Expressing: Is this ok?

I think i have this right, I am trying to build up a bit of a store of ebm so iv been pumping a bit each day and putting it in a bottle in the fridge. When i have enough for a freezer bag (the medela ones) I add the bottles of ebm from the fridge together into a freezer bag and date that bag with the oldest ebm (it usually takes me two or three days to fill a freezer bag). Is it ok to do it this way?

Also am i correct that you dont need to steralize the pump and bottles? Iv just been washing in hot soapy water and then rinsing and every few days ill throw everything into the steralizer.

Sounds ok to me. The ABA have info on expressing and storing of milk if you want to confirm.

I was told by the LC's at the Royal Childrens that you should only mix expressed milk that was collected within 24 hours of each other, sometimes I went a little outside of this time. Maybe have a look at ABA's website to confirm the recommend times for combining milk.

That sounds fine to me hun. DD might be right about the official guidelines but I've mixed milk from a couple of days apart before and I'm sure it's fine to do it. EBM is full of anti-bacterial properties so it's very robust. Just another thought though, I found that freezing in smaller quantities (about 50ml) worked best for me otherwise I ended up wasting lots as the boys rarely wanted a lot of EBM at one sitting.

Thanks everyone. I had a look on the ABA website but couldn't find anything about combining milk but I didn't have alot of time to look so will have a closer look when I get time. Generally I can fill a freezer bag within 24 hours but sometimes it can be just outside of that time so I don't think the 24 hour thing will be too much of an issue for me.

MR: I have thought about freezing in lesser amounts but the bags are so expensive that I hate to waste them lol. I thought about freezing in ice cube trays or something similar but then I wouldn't know what to do with it once it's frozen.

Also how do people store their bottles, pump parts, teats etc once they have been washed or sterilized if your not using them daily? Is there something special I should be doing? I am building my stores while dh is on holidays as I have a chance to escape and pump while he is around but once he is back at work I won't be able to do it daily any longer.

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MR: I have thought about freezing in lesser amounts but the bags are so expensive that I hate to waste them lol. I thought about freezing in ice cube trays or something similar but then I wouldn't know what to do with it once it's frozen.

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One tip I got from BB was to freeze in trays - if you can, get the long stick type ones - and then store the frozen EBM sticks in bags. You can take out as many as you need then.
I used to use the snap lock bags from the supermarket, I know some people are iffy about whether there are chemicals in them that can leach into the milk, but I don't think it's as bad if it's pre-frozen & then stored in there. And the EBM bags are sooooo expensive, I was going through anywhere from 3 - 10 a day, no way could I afford to use the proper ones.

Storing pump parts - once they are washed, in the fridge in a container.

HTH

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Storing pump parts - once they are washed, in the fridge in a container.

HTH

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I made sure they were 100% dry and put them in an airtight container JIC something leaked (like defrosting meat) and I didn't realise and made DD sick. I was super paranoid about that. I rarely made enough milk to freeze but when I did I froze it in the stick trays covered with glad wrap not contacting the milk. I'd have days where I'd have very little supply so I basically froze then defrosted them straight away...

For storage I use Avent storage cups - they are clear with blue lids. I think they are about $1 each but you can reuse them over and over again which is great and they also come with this adaptor that fits onto some pumps and you can express straight into the storage cup.

With steralising, I am a bit psycho and steralise each time I want to use the pump. I just use it and then put it back in the steamer and just take the lid off when I want to use it again. I know steralising isn't recommended anymore but because I am expressing mostly at the office, this is what works best for me.

I also freeze EBM within 2 days of collection together and haven't found any dramas. :)

You can just use zip lock glad bags to freeze in. I put about 50-100mls in each bag and lay flat to freeze. They defrost super fast being so thinly frozen. Don't waste money on expense freezing bags, they cheap stuff does the same thing.

We just used the freezer bags and froze in smaller amounts, great for when DS was going through a growth spurt and needed a top up. From memory you couldnt reuse the frozen milk once thawed out, so it would be wasted if not used right then. Maybe someone could confirm that?

I was also told the milk could only be mixed together if it was within 24 hrs. We only washed with hot soapy water after each pump, but once a day would boil all the equipment, it was stored in an air tight container in the fridge when not in use. We were told by the SCN not to store empty bottles with the lids on them, cant remember why, just that we should store thebottles and the lids seperate, but in an air tight container. HTH

I think the issue with the 'normal' bags (not specifically made for EBM) is that they contain BPA. So not good for storing ebm.

I used the Avent storage cups and they last for ages so are well worth the investment. I still have the ones from DD put away for #2.

I agree with the Avent cups - they are reusable so you save so much money. The breastmilk bags were costing a fortune. As Jen says, it is definitely not recommended that you use normal freezer bags.

There is no need to sterilise. Once washed it's recommended that you store everything in an airtight container but TBH I never did, just a plastic bag.

Another vote for the Avent cups - I think they recommend only using each cup 5 times but I am sure they would last longer if you are not sterilising every time (as it's no longer recommended). I write the date on in pencil then cross it off each time I write the new one (rather than rubbing off), so that I can keep track of how many times I've used it. I think after about 10 times I'll probably recycle them and buy new ones. You can use the lids an unlimited amount of time though, which is why you can buy just the replacement cups on their own :)

Thanks for all the advice everyone! Iv got myself some of the avent cups ready for when I run out of the bags. I didn't realize you can use the avent teats on the cup too which is great as I use avent bottles (not the ds2 will take a bottle at the moment lol) plus they will be great for when we start solids. Great little invention those ones!