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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 |
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