Breastmilk Storage

[misol]

First, let me say that I am an avid supporter of breastfeeding. Both of my children were exclusively breastfed and I still breastfeed my 17 mo old daughter before bedtime.

Now, I have a new family who starts tomorrow and the mom breastfeeds the 6 month old so she will be supplying expressed breastmilk for him each day. Ok, so that's wonderful. My problem is that I am getting a little hesitant about storing her (or anyone else's) breastmilk in my family's fridge. Back when I used to express my milk, I would store it in an insulated bag with reusable freezer packs so I didn't need a fridge when I pumped at work, etc. Also, there was never an occasion where I had to store my milk in the fridge of anyone that was not a relative.

Human milk is essentailly just like any other bodily fluid. I certainly wouldn't store the blood or urine of another woman in my fridge. I know that's an extreme example but you get my drift.

I think I have already made the decision to get a mini fridge to be used exclusively for this purpose but I am wondering what your thoughts are on this. Am I just being too dramatic?

[gbcc]

For me, once I thought about the benefits for the child I got over the idea it was a bodily fluid from a women. I asked parents to bring a lunch cooler to store the milk in and then I would put that in my fridge. That way if anything leaked or spilled it would spill in the bag for mom to clean up not me!

[mac60]

Good idea, I would ask her to get one of those small insulated lunch bags to keep the bottles in. I had a mom once who brought me frozen breast milk in those stupid bag bottles. Gosh I hated them, they leaked a lot. I kept the bags in a big zipper bag in the freezer.

[Persephone]

I agree about asking her to bring a small lunch bag to put them in. Or maybe get one of those plastic shoe boxes to out in your fridge to set them in. You could leave the lid off and set them in there, that way if they leak it ends up in the box and not all over the place.

[Unregistered]

When my children were still breastfeeding, I would make their bottles for the day and send already prepared, capped bottles with them to their daycare home every day. Can you request your parent do the same? This would eliminate you having to handle the breastmilk at all.

[[email protected]]

I disagree,.. Breastmilk expressed correctly is sterile and like necter from heaven. I have never, not once in 20 years of childcare given a second thought to having breast milk in my fridge. Breastmilk isnt going to contaminate anything in your fridge. I wouldnt go making cookies with it but to risk it spoiling because you are afraid of someone elses 'germs' in your fridge. Breast milk can be stored in the freezer or fridge. My parents supplied it in the bags you put in a playtex bottle, dated and labeled. I would take it out when needed, gently warm the bag by submersing in acoffee cup of warm water and serve it. I just put it in a rubbermain container so none of MY items contaminated it. That was my fear,... harming that milk. I am a crunchier Momma than alot,.. I breastfed, cloth diapered and co slept with my children. I would never dream of keeping someones breastmilk seperate because I was afraid of contamination. But that is me,.. Im a little old school I guess.

[Persephone]

I think think anyone was saying not to put it the fridge, but something for them to put it in, in the fridge.

[misol]

Update

After the dad droppped the kids off this morning I felt much better. The mom sent the milk and it was already in individual bottles and she had them in a small plastic bag. So, all I had to do is pop off the cap and feed. For some reason I was thinking that she would be supplying her milk in those infamously leaky storage bags and that I would have to do a lot of handling when preparing bottles.

I like the idea about the small lunch cooler becasue that's what I used to use for my own milk. I have quite a few of those on hand so I will use them. Whew I was all worked up for nothing. I am canceling the mini fridge ::

I am going to update my policies to say that breastmilk needs to be supplied in individual bottles and that formula needs to premixed and in individual bottles as well.

I'm good to go! Thanks.

[gbcc]

I am going to update my policies to say that breastmilk needs to be supplied in individual bottles and that formula needs to premixed and in individual bottles as well.

I'm good to go! Thanks.

Check with your lisencing rules. Here parents are not allowed to premix. If they are on formula I have to prepare it when needed and I need a release that clearly states how to prepare it. They can use the prepared concentrate, but that is very expensive and not right to mandate they use concentrate.

Also, we are not allowed to microwave and not all babies will drink milk from the fridge. Some may need to use the bags so that you can heat the milk up in warm water.

[Persephone]

Check with your lisencing rules. Here parents are not allowed to premix. If they are on formula I have to prepare it when needed and I need a release that clearly states how to prepare it. They can use the prepared concentrate, but that is very expensive and not right to mandate they use concentrate.

Also, we are not allowed to microwave and not all babies will drink milk from the fridge. Some may need to use the bags so that you can heat the milk up in warm water.

I know when I worked at the daycare center the parents had to make the bottles in the building. They could not bring them from home pre-made. They made them right when they got there.

[misol]

I disagree,.. Breastmilk expressed correctly is sterile and like necter from heaven. I have never, not once in 20 years of childcare given a second thought to having breast milk in my fridge. Breastmilk isnt going to contaminate anything in your fridge. I wouldnt go making cookies with it but to risk it spoiling because you are afraid of someone elses 'germs' in your fridge. Breast milk can be stored in the freezer or fridge. My parents supplied it in the bags you put in a playtex bottle, dated and labeled. I would take it out when needed, gently warm the bag by submersing in acoffee cup of warm water and serve it. I just put it in a rubbermain container so none of MY items contaminated it. That was my fear,... harming that milk. I am a crunchier Momma than alot,.. I breastfed, cloth diapered and co slept with my children. I would never dream of keeping someones breastmilk seperate because I was afraid of contamination. But that is me,.. Im a little old school I guess.

laundryduchess - I consider myself a semi-crunchy mama which is why I kind of surprised myself for feeling that way. I breastfed both my kids beyond a year, wore my children in a sling, we coslept, I made all their baby food from organic, whole foods, and used chemical free products. The only reason I didn't continue to use cloth diapers was because the daycare that I wanted to use when I went back to work wouldn't do cloth diapers. I even had an unplanned homebirth!

That being said, I understand the importance of breastfeeding and would NEVER risk spoiling any mother's "liquid gold". I know how hard it is to get that milk and every drop counts. I was just saying that I considered keeping it separate from my family's food, that's all. I guess in addition to being a little crunchy, I am a bit of a germophobe too

For the record though, according to the Center for Disease Control, HIV and other serious diseases CAN be transmitted through breastmilk. I don't know of any documented cases where a person HANDLING said milk has contracted anything. I think the major risk is to the infant who is DRINKING the milk.

gbcc and persephone - Good call. I just checked our regulations and
it says that any prepared formula has to be labeled with the child's name and kept in the fridge.

Look like we can use a microwave too - the milk just has to be shaken and tested before feeding tot he baby. I always use a bottle warmer or warm running water though because microwaving destroys the nutrients in breastmilk.

[jen]

I disagree,.. Breastmilk expressed correctly is sterile and like necter from heaven. I have never, not once in 20 years of childcare given a second thought to having breast milk in my fridge. Breastmilk isnt going to contaminate anything in your fridge. I wouldnt go making cookies with it but to risk it spoiling because you are afraid of someone elses 'germs' in your fridge. Breast milk can be stored in the freezer or fridge. My parents supplied it in the bags you put in a playtex bottle, dated and labeled. I would take it out when needed, gently warm the bag by submersing in acoffee cup of warm water and serve it. I just put it in a rubbermain container so none of MY items contaminated it. That was my fear,... harming that milk. I am a crunchier Momma than alot,.. I breastfed, cloth diapered and co slept with my children. I would never dream of keeping someones breastmilk seperate because I was afraid of contamination. But that is me,.. Im a little old school I guess.

I'm with you...I have had lots and lots of breastfed babies and this has never crossed my mind...

[gbcc]

I think think anyone was saying not to put it the fridge, but something for them to put it in, in the fridge.

I think you are right Persephone, no one said NOT to put it in the fridge. Everyone has suggested putting it in a cooler that is placed in the fridge. That is not discriminating against breastmilk and in fact, in this state is the law. Breast milk and medications must be separated from other products in the fridge by a barrier or you must buy a separate fridge. Someone got confused and thought the suggestion was to just keep it in the cooler, which is not accurate.

[misol]

I think you are right Persephone, no one said NOT to put it in the fridge. Everyone has suggested putting it in a cooler that is placed in the fridge. That is not discriminating against breastmilk and in fact, in this state is the law. Breast milk and medications must be separated from other products in the fridge by a barrier or you must buy a separate fridge. Someone got confused and thought the suggestion was to just keep it in the cooler, which is not accurate.

Ladies, thanks so much for clarifying. I have been using the cooler in the fridge and am quite comfortable doing that. gbcc - that's interesting. What state are you in? Do your state regs say why it has to be kept separate?

[tenderhearts]

In all my years doing daycare I've only had 2 mom's breastfeeding and brought the milk. They both had them already in little bottles and all I had to do was warm it (bottle) in water then put a nipple on that bottle, I never had to transfer the milk from one place to another. This mom also brought the little bottles in a insulated case that I stuck in the fridge.