Daycare moms who bring pumped breast milk to school

So I am not back to work yet, but will be going back in 6 more weeks. DD will be 18 weeks when she starts going to daycare 3 days per week and until this point she has been EBF.

I have been creating a supply of pumped BM in the freezer for when she needs to start taking bottles. Every bag of milk in the freezer is 6 ounces.

My question is, how do I get this to daycare? If it's frozen, I can't heat up the milk to defrost it unless I am going to immediately use it.

If you use frozen BM, do you just send the frozen bags to school and they make the bottles? Or do you defrost it in the fridge for a couple of days so that you can make the bottles?

I guess I need to ask how other parents do it at the school but I thought there must be some moms on here who will be able to shed some light on this.

I'm just not sure how long frozen BM can stay in the fridge as it defrosts. Thanks!

Re: Daycare moms who bring pumped breast milk to school

I pumped/EBF for a year and I would always thaw out the milk from the freezer and put it in a bottle. Sometimes if I was running late or forgot to thaw out milk, I would just use a fresh pumped bottle. You will get into a routine and see what works best for you. Remember the frozen milk is good in the freezer for a couple of months.

Re: Daycare moms who bring pumped breast milk to school

I run it under cool/lukewarm water in the sink until it is mostly defrosted. Then I pour it into a bottle. Sometimes I leave chunks there but, I just decided that it keeps it cooler longer.

My daycare wouldn't make bottles for us.

Re: Daycare moms who bring pumped breast milk to school

When she first went to daycare, I was pumping enough fresh to make bottles at night for the next day. When I had to start breaking into the freezer stash, I did the same thing - defrosted some frozen and made bottles the night before.


ETA: I think you need to find out if they will make bottles for you or not. Some places will not.

Message edited 3/5/2010 8:24:05 AM.

Re: Daycare moms who bring pumped breast milk to school

I have a licensed in home daycare and parents brought me the frozen BM in labeled freezer bags and I thawed as needed...Not sure if centers do this differently

Re: Daycare moms who bring pumped breast milk to school

I would defrost in the fridge then and put them in bottles in the am and then send them in. It has to be in the bottle, not in the bags.

Re: Daycare moms who bring pumped breast milk to school

Posted by Bops

I have a licensed in home daycare and parents brought me the frozen BM in labeled freezer bags and I thawed as needed...Not sure if centers do this differently

Re: Daycare moms who bring pumped breast milk to school

My daycare needs the bottles already made but will keep frozen BM in their freezer for emergencies.

Most milk that I pump at work is stored in the fridge (not frozen) and sent into daycare within a day or two. The milk is good for up to 7 or 8 days in the fridge so I don't have to worry about defrosting or thawing overnight. I usually keep enough milk in the fridge to stay a day or two ahead of DD's feeding schedule.

Any extra milk that is pumped goes into my freezer stash.

Also, I'm not sure what bottles you're using, but DD's using Playtex Drop-Ins. Their Breastmilk storage kit has been a lifesaver! All the milk I bring home each day is stored in drop-ins in the fridge. I just pop them into the holders and send them off to daycare each day.

Re: Daycare moms who bring pumped breast milk to school

I used to freeze some and keep "fresh squeezed" one in the fridge. I would give the one from the fridge to daycare.

I would pump at work and keep it in the fridge. Bring home in a cooler and put back in fridge at home.

For the frozen one. I would bring in a cooler (still frozen). They would run it in warm water to thaw.

ETA: I had to make the bottle for them. They would not transfer anything or make formula bottles.

Message edited 3/5/2010 9:21:49 AM.

Re: Daycare moms who bring pumped breast milk to school

Frozen BM is only good for 24 hours after it's defrosted. I froze bags in 4 oz portions. DS didn't start drinking 6 oz until he was 6 months old. Daycare wouldn't handle BM so I had to prepare the bottles at home. Depending on how much times I had to defrost them, I either put the bag in a bowl of warm water or cool water. I'd send in defrosted milk for the first bottle or two and fresh milk for the later bottles in case DS went longer between feedings and didn't drink all of them.

Message edited 3/5/2010 2:08:38 PM.

Re: Daycare moms who bring pumped breast milk to school

I usually use fresh milk that is pumped while Im at work; the day before...

But when I need to use frozen, I usually take it out on lets say Monday night, and then on Tuesday night- I fill the bottle with the milk (which is usually still a little frozen) for Wednesday.- I usually put a mismatched cap or nipple on the frozen milk bottle, so I KNOW that one gets used FIRST (since its only good for 24hrs after it defrosts)

Re: Daycare moms who bring pumped breast milk to school