All You Need To Know About Breast Milk Cooler Bag
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 58.3% of infants who were born in 2017 have been breastfeeding at 6 months. This data shows more than half of the mummies need to pump their breast milk in order to feed the babies. Additionally, with the number of working moms increasing over the years, the need to bring a bag that is suitable to store breast milk is essential. Hence, a breast milk cooler bag was invented to ease every mommy's role.
What is a breast milk cooler bag?
The best type of bag to store mummy's breast milk that can ensure it can be kept over a day is a breast milk cooler bag. A breast milk cooler bag will allow mummy’s breast milk to stay fresh for at least a day with an ice pack. Breast milk needs to be kept at least 25 degrees celcius for it to last longer. However, in Malaysia, the average temperature for a room can exceed 30 degrees celsius which can only last up to 4 hours. While a breast milk cooler bag can last longer than that.
When can I use a breast milk cooler bag?
For modern mummies who are working or planning to travel, investing in a breast milk cooler bag is worth it.
• During work
The fridge that your company provides in the office might be used by everyone… or worst case, there is no fridge at all. Breast milk cooler bag is not the most practical option for working moms, but it is also your lifesaver to store your freshly expressed breast milk while at work.
• Traveling & shopping
For mummies who still breastfeed or producing breast milk, traveling & shopping might be challenging for you. The question is how to maintain breast milk supply? Where to store the breast milk after pumping? How to keep it at a cool temperature while being outdoors? Fret not, this hassle can be solved by having a breast milk cooler bag.
How long can I keep my breast milk in a milk cooler bag?
Can’t I just keep my breast milk in a non-cooler bag?
You can! Mummies can keep their breast milk in any bag. However, it can only last up to 4-6 hours as it still counts as room temperature. Please remember if you opt to use a non-cooler bag to store your fresh breast milk for a longer time, mummies need to store it in a clean, capped food-grade glass container or hard plastic container that’s not made with the chemical bisphenol A (BPA), said Mayo Clinic Staff. Additionally, fresh breast milk cannot be stored in any disposable bottle liners or regular/daily plastic bags, they added.
Thus, mummies can benefit from using a breast milk cooler bag to keep their breast milk fresh for a longer time.
How to keep my breast milk in a breast milk cooler bag?
After mommies pump the fresh breastmilk, you need to store it right away in a milk storage bag or any specified container.
Before considering a breastmilk cooler bag, mommies need to know their average breast milk production. This will help mommies to determine what size of milk cooler bag should mommies buy and how many packs should mommies use.
A breast milk cooler bag will need an ice pack to freeze so it will last for a day. After packing the fresh breast milk, put it directly next to the ice pack. Be sure to leave some space as fresh breast milk will expand a bit when it is frozen.
Once you are home, make sure to store your breast milk right away in the freezer so it can last up to 6 months for optimal consumption.
Type of breast milk cooler bag
1. Standard milk cooler storage
A typical breast milk cooler bag will look like a standard breast milk storage. There is no doubt that this type of bag can be found anywhere on the market, but it only has an insulated compartment that holds ice packs, breast milk packs, and bottles.
As the space is limited, it is not convenient enough to use this type of breast milk cooler bag especially when mommy wants to bring other baby’s essentials such as breast pump, diapers, etc.
This type of breast milk cooler bag is suitable for mommies who leave their little one with a childcare or mommies who didn't pumping outside other than home as the space is limited. Or other way, mommies need to bring another bag to keep the pumping gear.
2. Breast milk cooler backpack
Unlike standard breast milk cooler storage, a backpack can fit a lot of your little one’s essentials including a breast pump, diapers, baby’s romper and many more. The design can be quite traditional as its purpose is to maximize the functionality of the bag so mummies can fit a lot of things inside it.
Backpack also is the most safest and comfortable bag to bring as the straps are padded although the design could be quite tacky to be compared with other breast milk cooler bag. Smaller breast milk cooler bag can be more stylish with some varieties of designs.
3. Breast milk shoulder bag
Mummies can choose breast milk cooler bag that are usually designed to match their lifestyle such as; a breast milk shoulder bag. This kind of bag come with breast milk cooler storage which has compartments that include a milk cooler section, a breast pump section, and a general compartment for storing small items such as a purse, phone, and make-up.
Mummies who want to look stylish while taking care of the baby at the same time might consider this type of breast milk cooler bag. The shoulder breast milk cooler bag design also commonly fit with a lot of events.
The insulated compartment in Le Mere Duet Shoulder Bag can store up to 6 bottles together with a space for ice blocks/packs. This compartment of breast milk cooler bag can hold an ice pack up to 8-12 hours, you can double up the ice packs for a longer cooler time up to 16-24 hours.
Another alternative is mommy can use it as your lunch bag so you can keep your food warm until lunch time! With a mini pocket at the front, you also can keep your phone or purse in it. Guess a breast milk cooler bag can be more than a mommy's essential right?
As the material of Le Mere Duet Shoulder Bag is made from nylon, thus it is waterproof and wipeable. Cleaning up the bag if there’s any water spill on it will be less difficult. Other than that, this type of breast milk cooler bag is very light-weight and durable for long-term use.
Working moms who want to Be Trendy, Look Classy at the same time might as well consider the Le Mere Duet Shoulder Bag.
