If you have questions about how to use breast milk storage bags, this guide will walk you through every step and option. Plus my favorite hacks and tips as a previous labor and delivery nurse and breastfeeding mom of three.
If you’re planning to pump breast milk, you’ll most likely want to start freezing your milk at some point. There’s a few different ways to store your breast milk in the freezer. The most common way is disposable plastic breast milk storage bags.
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Why use breast milk storage bags?
For many mothers pumping breast milk, they hope to build up at least a small supply in the freezer. There are a few different ways to store breast milk in the freezer, but disposable plastic bags are by far the most common and easiest way. Especially if you have a lot of milk.
How to choose breast milk storage bags
The first step is to determine if you want to use reusable bags or disposable bags. If you’re curious about glass storage and glass bottles, I have a guide to that also. All breast milk storage bags regardless if they are reusable or disposable will be BPA free.
If you’re still on the fence about disposable vs reusable, here’s a quick rundown of each to help determine which will be the best way to store your milk stash
Disposable breast milk storage bags
- Pre-sterilized bags
- You can pump directly into bags with a breast pump
- Takes up less room in the freezer if you don’t have a lot of space
- More economical if you have a large freezer stash
- No washing or sterilization needed
- Can’t be reused
- More waste
Reusable breast milk storage bags
- Made from food grade silicone
- Can be sterilized between uses
- Eco-friendly by avoiding single-use plastics
- Can be used for baby food, snacks or repurposed when they’re no longer needed for breast milk
- Can be used for subsequent babies
- A good option for small amounts
- Takes up more freezer space
- Not as economical if you will have a large freezer stash
As a mom of three who pumped and breastfed for a combination of about six years, I used a handful of different disposable bags.
I used Lansinoh breastmilk storage bags the most but also did a combination of glass containers as well for storing milk. I liked the Lansnioh bags the most because they have a double zipper seal and they feel like they’re made from durable material.
How to use breast milk storage bags
If you’ve decided on disposable breast milk storage bags, many of them function in a very similar way.
Step 1 – Pump your milk!
You can either pump directly into some bags (I’ll cover that in more detail later) or pump into a bottle and pour your expressed milk in the bags. Carefully pour your milk from pump bottles into bags. Each brand will have a recommended amount of milk not to exceed.
Although, in a pinch I’ve exceeded these recommendations without any issues, I would follow it the majority of the time. The last thing you’d want is your milk bag leaking in the freezer from the milk expanding. Make sure you get as many air bubbles out from the top of the bag as possible.
Mom tip! – You can use the flange as a funnel when filling your bags to avoid the chance of spills.
Step 2 – Label with name, date, time and amount
Although there are measurements on the bags, I always make a note of what I pumped in the bottle. I didn’t find the bags to be very accurate. So I always used the bottle measurements. If you’re pumping directly into bags, you can also use a food scale to measure if you’d like to be more accurate.
Some Moms label the time too. Your milk does change from day to night. Milk made at night has properties in it to make your baby sleepy. Although this is incredibly amazing, I never was that particular about what type of milk my baby got. So I never marked the time. But if that’s important to you, by all means label it with a time too! I used a permanent marker or a pen works in a pinch too. But I preferred a marker.
Step 3 – Freeze
As a way to save space and easily store your bags in the freezer, it’s a good idea to lay your milk bag flat and freeze. I always had a little spot in my main freezer to lay my milk from the day flat to freeze first.
You can also use a little pan in the freezer. Once it’s frozen, I moved it to where I stored the rest of my frozen milk in my deep freezer for long term storage.
With your milk frozen flat, you can use a box and sit them upright placing the newest milk in the back and grab the oldest milk in the front as you use it.
Rewarming breast milk in bags
You can warm breast milk directly in the bags. First, fill a medium bowl with warm water. Next, place storage bags with frozen milk in water. When it’s frozen flat, it warms the breastmilk quickly. Never warm breast milk in a microwave, it can cause hot spots that can burn your baby.
My #1 recommendation for freezer storage
I have recently learned about WIFI freezer thermometers. I had a close call with my second baby when the freezer door didn’t get shut properly. When I discovered this, thankfully my milk was still slushy and I was able to refreeze it. If I had had a WIFI thermometer, I would have gotten an alert on my phone informing me there was an issue with my freezer.
I always bring this up to pumping Mamas with a freezer stockpile. I would consider investing in a WIFI freezer thermometer. Put it on your baby registry! It will alert your phone if the temperature is dropping. It really gives some peace of mind, it certainly would be devastating to lose any liquid gold, let alone a whole deep freezer stash.
For safe breastmilk storage guidelines see this table from the center for disease control website.
FAQ about breast milk storage bags
Can I use breast milk storage bags for baby food?
Yes! Although it’s probably more expensive per bag than regular ziploc bags, if you have extra bags left over, you certainly can use them for baby food!
Are breast milk bags reusable?
As outlined above, you can purchase reusable breast milk bags, however, bags meant for single use should not be reused.
Do breast milk storage bags expire?
Yes, there are expiration dates for breast milk bags. Most are 5 years depending on your manufacturer. Look on your packaging for an expiration date. Store any unused bags in a dry, clean area for future use. If you are unable to find an expiration date on your bags, then reach out the manufacturer.
How to use breast milk storage bags with a pump ?
Here is a great resource that goes over some popular brands of bags and pumps.
I hope you learned everything there is to know about how to store breast milk in bags. You have several options with storing breast milk and how much milk you have may determine what’s going to work best for you.
If you’re a new Mama and you still have more questions, you can reach out to your local lactation consultant or I’m happy to answer your every question the best I can from my own experience!
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