A lot of work, time, and energy goes into expressing and pumping milk so you can nourish your baby. That’s why so many moms refer to breast milk as “liquid gold.” And when it comes to your liquid gold, we all know that crying over spilledmilk can - and does - happen sometimes! To avoid a messy milk spill or leakage disaster, you'll want the best breast milk storage bags you can get. To avoid losing all the vitamins, minerals and other important ingredients in your breast milk, always thaw your frozen breast milk storage bag inside the fridge. This will take around eight hours, so make sure you factor the time into your preparations. Don’t try to speed things up by heating a bag in the microwave or putting it in a pan of boiling water, as these methods can cause ‘hot spots’ in the milk that are a scalding risk. If you’re expressing your milk straight into bottles, transferring it into Medela breast milk storage bags for storage and transport makes sense. These stand up upright for easy handling, yet can lie flat once sealed, for storage in the fridge, plus they can be frozen, too. Milk storage bags also make life easier later on, when you want to defrost and warm your frozen breast milk to feed to your baby. If you want to express your milk directly into milk storage bags, take a look at our Pump & Save bags.

Prior to first use, bring water to boil, then place lids & collection & storage bottles in boiling water for 10 minutes. Human Milk Banking Association of North America. 2011 Best practice for expressing, storing and handling human milk in hospitals, homes, and child care settings. (HMBANA, Fort Worth, 2011). For easier thawing and minimal wastage, store your milk in small portions (less than 60 ml). These can be combined after defrosting. Eglash,A., Simon,L., & The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine. ABM clinical protocol #8: human milk storage information for home use for full-term infants, revised 2017. Breastfeed Med 12, (2017).

S8 PRESCRIPTION

If you do not plan to use the milk within a few days, freeze it right away in the coldest section of your freezer. If your baby is in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) or special care ward, your hospital may have stricter recommendations for cleaning and storage. Prescriptions must be written on an Authority Prescription Form, and the approval number must be noted on the prescription. Pharmacists cannot dispense the item as a pharmaceutical benefit unless it has been approved by Medicare Australia (indicated by the presence of the approval number).

García-Lara NR et al. Effect of freezing time on macronutrients and energy content of breastmilk. Breastfeeding Medicine. 2012;7(4):295-301. Expressed milk may be added to already frozen breast milk, provided the milk you want to add is cooled in the fridge beforehand. Don’t add body-temperature milk to frozen milk. Best of all, they’re easy to use. Simply transfer your pumped milk to the breast milk bag. Seal the bag and write the date and time on the bag before storing it in the refrigerator or freezer. (Quality breast milk bags are self-standing for easy filling, handling, and space-saving storage.)If milk is trapped in the zipper, attempt to clean out the milk. Milk in the zipper may expand during freezing, causing a potential leak.

Store your milk in Medela’s BPA-free breast milk collection bottles or in storage bags specifically designed for breast milk, such as Medela’s BPA-free Pump & Save™ bags. HYGIENICALLY PRE-SEALED: The Medela Breast Milk Storage Bags have been hygienically pre-sealed with durable material and double-zipper protection to prevent leaking. These bags safely store breastmilk in the freezer, fridge, or when traveling. Some drugs may have Authority Required (Streamlined) status which does not require an explicit approval from Medicare, instead the doctor can use the Authority code found in the published Schedule for a given drug/indication. It is normal for pumped milk to vary in color and consistency depending on your diet. Stored milk will separate into layers, and the cream will rise to the top. Gently swirl (don’t shake) the storage bottle to mix the milk layers. If you’re expressing your milk straight into bottles, transferring it into Medela breast milk storage bags for storage and transport makes sense. These stand up upright for easy handling, yet can lie flat once sealed, for storage in the fridge, plus they can be frozen, too. Milk storage bags also make life easier later on, when you want to defrost and warm your frozen breast milk to feed to your baby.

Common Uses

Pumped milk may be added to frozen milk provided it is first chilled and the quantity is less than what is frozen.

DURABLE DOUBLE-LAYER MATERIAL: These ready to use breastmilk storage bags are constructed from a durable double-layer material and built-in double zipper seal to keep your breastmilk safely stored in the fridge or freezer.Some PBS medications are restricted and require prior approval from Medicare before a doctor is able to prescribe them on the PBS. This prior approval to prescribe grants the doctor the Authority to prescribe the desired medicine and have it funded under the PBS. Avoid adding freshly pumped milk to already cooled milk. You can add small amounts of cooled breast milk to the same refrigerated container throughout the day. Authority to prescribe an Authority medicine is granted for specific indications and/or for certain patient circumstances. Authority may be obtained by telephone to Medicare Australia (known as "phone approval") or in writing from an authorised delegate of the Minister for Health. Follow this storage locationand temperatures guidelines for freshly expressed breast milk (for healthy term babies) 2,3: US Food & Drug Administration. Using a breast pump. [Internet]. Silver Spring, MD, USA: US Department of Health and Human Services; 2018 [updated 2018 Feb 04; cited 2018 Apr 12] Available from: www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/HomeHealthandConsumer/ConsumerProducts/BreastPumps/ucm061944.htm