>
>In regard to storage containers, has anyone been using the Medela CSF bags.
>Medela says they are nylon lined, therefore can go into the freezer without the
>problems encountered by other poly bags.  I can't believe how many moms tell me
>that they buy those cheap poly disposable bags for freezing their breastmilk.
>I have been given to undrstand that the Medela bags keep the milk in good shape
>in the freezer.  Any comments? Thanks!
>Yaffa Stark, MA, IBCLC
>
I have Moms who use the CSF bags successfully.  They are certainly not the
same as the polyethelene bags intended as bottle liners.  When I had Moms
have problems with milk spoiling in Playtex nurser bags 2 years ago, one
of them phoned the 800 number for Playtex because it was written on the
outside of the box -"Safe for storing breastmilk".  The company
representative told her the bags were safe but only, as indicated on the
instructions inside the box, for 2 weeks.

At the time, another of my clients, who is a vet, had about 30 bags of
milk saved in preparation for going back to work.  She thawed one to use
and it was foul so she ended up thawing all of them.  She said you needed
a gas mask to walk into her kitchen!

Then she did an experiment.  Milk in Playtex bags lasted 3 weeks but had
to be used immediately upon thawing.  She decided it wasn't safe at all
because there was obviously a degradation process occurring.  Csf bags
kept the milk good indefinately frozen but spoiled quickly once thawed.
Plastic and glass bottles were best but the milk still went bad within 24
hours after thawing.

I asked Ruth Lawrence about this at a conference a year ago and she said
that some Moms have a high lipid content and milk goes bad quickly.  These
Moms are the ones with strong let-downs, fast feeders and fast-gaining
babies.  She recommende "scalding " the milk before storage.  My client
triedit, storing her milk in glass bottles and never had a spoilage
problem again.

I encourage the average Mom to use baby bottles for storage because
they're reusable but for Moms who need the convenience and aren't like Mom
above, CSF bags seem to be fine.


--
******Joan M. Fisher, RN, BN, MEd, IBCLC******
***********Ottawa, Ontario, Canada************
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