Help with frozen breastmilk storage/heat for a day out......

[Laur_250]

My wedding is fast approaching and although I can now breastfeed I have been expressing and freezing milk too so I will have enough for the whole day (and hen night ) which I will give to (future) MIL who is going to look after Reggie for the day. Now I will probably give her about 7 bottles which I have frozen the milk straight into as this is how much Ive worked out he should need. I have a cool bag and 2 ice packs so was gonna put them in here.

Now, i think they say frozen milk can be either defrosted in a fridge and lasts 24 hours or if heated to defrost to be used immediately.

So do i take them out that morning and put them straight into the coolbag still frozen? Will they last the whole day that way and is it classed the same as if I took them out and put into fridge? Or do i let them defrost in fridge overnight and put them in coolbag cold? But maybe they wont last very long that way?

And how will she warm them as they will be very cold if I put them in frozen and the wedding is set over gardens and grounds of a manor so she wont always be near a kitchen to ask for hot water?!

God I must be mad its gonna be hard work and on top of all that I will be in pain from engorged boobs as it will be hours between each time I can get to express or feed him myself! Romantic hey! But i dont wanna give up breastfeeding just for this though it would be the easiest solution to all these issues!

Does anyone know any tips for stopping boobs hurting too much when full, other than emptying them which isnt gonna be possible?

Lots of questions so please give any help/experience you can. xxxx

 

[mum's the word]

At the moment I can't think of the best way to deal with the frozen milk situation, I'll have a brainstorm/look at some of my books and get back to you if nobody else has-promise!!
As for the engorgement I can reccomend 'lilypadz', I got mine from ebay. They are invsible through your clothes/bra and apply a very gentle pressure to your nipple which prevents any leakage and really helped me as I seemed to leak buckets for 6 months until I discovered them.
Peppermint is supposed to help reduce your supply of milk, and sage also-but I would imagine the amounts you'd have to consume would be a bit heavy on your stomach, esp with the wedding nerves!
I fed Ricky for a year and never mastered expressing and bottle feeding, it was such a tie and it upset my MIL and mum as they couldn't feed him. I'm hoping to get somewhere next time as I want to have the best of both worlds and combine breast and bottle.
When I went back to work, Ricky didn't touch a drop of milk all day then made up for it at night! You may find some of your well organised expressed milk goes to waste if it's thoroughly defrosted so maybe keeping it as close to frozen as poss is best.
I really admire your dedication and hope it doesn't play on your mind during the day!
I'll get back later if needs be, bye for now!

Lucy x

 

[kalia]

I would defrost some of the milk and keep the evening ones frozen if they are in the right amounts. At 3 months DD had 160ml per bottle of breastmilk if that's any help. Even if there isn't a kitchen, there will be loos and I have been known to heat baby milk under the tap in the loos when in town. It may be an idea to have a couple of cartons of ready made formula for emergencies, such as growth spurts. You could have extra breast milk but it would be a shame to waste it as it will probably not be needed.

By 3 months you may find your breasts don't feel as much like they will explode. Also, the feeling only gets so bad then it stays the same so it never gets quite as bad as you think it could.

You will need lots of breast pads and may find it easiest to have a routine e.g. change them every time you go to the loo. I wouldn't wear lilypadz as if you leak too much (and there is a chance you will be leaking copiously due to less feeds) then the milk escapes. They great day to day but not for engorgement. If it were me, I would express every 4 hours or so. Otherwise I would be distracted by the feeling in my breasts and also not be able to dance. You don't have to do a complete express, just relieve the pressure.

Just to warn you, if you don't express enough during the day your supply will drop and it will take at least a few days of feeding, possibly a week, to get it back to what it was. This just means feeding more often so don't panic.

 

[Laur_250]

Both really helpful, thank you! I think that maybe de-frosting half of them in fridge and the other half keeping frozen is a great idea i didnt think of that so thanks, it will be easier as the ones she needs first are already de-frosted but the others will last longer! I am taking formula just incase she runs out too. I've worked it out and Im gonna express just before i put my dress on about 1pm and from then its gonna be about 6-7 hours before the evening party starts that i can again so they will prob get very uncomfertable. Do you know which painkillers it is that are safe to take when breastfeeding that will help?xx

 

[jills10uk]

in answer to your warming them ques, i take my expressed bottles out of the fridge and put it into a cool bag and i give my wee man the bottle direct from the cool bag. i don't think your actually sposed to heat breast milk, i think room temp is as warm as your supposed to go with them. my lo has had no prob with the cooler bottle, but then he enjoys his milk whatever way it comes!!!

 

[kalia]

You won't need painkillers, I doubt. Although it's painful it's not like a headache or something, it's just distracting. Yo can take paracetamol of ibuprofen though I don't know if they will make a difference.

Remember it's your day and things should run to your schedule. I think you should express before the evening party starts (after all it's your party - it can't start without you!). That way you can stay and have fun with everyone. I'm guessing that before this you will either have had photos or a meal and the end of either of these is a good opportunity to disappear for 20 minutes to relieve the pressure.

I don't think 6-7 hours will be that bad - assuming your baby drinks from one breast at a time your breasts are used to going that long as they do every other feed. Make sure you express both breasts fully before putting your dress on. Allow plenty of time for this - an hour would be best if possible.

As the last poster said, the milk doesn't have to be warm. As your baby is used to being breast fed they will probably prefer it at room temperature rather than fridge temperature though.

 

[Laur_250]

You won't need painkillers, I doubt. Although it's painful it's not like a headache or something, it's just distracting. Yo can take paracetamol of ibuprofen though I don't know if they will make a difference.

Remember it's your day and things should run to your schedule. I think you should express before the evening party starts (after all it's your party - it can't start without you!). That way you can stay and have fun with everyone. I'm guessing that before this you will either have had photos or a meal and the end of either of these is a good opportunity to disappear for 20 minutes to relieve the pressure.

I don't think 6-7 hours will be that bad - assuming your baby drinks from one breast at a time your breasts are used to going that long as they do every other feed. Make sure you express both breasts fully before putting your dress on. Allow plenty of time for this - an hour would be best if possible.

As the last poster said, the milk doesn't have to be warm. As your baby is used to being breast fed they will probably prefer it at room temperature rather than fridge temperature though.

The main problem is my dress has an inner lace up corset so getting it off for a quick feed isnt easy as it takes someone else to help lace me back up!! But good thinking on the meal idea, we have to do a welcome line as they go in for the meal at 5pm so I could get OH to go to our room with me after that and I can express then and get him to help get me done back up!! I dont feel comfertable doing it in front of anyone but him! If I empty my breasts as much as I can before the wedding too then that will only be 5 hours to wait We could just skip the starter and do it while guests have theirs. That definately sounds better, thanks it just takes someone else to look at a situation and tell you these things! I really thought i'd have to wait til the end!xx