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Frozen breast milk storage made simple and compact

If organization is not your thing and you have more than a few ounces of breastmilk to store, the many baggies in your freezer can come to dominate the space. You can buy milk organizing kits at many major retailers, but to save money all you really need is a cardboard box.

Just follow these easy steps:

Freeze the milk in a flat position- just laying it on a small piece of cardboard in the freezer will accomplish this. The slightly nicer bags (with ziplock style closures) make this easier, but they do cost a little bit more. Personally, I think the few extra cents per bag is worth it.

Label each bag consistently (date, ounces) to avoid confusion by you, your partner, or your baby's other caregivers.

Find or make a cardboard box that you can use to “catalog” the frozen milk in the upright position. It should be long and thin- a Kleenex box with the top cut off was recommended to me, although I personally use the carrying box for milk three-packs that we buy at Costco.

When you have a new bag to freeze, move the new frozen one to the front or back of the box, and train caregivers so they know which end to pull from. Whichever you choose, consistency will keep everyone using the oldest milk first, a good best practice for storing your breast milk.

It's that easy!

- Leigh G.

1. Christy [11/05/08]

That’s what we did! I had a special place that I had reserved for “fresh” milk bags. Once they were frozen flat, I stacked them up in a container-file type system. It made it very easy to know which milk to use first!

2. steph [11/07/08]

I’ve been buying Lansinoh nursing pads from the beginning, and they give you a few storage bags with each box. I think it’s probably only enough for the occasional pumper. Otherwise, the Medela Storage bottles (something like $15 for 15) are also probably a pretty good way to go for the continuous pumper (except you have to wash them). I’ve seen them for cheap on eBay. (all BPA free)

3. Jennifer [8/11/09]

I also found that spending a bit more on the Lansinoh bags which have two layers of zip top well worth it. I cheaped out and tried a less expensive brand and ending up “crying” over the spilled milk that leaked out into the freezer. The smaller Medela bottles are somewhat handy as they screw right onto the pump horns.

4. Mominator [8/21/09]

After starting with the Gerber brand bags and buying a slightly more expensive box of the Lansinoh bags b/c my local store was out of the Gerber, my son’s babysitter and my husband (the two most likely to know) have asked that I not purchase the Gerber ones anymore. They find the L-bags slightly thicker, less likely to leak, the zippers better, and less likely to puncture if it doesn’t freeze straight (ran into this issue with Gerbers). We’re lucky that we have a small chest freezer that is dedicated to Momma Milk so its more a matter of which shelf to grab from.

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