July 2017 update: this post has been viewed over 35,000 times. Target recently changed their Up & Up breastmilk storage bags - they now come in a box with blue/green text, not yellow as shown in the graphic below. Although I have not yet bought any of the new bags (I'm still working through a stash of the yellow box variety!), they do NOT have good reviews - users are commenting that they leak (liquid gold!!!) frequently. In the meantime, I'd suggest sticking with the Lansinoh bags.
If you're breastfeeding and going back to work...or ever want to spend more than 2 hours at a time away from your child...you'll probably find yourself pumping. It's nice to have a stockpile of breastmilk frozen in the freezer so you can have a night out once in a while! Since I'm back at work now, I use breastmilk freezer bags constantly to freeze surplus pumped milk, since I tend to pump more ounces than C drinks in a day. I've tried several brands...there IS a difference!
Bonus Tip: Did you know that breastmilk storage bags are FSA-eligible? (I just found this out!) You can adjust your FSA contribution after your baby's born, since it's a qualifying "life event" - so set aside some money for your breastmilk storage bags so you can buy them with tax-free money. Every little bit of savings helps, especially when it comes to everyday consumables!
Good: Medela Pump & Save bags
Medela makes the most popular breast pumps, so all Medela accessories must be preferable too, right? Wrong. I automatically started with the Medela bags, assuming they'd be the best option to use with my Medela pump. They are awful; after I used up the first box, I never bought them again. They do NOT freeze flat, which means they take up an unnecessary amount of room in the freezer. If you regularly pump and freeze milk, freezer space is at a premium! I do not have the freezer space or patience to deal with these lopsided freezer bags! The also only have 1 zipper to seal them, which made me nervous; most other brands have dual zippers.
Better: Lansinoh Breastmilk Storage Bags
These are better in every way than the Medela bags; they freeze totally flat, so you can store them compactly like file folders in a box or gallon-size Ziploc bag. They have 2 zippers, so they're less likely to leak. These storage bags are actually probably my real favorite, except for the fact that they are more expensive than the 3rd option below.
These are very similar to the Lansinoh bags; they freeze flat and have 2 zippers. The plastic is slightly thicker than the Lansinoh brand, too. However, being Target brand, they're cheaper (I think they're normally about $13 for a box of 100, as compared to $17-18 for the Lansinoh ones).
very helpful information. new mom and on my breast fed resource info.
ReplyDeleteagain, thanks for sharing your review the breast feed bags.
very helpful! I have tried the medela and the lansinoh bags both. I really hate the lansinoh bags because I find them very thin and I usually have to put them in a ziplock to thaw because there is always a hole or tear in them. I haven't tried the target brand but was considering it before I saw this. Now I will for sure. Also, have you tried the walmart brand ones? They seem to cost about the same as the target ones
ReplyDeleteI love that you wrote this for new moms! I am a new mom, my daughter is 4 months old! I was given both Medela and Lansinoh bags as baby shower gifts. After I used up those I bought the Target brand, because who doesn't shop and love Target! Anyway, I loved that they were thicker. I am freezing at least one bag of milk a day and they have worked wonders. Again, thanks for letting new moms know this information.
ReplyDeleteFreezer not freezing
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