Can I add to expressed BM?

xx_Kelly_xx · Apr 16, 2009 4:32PM

Hi

This might be a daft question but I don't know the answer so I thought I'd better ask!

I am exclusively BF Toby who will be 16 weeks on Monday. I have decided to start expressing as I want supplies for weaning and I have also been invited to my best friend's hen night at the end of May and want to go.

Anyway, my Medela Swing breast pump has just arrived from Mothercare today. I've sterilised it and got it all ready and just managed to express 2oz from one side. By the way, is this about normal for the first time with an electric pump?

I have also bought some Lansinoh BM bags to store the milk in the freezer etc.

What I want to know is this . . can I put the 2oz in the bag and put the bag in the fridge and then add to it later tonight when I express again? And then can the bag still go in the freezer once it's got a bit more in? Or is it too late to freeze once it's been in the fridge a few hours? Or should I put the milk in the bag and then in the freezer and use a new bag tonight? I would like the answer to be YES, I can add to the 2oz with whatever I manage to express tonight!and then still freeze it. It's just that the bags were ??4.99 for 25 so not cheap and it would seem a waste to only put 2oz in them each time.

Sorry for waffling but any advice please?! Thanks x x

mrs_satsuma · Apr 16, 2009 1:44PM

Hi Kelly,

In short the answer is YES!

However it's recommended that if you are going to combine milk make sure it is the same temperature (so refrigerate the milk you pump tonight and combine it with the milk from earlier in a bag tomorrow). This advice was given to me by a lactation consultant so I'm confident that it's correct.

I know you can keep expressed milk in the fridge for 5-7 days but I'm not sure if there's a time limit for freezing it. I sometimes freeze milk that's been in the fridge for up to five days.

Also, from experience it may be worth freezing different amounts as sometimes you might want to top up a bottle with just a couple of ounces of milk, or once you start weaning you may want just a few ounces to combine with baby rice. It's heartbreaking when you have to throw unused milk down the sink! I think you can buy reusable bags so you don't need to incur any extra expense.

xx_Kelly_xx · Apr 16, 2009 3:07PM

mrs satsuma - Thanks for the reply, that's really helped me. I'm going to express again in a bit so I will leave what I get in the bottle in the fridge and then add it to the bag tomorrow. I've decided I might try and give him that in a bottle at bedtime tomorrow to try and get him used to a bottle between now and the end of May, not sure how long it will take!

Also, thanks for the advice about freezing different amounts, that makes a lot of sense and I hadn't thought of that.

x x

hollysmumbump · Apr 16, 2009 4:11PM

i too was gonna say yes! also with the freezing i think the guidelines were 3 mths when grace was younger but it may have changed.You can probably find the answer by googling xxx

Sunflower81 · Apr 16, 2009 4:32PM

Just wanted to add, the more you freeze in one bag, the longer it takes to thaw! Sounds obvious but didn't really occur to me! I preferred to freeze it in small amounts so it'd thaw quicker - plus you can combine it to get the amount you want for a feed, whcih does vary with time, like the others have said.

Also, Boots do their own brand bags for freezing breastmilk in which might be cheaper - I'm also sure I saw some own brand ones in Tesco too, annoyingly after I'd stopped expressing.

Can I add to expressed BM?

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