so would be stored in the fridge with the teat and lid on. Is that ok?

Thought I read you we're supposed to use steralised equipment within 24hrs, but not sure if people really follow that.

I use sterilised bottles and then freeze them and use. From what I have read sterilising is not actually necessary in any case.

I sterilise the teat before putting it on the bottle, can't quite get my head around not sterilising, just feels wrong.

Have a read of this. It recommends storing the milk in 1 to 4 oz batches.

This is quite useful too

I expressed straight into bottles but put on a lid rather than the teat. Then changed the top of the bottle when I needed it. Avent bottles have lids where you use a plug bit for storage, or push a teat through for feeding. Tommitippi (sp??) ones are BPA free though, so better. As far as I can remember for them you had a screw on lid, and a screw on teat.

Use smaller bottles though and split the milk up into smaller batches, incase your DC doesn't fancy much and you have used a big bottle of it You can however re-heat breastmilk twice (max. of express/chill/heat/chill/heat again) and it can be left longer than formula, but I cannot remember how long. It doesn't have to be used in 30 mins or something, maybe an hour or so? THen it's fine to go back into fridge to use again. Kellymom will have more info on it - I chucked so much away that was fine with no.1

Avent sell BPA free ones now as well.

I tend to do 30mls a day into a little bottle (makes the pump easier to manoeuvre) and then add it to the big bottle in the freezer until I have 180mls (which is one feed for DS).

www.tommeetippee.co.uk/product/closer_to_nature_milk_storage_lids_pack_of_4__/ these are the lids you then swap for a lid/teat when needed. I wouldn't store with a teat as it isn't airtight plus I have ishoos with teats and fridges and fridgey smells getting on the teat, even if then the cover is on top. Just leave the teat part in the sterilser ready to go.

I expressed into bottles and then transferred to bags if I wasn't using straight away. The instructions on the box of bags said you could put them straight into a bottle to use (these are Boots ones), but I never worked out how to!

into bottles, into the fridge. if i'm bulk expressing (!!) then i pour it into freezer bags. they're just normal bags though not special milk bags or anything.