My son is breastmilk-fed exclusively since we left the hospital after his birth. It is my desire to keep it that way. He has started bottle feeding training and is doing good so far. I, on the other hand, have started collecting and storing milk for his consumption while I'm at work. That is where the dilemma comes.
I love that milk can be stored for up to a year, if deep frozen and dated properly for tracking. It means a mom can express as many as she can without worrying about spoilage if the milk is not consumed right away. The only downside though, is that, the milk is stored in these resealable plastic bags.
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| Philips Avent breast milk storage bag, 180mL |
I want to believe I am an environmentalist, and my heart breaks a little every time I imagine that, upon milk consumption, these bags will be thrown out as garbage. So my question is, aren't they reusable?
In most feeding products, e.g. breast pump, bottles and nipples, the boxes include instructions on washing and sterilizing. One fundamental guideline is, sterilize everything that gets in contact with breastmilk. These plastic storage bags, however, though BPA-free, specifically indicate that they must not be heated in microwave or hot water, which makes me wonder if it applies to heating in general, steam sterilization included. I can wash them, that I know. One of the many things I've learned as a mountaineer is that, resealable plastic bags, e.g. Ziploc, are washable and reusable. Would washing these milk bags be enough, though? With my son's health and safety in consideration, I don't want to risk it.
I've tried getting in touch with some brands like Philips and Baby Company, inquiring about the reusability of their storage bags. I'm hoping for a positive response. If I don't get one, the only resolution I can think of is to buy thirty-ish (if that would be enough) pieces of these milk storage bottles.
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| Baby Company Mom & Baby breast milk storage bottle, 150mL |
It would cost more, cramp the fridge and be bulkier when traveling to and from work, but hey, we must be a little crazy if we want to save the world.