You have probably heard about the many advantages of breastfeeding.
Besides the health benefits, many moms appreciate that breastfeeding is less expensive than bottle feeding.
Your body already produced the milk, but storing breast milk to feed your baby later can get expensive.
Finding the cheapest breast milk storage bags is one way to save. Here are some of the benefits of breastfeeding and some advice on choosing storage bags for your breast milk.
In this article I’m gonna talk about:
- My top 3 best breast milk storage bags
- Some health benefits of breastfeeding for you and your baby
- Alternatives to store your breast milk
what are the best breast milk storage bags
Finding the cheapest breast milk storage bags is one way to save money, but the cheapest may not necessarily be the best.
Storage bags that leak your milk onto the floor or into the freezer are not a good deal, no matter how cheap they are.
Reading breast milk storage bags reviews will help you decide which bags to store your breast milk in.
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| Breast Milk Storage Bags | Our Rating |
|---|---|
| Kiinde | A- |
| NUK Seal N Go | B+ |
| Lansinoh | B+ |
Kiinde Breast Milk Storage Twist Pouch
Many moms have found that twist pouches work better for storing breast milk than traditional bags.
You can pump your milk directly into the Kiinde pouches for storage, then keep the milk in the same pouch while you feed it to your baby.
Some moms feel that the markings on the Kiinde pouches are not accurate for measuring and that the bags hold less milk than the markings indicate.
Pros
- No transferring milk, so milk doesn’t get spilled before you feed your baby
- The pouches are easy to store
- The pouches are thick and not prone to leaking
Cons
- Pouches tend to be more expensive than bags
- You will probably have to try several nipples before finding one that works for your baby
- Some moms find it hard to screw the cap on evenly
Nuk Seal N Go – The Double Zipper Oxygen Barrier
Nuk bags are among the cheapest breast milk storage bags, but they are also among the best.
These bags are completely BPA-free and have a better oxygen barrier than many other brands.
You may find that they hold less milk than many other storage bags, making them better for feeding younger babies than older ones.
Pros
- Nuk bags are inexpensive without sacrificing quality
- They have a double zipper to minimize leaking
- They keep oxygen out well, minimizing the chance of freezer burn
Cons
- They don’t hold as much milk as many brands
- The zipper can be hard to close
Lansinoh – The BPA Free Bags
One of the best things about the Lansinoh brand of storage bags is the amount of milk they hold without spilling.
The markings on the side of the bag go up to six ounces, but you can fill the bag higher than the markings, making them perfect for storing milk for older babies.
Like most storage bags, they are BPA-free and pre-sterilized for easy use.
Some moms have found that Lansinoh breast milk storage bags are thinner than some of the other bags, making them more likely to leak.
Pros
- You can lie the bags flat so they take up less freezer space
- They have a double zipper to keep them sealed well
- They are less expensive than most name-brand storage bags
Cons
- The thin plastic is more likely to leak
- The bags don’t stand up very well by themselves
- It’s hard to pour the milk into bottles for feeding without spilling some
Benefits of Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding provides a lot of benefits to both you and your baby. Most doctors recognize that babies who are breastfed get sick less than those who are fed with formula.
These babies are also less likely to get chronic sicknesses like celiac disease and childhood diabetes. Breastfeeding is also known to support stronger bones in babies.
We all know that having a sick baby in the house is hard for everyone, especially the mom.
Breastfeeding is also very beneficial to you, as a breastfeeding mom.
Has anyone ever told you that nursing your baby can burn up to 500 extra calories per day? That alone is a huge incentive to nurse your baby.
You can eat way more calories without gaining weight. Healing after delivery can be a long and difficult process, but breastfeeding your baby makes it an easier one.
Your body releases oxytocin when your baby is nursing. This hormone helps reduce blood loss after delivery by causing your uterus to contract.
It also helps your uterus get back to its normal size quickly, helping your body get back to its pre-pregnancy shape faster.
Here are some more benefits of breastfeeding
For Baby
- Reduced cancer risk
- Reduced SIDS risk
- Heightened immune system
- Customized diet that changes according to baby’s needs
- Better response to vaccines
For Mom
- Feeling of empowerment
- Periods return slower
- Some protection against pregnancy
- Fewer sick days from work
- Less expensive than formula
- Better knowledge of baby’s cues
- No heating formula or washing bottles
Storing Your Breast Milk
Breastfeeding is easiest when you are always with your baby and can just put them on your breast, but let’s be realistic.
Most moms have to go back to work when their baby is a few months old. Even if you don’t have to work, there will be times that you won’t be with your baby when they are hungry.
That’s why you need to know how to store and reheat your breast milk.
After you have expressed milk from your breast, it can be stored at room temperature for up to 8 hours.
This is the easiest way to store milk from your breast because you probably won’t have to reheat it.
The milk can also be stored for up to 5 days in the refrigerator and up to a year in the freezer.
There are several ways you can store your breast milk without contaminating it.
Glass containers are one way, but most moms don’t like having to wash the containers when they are finished. Hard plastic containers of many sizes may also be used.
Most moms have found that storage bags are the easiest and most convenient way to store breast milk, and purchasing the cheapest breast milk storage bags means that you won’t have to pay a lot of money for the convenience of using the bags.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Breast Milk Storage Bags
Advantages
- Inexpensive
- Convenient
- Don’t take up a lot of space
- Frozen milk thaws quickly
- Easy to use
Disadvantages
- Not environmentally friendly
- Some brands don’t allow you to pump directly into the bag
- May leak if they are poor quality or filled too full
Feeding Your Baby Using Breast Milk Stored in Bags
Learning how to store breast milk can seem complicated at first, especially if you are a new mom that is trying to learn many things at the same time.
There are a few things that you should know.
- Breast milk sometimes separates in the freezer. The separation is normal, and you can shake the bag gently so the fat mixes back in before feeding it to your baby.
- The color of the milk usually changes, depending on what you have eaten. It may look yellow, blue, brown or green. Try not to worry about the color, all of the milk is good for your baby.
- Putting bags of frozen milk in the fridge the night before you’re going to use them is the best way to thaw them, but you can run the bag under warm water if you need to use it sooner. Don’t put the bag in the microwave because the heat is uneven and hot spots can hurt your baby. Some babies like the milk cold, so you can try feeding your baby cold milk and save yourself the trouble of heating it up.
You can also read this guide to storing fresh breastmilk
How Much Milk to Leave for Your Baby
Predicting exactly how much your baby will eat may seem impossible, but there are some guidelines to help you plan the amount of milk to leave for your baby when you won’t be there to breastfeed them.
Between birth and two months, most babies eat between two and five ounces of breast milk each time you feed them.
The exact amount depends on your baby. Between two months old and four months old your baby will probably eat between four and six ounces at each feeding and they may take up to eight ounces at a time when they are six months old.
Eight ounces probably seems like a lot of milk for one small baby to eat, but they grow so quickly that they need to eat a lot to get enough nutrition in their tiny bodies.
The breast milk storage bags are marked on the sides so it’s easy for you to tell how much milk is in each bag, even when you haven’t been getting very much sleep.
Breastfeeding is often overwhelming, especially at first. Reading reviews will help you choose the right system for storing your breast milk, but in the end, you need to do what works for you and your baby, regardless of what anyone else thinks.
Now it’s your turn! Share with us your experience with storage bags, many moms would love to hear how it’s going for you.
If you have any other questions or comments, please feel free to leave your thoughts below.