Like most women, I started out storing milk in plastic baby bottles or breastmilk bags. However, being the health nut I am, I quickly faced my niggling suspicions about all that plastic, and brainstormed up a better system.
After reading this post, you too will have a clear roadmap for improving the health profile of your pumped breastmilk. All of the steps outlined are straightforward and take little effort.
WHY NOT USE PLASTIC?
Every health-conscious and educated parent should know the detrimental underside of heavy plastic usage- because it is scary and real. And, of course, the unhealthy effects of anything toxic are amplified dramatically for a baby or child’s body.
BPA (or bisepanol A) is one form of plastic that everybody knows is harmful to health. (Mainly because it mimics the effects of estrogen in the body thereby acting as a profound hormone disruptor). Take one glance at the baby aisle in any store and you’ll see pacifiers, baby bottles, teething toys all screaming “BPA-free!”
Unfortunately, BPA replacements such as BPS are beginning to be researched, and seem to be as bad or worse than BPA itself.
Thus, it’s vital for health-conscious families to make informed choices regarding ANY plastic ingestion. Plastic comes in many forms- and none of them are without some risk of harm.
Be extra wary when plastic is in direct contact with food, especially when it is heated, as heating will release particles into the food and air. For some reason people believe plastic to be “pure,” when it actually transfers, melts, and overall disintegrates very readily (yes, even without heat).
Though the nitty-gritty details are not for now, here are some resources that can help you find out more about plastic: EWG’s breakdown on BPA and other plasticizers, and article from mainstream Consumer Reports, another article from them.
In sum: Ranging from hormone disruption to cancer, plastics’ damaging qualities should be regarded with more caution than most people assume.
Know this: The reassuring thing is that it is EASY to dramatically minimize exposure. Usually, just a few thoughtful swaps to your routine can already make a difference.
Where Breastmilk Comes In:
One such example is relevant to many mothers. Breastfeeding is once again enjoying popular approval in American society, and mothers commonly pump throughout the day to provide for their littles when they’re not within arm’s reach.
I know that if trying to create a freezer stash, the no-brainer option seems to be to pump into plastic bags and stash them right into the freezer. And if you’re feeding baby from plastic baby bottles, then you’re used to pumping easily into those.
But don’t worry, non-toxic materials can accomplish the same easy, mimimal- step pumping and feeding process.
Like many simple health swaps, it’s only the first step that takes effort. After that, it really doesn’t complicate your life!
Your pumping routine doesn’t need to change in any major way, but you’ll have made VALUABLE improvement.
So, if you’re concerned, like I was, about how to pump most healthily, this post will be of great help. I’m going to walk you through the products and tips I use, in order to ensure the purest pumped milk, and avoid feeding baby milk which has absorbed leaching plastic particles.
Together we’ll ensure that the breastmilk you pump for your baby is not served up with a bunch of plastic in it!
THE PUMPS
- Spectra S2 is my primary pump, so many recommendations are geared toward the Spectra brand. These are relevant to the Spectra S1 and S2.
- I also have lots of experience with the Medela Instyle. I believe that all Medela pumps will be compatible with the same pieces, so if you use another Medela pump these tips are for you as well!
- These are two of the most popular and widely-used pumps, so I am sure my tips will be relevant to most of you!
- If you have another pump, such as the Willow/Elvie for which it’s not as straightforward to swap out bottles- email or message me, and I’ll try to help you figure something out!
THE BOTTLES
We have to pump into something! Your first thought, like mine, is probably the plastic “Spectra” bottles that came with your Spectra pump, or those cutesie Medela ones that came in the set.
Actually, after pumping exclusively for over a year, I can promise you that:
The MOST EFFICIENT method is to pump directly into bottles baby will drink from (if not pumping for a freezer stash).
Simply pump, put a cap on the bottle, then go store it in the fridge for use tomorrow.
Which bottles should I use?
The glass bottles I completely rely on are Lifefactory and Philips Avent. These are top-notch. I have not a single complaint.
Getting these bottles honestly changed my pumping experience for the better, and there are so many impressive things to say about them.
Lifefactory bottles are adorable and classy, but also boast many other qualities.
- Health profile is squeaky clean- they’re made of thermal-shock resistant borosilicate glass which is totally inert.
- This means it never leaches anything- it simply doesn’t interact with food or drink inside it.
- This also means it’s safe to freeze or to heat! I have frozen milk in Lifefactory bottles, and have also placed them in bowls of hot water to warm. So seamless.
- They wash SO easily, no milk residue ever sticks to the inside like it does with plastic bottles.
- In just a rinse or two, they clean off.
- They can go through the dishwasher.
- The nicest thing? The silicone sleeves, so that you don’t have to worry about glass shattering when dropped.
Philips Avent is the other glass bottle we primarily use.
- It has all the same benefits as Lifefactory, besides the silicone sleeve.
- Unfortunately, several of ours have broken over the year plus we’ve had them. But they don’t always break- ours do regularly withstand being dropped.
- We have some 4 oz bottles and some 8 oz bottles. I recommend 4 ozs for attaching to your pump.
- However it is helpful to have some 8 oz bottles for storing milk, or for large feedings.
I have been using these same 2 types of glass bottles since my baby was 2 months old till now, and still have only the best things to say.
And mind you, they were used extremely heavily- pumping 5-8 times per day and feeding just as many.
*Besides being non-toxic, glass bottles also beat plastic bottles because they last forever and never become stained, smelly, collect milk residue, or need to be swapped periodically.
WHICH BOTTLES FOR WHICH PUMPS?
Spectra pumps are compatible with both of the bottles mentioned above. Feel free to use either or both Lifefactory and Avent bottles!
Note: If you want to use the Lifefactory bottles with your Spectra, you’ll simply need a set of adapters which you screw on between the flange and the bottle to make them fit into each other.
Medela is compatible directly with the Lifefactory bottles- the flanges fit perfectly into the bottles.
You can also check this compatibility chart, which helped me figure out which bottles to pick.
PUMPING FOR STORAGE
It might be tempting to pump and freeze in those cute breastmilk bags. I understand.
But take a moment to rethink it. Consider the fact that your milk will be sitting warm in those bags as you’re pumping, and then will be absorbing particles from the bags for possibly MONTHS in the freezer- especially given soft plastic (such as bags) leach more readily than hard plastic (like containers) and can be more toxic.
Don’t worry, there are simple ways to store milk in the freezer without any health issues.
If you need to freeze a little bit at a time:
- You need these silicone trays. It’s like an ice cube tray, except made of food-grade silicone.
- Each hole holds 1.5 oz
- When you need to defrost milk for the next day, you just pop out the amount you need, and leave it in a bottle to defrost in the fridge overnight (or on the counter for a few hours)
When you want to freeze more milk at a time-
- I loved using different size Weck jars or Mason jars in the freezer.
- These 5-oz weck jars are the perfect size for a feeding for many babies. So if you’re defrosting milk for use the next day, it could not be easier- simply take out as many servings as baby will need.
- I also used these big Weck jars for a full-day’s worth of milk supply, in case you ever want to defrost enough for a whole day at a time.
*Jars are amazing because you’re investing in your kitchen when you buy them, rather than just more clutter and baby-specific gear!
For example, I later used the small Weck jars to freeze purees and baby foods for little baby meals.
My recommendations for freezer breastmilk storage:
- silicone freezer tray, like this one from Weesprout
- Weck jars- single-feeding size
- Weck jars- day’s worth size
- Bottles themselves, since borosilicate glass is freezer-safe
THE FLANGES
Flanges come into contact with your skin, but are simply a tunnel for the milk- the milk just flows through quickly and doesn’t sit in the flange for more than a moment.
Unfortunately I have not found any brand of flanges which aren’t made of plastic. However since it’s the least in contact with the milk, I’m much less concerned about plastic being leached or absorbed.
Note- Pumpin’ Pals makes silicone shields in only 1 size, but they don’t completely replace a plastic flange as they’re not full size. However, if it’s relevant for you I encourage you to try them!
Otherwise, my recommendation for flanges:
- If the silicone Pumpin Pals shields work for you, feel free to try them.
- If you end up needing to use hard plastic flanges, replace them periodically.
- The more heavily they’re used, the quicker they will deteriorate and shed plastic particles.
- So if you’re pumping all the time, and/or putting them through the dishwasher often, then replace flanges often, or cycle through a big stash of them.
All in All:
It took me a while to realize that plastic pieces for breastmilk storage were less than ideal. When you pump, the milk is warm, and it then sits in plastic for a length of time until you use it.
I couldn’t find any helpful articles online to guide me to the right alternatives. That was why I racked my brain to figure out a better way- and to share it with other mothers!
I feel much better knowing that I’m sidestepping a large issue in quality of milk storage, and ensuring the milk is as pure as possible.
It’s crazy how simple it is to just change up the everyday products you use, and create a cumulative effect of better health. As you can see it was really simple to change pumped breastmilk from good to great!
Let me know below in the comments if this was helpful! You can also find me on Instagram @yourwholesomechild for more tips like this and recipes I share only there.
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