Ladies Who Use a Medela Pump...

So, do you have to use the Medela bottles with your Medela pump or can you use any other brand bottle ?

Also which do you prefer for storage? those mini bottles or the bags?

Can you pump directly into the bags? Can you pump directly into the mini bottles?

Re: Ladies Who Use a Medela Pump...

I haven't used my new one yet, but 10+ years ago when I did w/ DD I pumped into the bottle and poured it into a storage bag, cheaper and takes up WAY less room in the fridge/freezer.

Re: Ladies Who Use a Medela Pump...

I have no experience YET, but I'm planning on using Playtex Drop In Bottles. From what I've heard, to combine those bottles with pumped breast milk, you have to use the Playtex bags. Playtex sells an adaptor that works with pumps, so I bought that on Amazon, along with extra Playtex bags. You can't use Medela bags with Playtex Drop In bottles.

Anyone one there is free to correct me if I'm wrong! I still feel clueless in this department and hope it becomes easier and more obvious once I start, God willing!

Links I've saved to My Notebook that you may also find helpful:

About Playtex Drop Ins

AWESOME thread about breastfeeding/pumping

Message edited 8/13/2011 7:40:34 AM.

Re: Ladies Who Use a Medela Pump...

I used the medela bottles and poured into freezer bags ( I think I found gerber to be cheapest...but bn freezer bag was ok...I liked with a zip closure)

I think you can pump into medela bags, but I didn't. 1 b/c you can't combine sessions to get most use of your bags and 2 I had a large supply, so some sessions I had to change bottles in the middle. I think that would have been impossible with bags.

Re: Ladies Who Use a Medela Pump...

Yes, you can pump directly into Medela bags. I used to pump into the Medela bottles when I was home, and I kept a box of the bags in my car for pumping into when I was out. Whatever milk I was putting into the freezer, I always poured into Lansinoh freezer bags (they stored the flattest and never leaked- I found the Medela bags leaked on occasion). Some other bottle brands make adapters to use with the pump- like teaforthree said, Playtex is one is them, and I also know Born Free has one now (which I will be getting since those are the bottles we used!).

Re: Ladies Who Use a Medela Pump...

My friend pumps into Dr. Browns bottles because they are larger then the mini ones that come with the pump. She said at first you will be fine using the mini bottles because you won't have the much in the beginning. She said it is better to pump into a bottle because you can measure out exactly how much you are pumping and you can run out of room with a bag. I am glad to hear the Lansinoh bags are good...those are the ones I bought!

Re: Ladies Who Use a Medela Pump...

I always pumped into the bottles and stored in the bags, mostly because I would combine both sides into one bag. I used Dr Browns and Born Free bottles.

Re: Ladies Who Use a Medela Pump...

you can pump into the medela bottles or bags, never tried another bottle to pump into. for feeding i used these bottles for a little while with different nipples. now i use Dr. Brown's because the Medela ones caused too much gas for DD. they are fine for pumping and measuring stuff, I just don't use for feedings anymore.

Message edited 8/13/2011 11:41:35 AM.

Re: Ladies Who Use a Medela Pump...