Question on expressed breast milk

Graham

Graham

Registered User
Quick question for the breast feeding experts.

If we want to take a bottle of expressed milk from the fridge (not the freezer) out with us for a day trip, do we just put it straight into the insulated bottle carrier with a cold pack and then take it out later and let it warm naturally when it's time for baby to eat?

Or as my wife thinks, do we remove the bottle from the fridge & warm it to drinking temprature first, then put it into the insulated bottle carrier w/cold pack? This doesn't sound right to me as I'd worry about bacteria breeding.

We have to take baby to the airport on Friday to pick up his grandparents who are visiting from UK and although my wife plans to breastfeed at the nursing room at the airport (how are the rooms there by the way?), we want to take a bottle with us as back up. However, this will be are first time to carry a bottle of milk with us when going out, so we are a bit unsure what to do.

Graham
 
Graham,

Nursing Room at the Airport is great with its changing facility as well, you can even bring your stroller into the room. Though, it's a bit like an ice box -- make sure you have something to cover your young baby.

I would suggest your wife no need to bring her expressed milk, if you only make trip to the airport.

:breastfed
 
Graham,

I would put the milk in an insulated carrier and warm it up just before a feed.

HTH.

Rani
 
I agree that the nursing rooms at the airport are great ! Much better than some overseas airports I've experienced. One at Perth International Airport didn't even have a seat in the parents room to enable me to feed my baby, only a change table. At Chep Lap Kok they are clean and plentiful. There is a map on the airport website to show you where they are, but the airport is well signposted as well:

http://www.hongkongairport.com/eng/aguide/nursing.html

I wouldn't want to keep milk warm longer than absolutely necessary. I'd warm it up just before a feed.
 
I have travelled from H.K. island to Chep Lap Kok (return journey)by car on a week day morning with my baby (1 month old at that time). We fed the baby before our car ride then we spent about 2 hours at the airport. I BF baby before taking the car trip home. The baby rooms at the airport are clean, comfortable and cool for BF.

I don't think you would need your expressed milk in the cooler. However, if you do take it with you, do keep it cool. Only warm it up before you feed your baby. You're right about the bacteria. They will multiple if warmed up and kept in a moist environment!

Cheers!
 
Definitely warm it up just before the feed. Also, there is a new product on the market call "Fridge-to-go", which is quite good for storing expressed milk. You put the whole thing in the freezer and then the container act as a fridge and can cool the contents for up to 8 hours. Ideal if you are travelling for a long time and can't find a nursing room.
 

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Breast milk should only be heated once. Once heated feed to the baby immediately and any unused milk should be discarded. You might find the following information about milk storage useful.
http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/milkstorage.html

Graham, will you be traveling with your wife to the airport?
If so you could encourage her to start breastfeeding in public. She might feel very frighten to try but each time she does it it will get easier. And it is so helpful to have the support of your husband or other good friend the first few times you do try.

Practicing at home first might help. Ask your wife to feed in front of you or a mirror with lots of music or noise around and see how the baby copes. Use a baby sling ? any type will do but an over-the-shoulder sling is useful because you can nurse the baby in it and no one will know.

Wear a T-shirt or loose fitting clothes and avoid button down the front dresses and blouses. Some of my friends like specially made nursing clothes and others like to use a shawl to cover the baby.

Remember that if people are not expecting you to nurse your baby (and who expects it in Hong Kong?) then it doesn?t enter their heads that you will be doing so. The most common question I was asked when feeding in public was ?Is the baby asleep??

I personally don?t like the special nursing rooms at the airport. I get bored all by myself and am always worried that I?m going to miss the people I?ve gone to collect.

Good luck with the outing,
Barb
 
Graham, will you be traveling with your wife to the airport? If so you could encourage her to start breastfeeding in public. She might feel very frighten to try but each time she does it it will get easier. And it is so helpful to have the support of your husband or other good friend the first few times you do try.
Click to expand...

Barb, Yes, I will be going to the airport with my wife, but to be honest, breast feeding in public in HK is not really something we've even considered or discussed before. I'm open to the idea, but my wife is fairly conservative so she might not be willing to. Of course I will support her what ever she wants to do.

Graham
 
barbwong_130 said:
I saw the Fridge-to-go on sale in Watsons in the Admiralty Centre. They had a special promotional display. I thought they would be ideal for a working mother wanting to storage her milk (wish I?d had one when I was expressing at work).
http://www.fridge-to-go.com

If you want the details of the inventor go to http://www.1000inventions.com and type in fridge-to-go in the search box for keywords.
Click to expand...

Hmm....the comparison test results on the fridge-to-go website are certainly interesting. I'm definitely going to take a look at the product.

We are currently planning to use a Tommy Tippee insulated double bottle carrier together with an ice pack. I'm hoping the use of an ice pack will keep the milk chilled longer for those outdoor trips that last longer than expected of for when my wife starts expressing at work.

Graham
 
Hello,

I'm a mother of 3. I remember being embarassed and uneasy when I had to breastfeed my first baby in public. So I totally understand what your wife is going through.
I found this worked: find a quiet corner with less people, bring a small towel or blankie along and use that to cover part of the baby's face and your shoulder. I'd feel better and more secured if my husband is also nearby. Just for that 10 minutes! I've also been to the nursing room in the airport, it's another option. Just park your stroller in front of the door, other people will know someone is inside and might, most of the times, not enter. Really.... I'd rather breastfeed my baby in public than taking the risk of ruining the breastmilk during the trip.

Good luck!
 
I have never been able to master the art of using the recieving blanket to stay covered so I bought a kooshies nursing bib, but it was pathetically small, so I made myself one that was much bigger.

It is just a really large peice of flannel with a neck opening big enough that you can look down to see how baby is latched and has snaps so it will snap around your neck and won't fall off. You could also just take a large recieving blanket and make one.

I use it in canada when breastfeeding in public and my husband is present as HE is the one who is so worried someone might see a millimeter of flesh. I don't always use it in poblic when alone, depends on how many men are around. I'm not sure why my husband is so worried, He is HK chinese and I don't think he ever was exposed to BF growing up there.

I too was nervous to BF in public initally, especially in the beginning when latching is such a production, but after a few times you realize it is you who thinks people notice, when really no one pays any attention.

I also used the nursing bib in Hong kong all the time when in public earlier this year. There are so many places that don't have mother rooms, so I would just feed anywhere that I could sit down. parks, reastaurants, benches in malls, wherever. Noone commented and no one was staring. We spent the majority of our time in Tsuen Wan where there are as many foreigners too.
 
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