Posted by
Slammy
18 yrs ago
Hello,
I am considering buying the Medela Pump In Style breastpump because I want to breastfeed as long as possible after returning to work. I have several questions and would like to hear other people's experiences.
1. How easy is it to use the PIS milk storage bags? I have heard they can be messy, or tricky to use while double pumping?
2. How do you thaw and then transfer milk to bottle? Or can you give baby milk straight from the bag?
3. Is it more convenient just to buy a lot of medela bottles, and pump and feed directly from them?
I have loads of AVENT bottles inherited from a friend. So I thought I could pump into bags, and then serve from one of those bottles. But if I'm using bags, I could probably just buy one bottle that I like, as I wouldn't need a lot of bottles for storage. I mean, you would only need a lot of bottles if you were formula feeding, right?
I'm also wondering what is the best sterilizer to use?
Looking forward to hearing other people's experiences, suggestions!
Thanks,
Samantha
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1. My wife found it easier to pump into bottles, then transfer to the bags.
2. Plan ahead, so thaw a few hours ahead of time.
3. Unless you're planning to freeze, you are correct. More bottles=better. Medela sells an accessory pack with a bunch of bottles, plus extra valves and horns, that I would recommend. You should have at least 2 pairs of horns. 3 is better.
"So I thought I could pump into bags, and then serve from one of those bottles."
Sounds like a good plan.
"I mean, you would only need a lot of bottles if you were formula feeding, right?"
Well, sometimes you won't have time to clean bottles, so it is a good idea to have several. Also for travel.
"I'm also wondering what is the best sterilizer to use?"
Not everyone on this board agrees with me, but buying a sterilizer is a waste of money. We never sterilized with either child. Careful washing with warm water hand dish detergent and a small brush for the finicky parts (the Dr. Brown's thin pipe cleaners work) is quite enough. Doctors and nurses in the US told us that sterilizing was not necessary. If you really want you can pour boiling water in the bottle. That'll make it sterile, until you touch it again, at which point it is no longer sterile.
Many doctors and researchers nowadays feel that children are "too clean" and no exposed to enough "dirt", making them more susceptible to asthma, allergies and other diseases.
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to thaw the milk from the bags simply run under warm water - doesnt take long - if you lay the bags flat in the freezer they take even less time! re steraliser - advent is good - we have the "normal one that holds 6 and you plug in - but it takes about 15 mins - we also have a microwave one that holds 4 and takes 5 - we tend to use the microwave one more..... u can usuallly pick up second hand on the second hand bit of this site... i used to pump into bottles and then pour into bags to freeze then pour back into bottles to feed.. (we use avent bottles and think they are good)
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I've found the new Medela milk storage bags are ok to use when pumping- they even stand up on their own and seal nicely. I also pump into the Medela milk collection bottles and decant into a feeding bottle (I use Dr Browns) to "serve". To freeze, I either freeze in bags or in the Medela bottles, depending on how much freezer space I have!
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i used the medela swing. it was very efficient. small and portable and easy to use. pump into medela bottle and then transfer to storage bag (any brand will do) then freeze. to "serve", thaw milk and transfer into avent bottle and "serve". very easy recipe!
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Hi,
Thanks for all your replies. I will have to try the collection bags as they sound very convenient. I was just worried about how sterile would it be to thaw the milk and then pour into a bottle - but I guess it's fine.
Interesting point about the microwave sterilizer. I was thinking of getting the electric one because I thought it would be more convenient.
One more question...
Once the breast milk has been poured back into the bottle, do you then use a bottle warmer to get it to the right temperature?
Thank you!
Samantha
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What we do is to put some warm water in a bowl and put the bottle in it for a few minutes. I used to be really careful about warming the milk to at least body temperature, and then worked out that my bub wasn't too fussed as long as the immediate chill was taken off it. To warm water, you can put tap water into a bowl and microwave for 50 seconds (depending on how powerful your microwave is).
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Hi Samatha, I've bought Medela PIS and used for a good many months.
1. I pumped straight to Medela's provided bottles. As my milk gets more, I bought the bigger bottles instead. i then transferred to milk storage bag and freeze. To defroze, i just bring down one bag or more, u should roughly know how much your baby needs then, to the fridge section to defrost overnight. I then pour out the required portion to a bottle to warm up in a cup filled with hot water. my storage bag (sweeper brand) comes with sealing thing at the top, so i need not pour out all of the milk. however, i would make sure i use up defroze milk within the recommendation days (which i can't remember now).
at times, after i pump to bottle, i give straight to baby (cos at that time, he was better with bottles then direct latching), or i store in the fridge section and use in next feed if he is not full from breastfeeding, etc. so there is no need to further transfer bottle to storage bag.
the bottles provided by Medela PIS is the standard size, but i eventually used the Avent Wide Neck Bottles. So i therefore need to transfer from Medela bottles to Wide Neck Bottles to feed. HOwever, if u r feeding using wide neck bottle, i believe you can now buy the 'conversion' which you can attach to the medela and pump straight to a wide neck bottle.
i've used Avent and Pigeon electric sterilizer. both are good.
Good luck
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"Once the breast milk has been poured back into the bottle, do you then use a bottle warmer to get it to the right temperature?"
Similarly to like Taylor12, we boil water in a kettle, then pour the water into a tall container (in this case a liter liquid measure) and pop the bottle in. Takes only 2-3 minutes to heat the milk.
"I was just worried about how sterile would it be to thaw the milk and then pour into a bottle - but I guess it's fine."
There really is no need to worry about sterile procedures. Simple thorough cleanliness is enough. In any case the milk is anything but sterile itself. The containers are not sterile and neither are your hands.
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For the record, my wife pumped with Medela Pump-In-Style (one at home, one at work). No problems with volume. She'd fill up both bottles in about 8-10 minutes. However this is very individual.
We fed (and still feed) with Dr. Brown's.
Dr. Brown's sells nipples with different size holes (0 to 4). This is very useful as the child gets older and can/wants to suck faster. Also with thicker fluids like liquid cereal the #4 nipples are a godsend.
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Yes..i have no problems using Medela PIS to pump milk. in fact i also pump more than my baby required. for the 3rd/4th/5th day after delivery, i used the hospital grade medela. when i went home on 6th day, i used my own new medela PIS. i found my Medela PIS has stronger suction, perhaps it was brand new. it was really good.
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"My youngest daughter caught rotavirus when 2 months old (from visiting sister in hospital) so I wouldn't go by what US healthcarers say is appropriate there - we live in the town that SARS was named after!"
I don't see the issue. How is sterilization (or not) to blame for your daughter's rotavirus? You say yourself that lack of sterilization wasn't the problem. It was visiting sister in hospital.
I'll say it again: "sterilization" in the home context can be replaced by thorough cleaning. As soon as you touch anything it will no longer be sterile. This doesn't change if you are in HK or NYC.
SARS is not named after Hong Kong.
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On the sterilization issue, I am totally with axptguy38. I had not intended to buy a sterilizer for our baby (who arrived 10 days ago, btw!!), but was given a second hand one from a friend. I think I will use it sometimes if I feel bottles or pumps need a bit of extra cleaning.
One question about pumped breast milk; how long can it stay in room temperature? Is it viable to take pumped milk around during the day when out with the baby?
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"One question about pumped breast milk; how long can it stay in room temperature? Is it viable to take pumped milk around during the day when out with the baby?"
Rule of thumb: 3 months in the freezer, 3 days in the fridge, 3 hours on the counter.
If you're going to be out and about, get a little freezer bag with those ice block thingies. For example Medela makes one where the ice block is molded to go a bit around the bottles, and the whole bag fits 4 bottles exactly. These bags will easily keep milk cool 10 hours.
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Thanks, axptguy38. I assume BTB would have it?
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I don't know for sure (our kids were born pre-HK) but I would assume they have several models.
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medela pump in style didnt work for me, while th Avent handheld one did.... different strokes for different folks!
i say sterilisation is a must, specially for babies under 6 months. Babies may be able to handle dirt when they are older, but i doubt very much if they can when they are new born infants.... srupulous cleanliness is good, but sterilization is better.
i didnt buy a sterilizer, just used a large steel pot. boiled everythig for 5minutes. All bottles pumps etc got sterilized once a day, and the water thrown out as soon as it was switched off, so everything steam dries. I kept the pot closed removing whatever i needed with tongs. so the insides and teats stay clean.
why put your poor newborn at risk for upset stomachs?
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"Babies may be able to handle dirt when they are older, but i doubt very much if they can when they are new born infants.."
Actually breast fed babies probably have better immunity than their weaned older comrades. They get it in the milk. Also, when I say "sterilization is not needed" I hardly mean the stuff should be dirty. I'm just saying that thorough cleaning and "home sterilization" amounts to pretty much the same thing when it comes to effective cleanliness. Baby will not be exposed to dirt either way.
"why put your poor newborn at risk for upset stomachs?"
When a dish or a piece of cutlery is washed properly, it will be "clean enough to eat off/with". No real risk of residual germs causing upset stomach. If there was such a risk all of us (not just baby) would get sick all the time.
"Home sterilization" will not make it cleaner. Sterilization only really works if you are in a clean room (say an operating theater) and everyone follows sterile procedure, with everything down to the clothing and glasses autoclaved. At home as soon as you touch the stuff it goes from sterile to "just very clean".
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Hi,
Thanks very much for your replies! Sorry to be silent for a while but I gave birth on August 2nd and it's only now that I don't feel too "sore" to be able to sit in front of the computer!
I bought a Tommy Tippee manual breast pump because it was only $180, and a friend gave me a Medela mini-electric, but I think I will be buying a PIS this weekend - I think it will be useful for returning to work. So I will have three pumps to experiment with!
Thanks for your advice about pumping, storing and thawing.
Rgds,
Sam
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"Thanks very much for your replies! Sorry to be silent for a while but I gave birth on August 2nd and it's only now that I don't feel too "sore" to be able to sit in front of the computer!"
Congratulations! I'll have to post pics of my wife with a laptop in her lap 6 hours after giving birth, doing work emails. ;)
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