Storing expressed milk for mixing when weaning - advice please

[twinklemegan]

I thought I'd try to build up a supply of expressed milk to mix with baby rice etc. when I start weaning my DS in a couple of months, as I'll be back at work by then. Will it still need to be frozen in sterilised ice cube trays if it's for when DS is six months plus?? I don't think my ice cube tray will fit in the steriliser. Also will it be OK to transfer the frozen cubes into freezer bags?

The normal advice is to get special breastmilk freezer bags - Boots does the cheapest ones - which are already sterile and seal effectively.

However if you were determined to use ice cube trays then you could always sterilise them with Milton sterilising tablets - no need for special equipment, just use any vessel large enough to completely submerge the ice cube trays.

What is the capacity of the freezer bags? I'm only getting tiny amounts at the moment (ie 10 or 20ml) as I only express after DS has finished feeding, which is why I thought I'd just store it to mix with stuff rather than for feeding per se. Or can you add to the expressed milk throughout the day and then freeze the whole lot as one batch - that would be more worthwhile using a special freezer bay for I think.

I think they hold about 6oz max. You might find that the amount you are getting increases though - I certainly did (my record was 10oz by the end )
Yes, you can add to it during the day and then freeze in one go.

Thanks Kathy. I'll give it a go.

the bible for storing and handling ebm
hth

I would advise AGAINST the bags....I found that they leaked on defrosting sometimes.
Use cheap bottles.
collect 48 hours worth in the freezer then freeze.
Have a main bottle - express, put expressed milk in fridge and when it has cooled, add it to main bottle. Do this for 48 hours.....then freeze the lot.
make sure you freeze it before 48 hours after the FIRST batch of milk in the bottle
hope that makes sense

colect 48 hours worth in the fridge
oooops

Thanks Popsycal - will bear this in mind if I manage to express enough to give for feeds. The reason I was asking particularly about ice cube trays was that I want DH to be able to use small amounts of breastmilk to mix with weaning foods when I'm back at work so it seems to make sense to freeze it in small quantities. I just wondered whether the tray, freezer bag, etc. would need to be sterile since it would be used when DS is six months plus. The carrots, parsnips, whatever it will be mixed with won't be sterile!

After the first introduction of food from 6-7 mths you can use cows milk for cooking just not for their milk feeds. I used EBM for the first month for my DC, then switched to cow milk. The first time I used cows milk I made it with something I knew they hadn't reacted to (ie allergic) so could see if they reacted to the milk. But will be much easier for your DH. Of course if you are expressing for milk feeds as well you could just store a bit extra for him to remove for weaning.