Feeding expressed BM?

Hi everyone,

Well I've asked google these questions, and as usual wasn't given a straight answer, so I thought I'd ask the lovely and wise girls of BB! :lol:

I want to try express bottle feeding for when I have to go out and it will be hard to feed DS in terms of finding somewhere quiet and relaxing.

My questions are, how many mls will I need for a full feed? DS is 5 weeks old. How does that amount change as they get older?

If i've stored EBM in the fridge, how long after I've taken it out will it last in the insulated pocket of my nappy bag before it will be "off"? How would I be able to tell it's yucky?

and finally, would I be able to give it to him straight out of the nappy bag if it's cold or would I have to have it warm?

Is there anything else I should know about expressed bottle feeding?

TIA! :)

Hey Littlebear,

There's a great section in here exclusively for feeding expressed breast milk (EBM). Hopefully one of the lovely ladies on BB can post a link for you, as I have no idea how to do that lol

Lindsay xx

Hi Littlebear,
I'm only an occasional expresser but I'll try and answer your questions :)
The amount of milk you will need varies from baby to baby. I think on average babies aged 1-6 months have about 800mls a day so divide that by the amount of feeds your bub each day and that would be a decent indication. It'd be wise to experiment with amounts a few times before you actually go out so you know exactly how much they will need. The amount increases as they get older but again every baby is different, it will depend on how many feeds they have a day. My DS is 10 months and has about 120mls of EBM for a feed and has 3-4 feeds each day.

With regards to storing the EBM in your nappy bag it will be ok as long as its chilled until you need to use it, once it starts to go warm is when bacteria can start to breed. Think of it in the same way you would cows milk. When I go out I put a small drink bottle with frozen water in the insulated pocket along with the bottle of EBM to keep it cold for longer. I find the pocket of my bag isn't very good on its own. If it is possible to put the EBM in the fridge wherever you go out that would be ideal.

EBM that hasn't been chilled previously can last 6-8 hrs at room temp. Chilled milk will keep in the fridge for about 3 days.

I'd suggest heating the milk before giving it to your bub, remember they get it at body temp when they BF so would probably like the same from a bottle. Just put a little on the inside of your wrist and if it feels neither hot nor cold that means it's body temp.

hmm what else? Not sure if you've got bottles yet but be prepared to experiment, it might take a while to find one your baby likes or they might take to one straight away. I started with Avent bottles with my DS as they came with the pump when he was 4 months he decided he didn't like them anymore. Now I used Tommee Tippee closer to nature ones, they are made to feel more like a breast.
The ABA has a handy little fridge magnet with info about storing milk which you might find useful.

Hope that's helpful :)

Hi allycat06, sorry it's taken me so long to reply, i suppose you know what it's like with a little one! :redface:
Thanks for the advice, was very helpful. I tried it out before I went out and he took to the bottle great. The day I went out was good, the milk stayed cold long enough in my nappy bag and now i know it will stay cold for around 4ish hours.

Again thanks!

How are you going with expressing so far hun? It can take a while to get the hang of it.

Babies drink the same amount of milk daily from 1 month to 6 months of age - that means that after the first 3 or 4 weeks, the amount of milk drunk doesn't change as they get older. It then will start to lessen a little bit when they start solids (but shouldn't drop by much until they are nearer to 1 year of age). The amount drunk by babies each day varies a lot from baby to baby - some drink about 500mls a day, and others 1000ml a day. Usually mums work on an average of 750ml per day, and divide that by the number of feeds in 24 hours to work out the approximate amount per feed. Like adults, babies don't have the same amount at each feed, but that it is a good guide to how much you will need. Also, many babies will drink less from a bottle and wait until mum is home to have an extra big bf, so don't worry too much if you have less EBM than you think you will need.

As a PP said, EBM will keep for about 6 hours at under 25 degrees. Not all babies need it warmed but some will. Here is the ABA guide to storage of EBM - Australian Breastfeeding Association -.

Best of luck hun.

Thanks for your reply :)

Doing really well with it actually. I've expressed a handful of times and I find I'm getting better at getting out more faster. It really is just about practice makes perfect.

I really admire people that express full time though!