Medela Breast Milk Storage Bags
[{'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2018', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': "I have purchased several breastmilk storage bags from Medela to Avent to Lansinoh to NUK. I found that I really like Medela bags the best follows by Lansinoh.\n\nI remember when I was initially was shopping breastmilk storage bags, I wanted to see pictures of how the bags look when they held unfrozen milk and how they look when frozen, so I've provided a picture to compare several brands. I found that Medela bags are superior to the rest, the quality of the bag is high quality and none of the other brands (lansinoh, NUK, or Avent) can compare. As you can see in my picture, it stands the best though it does not lay the flattest for storage. Initially storing the milk in a freezer was huge concern to me on how flat the bag got but this it not too much of a concern anymore as I had to purchase a deep freeze just to store breast milk (thanks to the help of Mother's milk tea, Blessed Thristle and Fenugreek supplements when my supplied went low on few occassions because my pump malfunctioned and stopped working). I find that Medela bags are the easiest to pour out, (I initially would pump at work and pour into bags and then when I went home would pour it from the bags to bottles to store in the fridge for the near-future feedings) because of the sturdiness of the bag, I had more control and it was not flimsy or bent when and where I did not want it to. I was able to shape the top of the bag to make pouring the milk out easier.\n\nI do not recommend pumping directly into the bags. I've attempted to do this on several occasions and was very frustrated with the process, I just decided to use bottles instead. I tried this method because I felt it was tedious to pump in the bottle and then pour it in the bag to go home and pour it out into another bottle for future feedings. However, the process was too cumbersome for me and now I simple just pump in a bottle which I refrigerate until I leave work and then pour it into my baby's feeding bottles (as you can see I have bottles I use just for pumping different from his feeding bottles though I could use these bottles for feeding as well, I'm just limited to slender or shorter larger bottles like the Medela 8oz or Gerber tall bottles I use Medela caps on and didn't want to buy more).\n\nOverall, these are my absolute favorite breastmilk storage bags though I do wish they laid flatter but then again I tend to store 6-8 oz in a bag (yes, I know I shouldn't go over 6oz but I do). I highly recommend them over the others with the lansinoh as my second choice. As you can see in the images which are all holding 6 oz of unfrozen milk, both the Medela and lansinoh sits upright well while the lansinoh does lay flatter than the Medela bags."}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2018', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': 'My favorite! Strong seal and strong plastic. Great when thawing out stored milk because the plastic isn’t as cheap and flimsy as others.'}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2019', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-1 review-rating', 'review_body': "I am furious. I have hundreds of ounces of frozen breastmilk in these bags and as I am beginning to use them, about 50% of the bags have holes in them. When I take them out of the freezer to defrost, milk spills out onto the counter or into the fridge and I have wasted so much milk. I try to allow the milk to thaw slowly, but leaking bags means I often have to quick thaw an additional bag to make sure that I have enough. It makes me sad and so angry. I have an unopened box of 100 that I will likely throw in the trash. I would much rather throw away a defective product and lose money than waste another ounce of precious milk. C'mon Medela, you are better than this!"}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2017', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-4 review-rating', 'review_body': 'Other reviewers have complained about difficulty pumping directly into these bags. They are not designed for that. The Medela "pump and save" bags are the ones intended for pumping directly into the bag. There is also a review complaining about having to cut open the top but they tear open easily. I have used both bag types but switched to these instead because they are cheaper, sturdier, and store a little more (6oz compared to 5oz). To use them, you should pump into a bottle and then pour it into the bag after. Because I do not pump directly into these bags, I am able combine milk from consecutive pumping sessions in order to fill a bag up to 6oz before freezing (according to what I have read you should only combine milk that is the same temperature and pumped on the same day). It is also easier to measure the amount going into the bag while in a graduated bottle vs. the scale printed on the bag itself (to measure using the bag you must hold it open into a cylinder shape). When freezing these bags, store them flat initially so they freeze flat in order to maximize freezer space.\n\nEdit: I have downgraded my rating from 5 stars to 4 after switching to the Lansinoh brand storage bags. I think those are easier to seal while trying to r remove as much air than these Medela bags.'}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2020', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-4 review-rating', 'review_body': 'I find these bags super easy to use (and seal). I have not had ANY issues with sealing these for the freezer. They have never leaked from me sealing them - NOT EVER. However, my parents (who are my son’s primary babysitters) do not always reseal them correctly. The one time so far that my husband picked up our son on his way home, my mom put a bag of leftover breast milk into the diaper bag for him to take home, but she didn’t close the seal properly. When he got home, he put the diaper bag down on our CLOTH couch and sat down with our son. When our son started fussing, he decided to make him a bottle, and he looked over at the diaper bag and found a big puddle of milk in the couch. That was fun for me to come home to. He was able to clean our couch and I was able to wash the diaper bag (thankfully Ju-Ju-Be diaper bags are machine washable!!!). We now always have to be extra careful when taking unused milk back from my parents house.\n\nAs far as the accuracy of the measurements marked on the bags, I cannot really give a lot of input since I don’t go by them. I look at the measurements on the pump bottles or the Haakaa (although I don’t think the Haakaa is as accurate as the bottles) before I pour into the bags, and then mark that onto the bag. When preparing bottles, we refer to the measurements on the side of the bottle and use the measurement that I marked on the bag as approximate. I have read that if you have the storage bags completely open and the bottom is flared all the way out and there is plenty of air in the bag, the measurements should be accurate. But you cannot go by the bag measurements if you have it somewhat closed. Again, I don’t pay any attention to the measurements on the side of these bags (and probably wouldn’t on any other brand of storage bags).\n\nAlso, from my experience, I would recommend only filling each bag 2 - 3.5 oz. They freeze flatter than if you put more in, and so they are easier to store. It is less likely you will end up with unused milk after you thaw a bag. The photo I shared in this review shows how I store them in gallon sized ziplock bags.'}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2018', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': "I am a big fan of these bags and I'll summarize why:\n1) no tearing! I've used another popular brand of storage bags for several months until I started getting bags that had ripped while in the freezer. I don't beat up my bags or anything, but just through normal shuffling of things in the freezer the bags I had split at the bottom and I had leaks in my fridge when thawing out milk. This was tragic as it resulted in me losing several ounces of hard-earned milk!! The Medela bags are designed differently and the problems I was having with the old bags is impossible with the Medela bags due to the design (the bottom of the bag). So I'm happy. No tears or splitting bags here yet.\n\n2) I think the plastic is more durable. It's kind of a harder or more dense feeling plastic that's not prone to gouging or getting rips in them like the softer bags I had been using. The bag is still flexible enough to allow for easy storage and filling.\n\n3) very secure zipper. Not that I had problems with the other bags, its just that the Medela bags have a very leak tight zipper too.\n\n4) Easy to work with- despite some reviews, these are no more difficult to work with than other brands of bags I've used. The plastic is a little different, seems more dense, and feels different in your had compared to some of the other brands but I think this makes them more durable and less susceptible to ripping or getting holes in them while in a freezer. I have a french door fridge so my freezer is a big drawer at the bottom and things get piled on top of each other. I don't want a pizza box corner digging into my milk bag but if the plastic is durable enough, that is not a problem."}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2018', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': 'I love these bags! I didn’t realize they had changed the product, but I LOVE them! They’re huge, the zip seal is much sturdier than the old bags, which is nice because less stress about losing precious milk! My only complaint is for some reason you have to rip the top off before pouring the milk in, and they no longer have the slots so you can pump straight into the bag. 10/10 would still recommend though!'}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2020', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': 'This is my go to breast milk storage bag! It’s extremely sturdy/strong! It will not tear or break when you freeze and defrost your milk! The new design ensures that the baggies are new and unused. You have to cut the top off in order to pour your breast milk in but I don’t mind it. I actually prefer that since it is a way to keep your baggies sanitary until you use them. 10/10! I will keep purchasing this item'}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2020', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': "I know I'm #6,000+ in the long list of reviews for this product, but I feel so strongly that I had to write a review. I've tried the Medela bags as well as the Lansinoh and the Target Up and Up brand, and Medela is by far the best. (The Lansinoh and Up and Up are basically the same).\n\n-- The Medela bags are a much stronger/stiffer material. They're still flexible, but they can stand up on their own, which is super helpful when you're trying to pour milk in. Plus, when you're trying to pour milk out of the bags, you can do it with one hand. With the thin, floppy Lansinoh bags, you can't pour it one-handed because you need one hand on the base of the bag and the other holding the opening. Being able to do things one-handed helps SO much.\n\n-- No issues with leakage in either the fridge or the freezer. However, you do have to make sure to seal the zipper all the way across. One time I accidentally missed a spot, and the leakage made me very sad.\n\n-- I don't trust the measurements on these bags (or any of the others). They tend to overestimate the amount of milk inside."}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2020', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': "I've alternated between the Medela and Lansinoh bags for several months and ultimately the Medela ones became my favorite. Here are my thoughts:\n\nPros:\nThe bags stand up on their own. This makes them so easy to store and they don't fall over. With the Lansinoh bags, they tend to fall over and slide under each other - even when in storage containers. This has caused me to miss grabbing the oldest milk and wasting milk. Not a problem with the Medela bags.\n\nThicker plastic, firmer bags. Makes it easier to pour into. With the Lansinoh, the plastic is not as firm. While it's easier to mix the milk in the Lansinoh, it's hard to pour the milk into them.\n\nEasier to write on these bags. To me, this is HUGE! I have no problem writing the date/time on these bags.\nAnother huge plus is the tab to write on isn't super long. On the Lansinoh bags, not only are they hard to write on but the tabs at the top are really long and have caused milk to accidentally get dumped on the outside.\n\nCons:\nMedela bags are a bit more expensive.\n\nHarder to mix the milk in the bag.\n\nSeems to hold less milk. May have to use more bags because of this. You can store more milk in the Lansinoh bags.\n\nThe opening at the top is extremely small. Because of this, you have to be careful pouring milk into them. The Lansinoh have a wider opening at the top."}]