Storing Breast Milk
It wouldn't be a new day if I didn't stop in to ask yet another batch of
questions! Yesterday I pumped for the second time (dd is 16 days old). The reason I pumped is I was engorged and she was showing no signs of waking to nurse soon. I was able to get 4 ounces which I was pretty happy about...not bad for a second try. I am going to be a stay at home Mom, so I won't have the need for a huge supply of stored milk...but I would like to have some in the freezer for a very occasional evening out and in case an emergency arises and I'm unable to be with dd to feed, etc. I'm aware that I can't just skip feedings with dd (I mean replace breast with bottle) without having to pump in order to keep my supply going. I put the milk in the refridgerator for 1/2 hour to cool and then put it in 2 freezer safe Gerber "Seal 'n Go" Breast Milk Storage Bags...2 ounces in each bag. Then the bags went into the freezer, labeled with the date. I am getting a LOT of conflicting advice about milk storage, how long milk is good in the fridge, how to thaw it, etc. Every book, pamphlet or web site I read gives different advice...not just different, but WAY different. For example, the info that came with my Isis Pump says to refridgerate milk no longer than 3 days, while my "Complete Idiot's Guide to Breastfeeding" says 5-7 days, etc. My questions: Can someone point me in the direction of the CORRECT guidelines for milk storage, thawing, etc? I want to be sure that I handle the milk safely...the last thing I want is to make dd sick! When pumping milk, is it necessary to cool it in the fridge for 1/2 hour before freezing? I did this yesterday because I read it in a couple of my books, and yet other sources don't mention doing this at all. What is the appropriate amount for me to store in each bag? I divided the 4oz I got into two 2oz bags...I want to avoid wasting any until I know how much dd would usually take at a feed. DD is 16 days old. At what point can we try her on a bottle of breast milk? We're not in a rush to do this, and I actually don't like the idea of dd eating from a bottle...but we will want to try it eventually. Is there an optimal time age-wise to do this? We most definitely don't want to mess up bf'ing just because we'd eventually like to give dd a bottle now and then. Any other advice on this subject would be very much appreciated! Thanks in advance (again)... Kathy |
Storing Breast Milk
Kathy wrote:
Can someone point me in the direction of the CORRECT guidelines for milk storage, thawing, etc? I want to be sure that I handle the milk safely...the last thing I want is to make dd sick! http://www.breastfeeding.com/workingmom/storage.html -- Brigitte aa #2145 edd #3 February 15, 2004 http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/j/joshuaandkaterina/ "Readers are plentiful; thinkers are rare." ~ Harriet Martineau |
Storing Breast Milk
HollyLewis wrote and I snipped:
Can someone point me in the direction of the CORRECT guidelines for milk storage, thawing, etc? I want to be sure that I handle the milk safely...the last thing I want is to make dd sick! The La Leche League website has a list of storage times. In the fridge for 5-7 days is the more commonly accepted guideline; the Avent people are probably being overly cautious for liability reasons. But if you won't use the milk within several days, it's best to freeze it sooner rather than later. Look at the LLL web page below: http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/milkstorage.html HTH, -Patty, mom to Corinne [Mar-98] and Nathan [May-00] and stepmom to Victoria [Apr-90] |
All times are GMT +1. The time now is 07:58 PM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
ParentingBanter.com