Joy Angel Milkbags

This is one of the cheaper brands available in the market. Please click here for a list of other milkbags I've tried. The verdict: buy anything (even the NANNY bags I like the least) except for Joy Angel.

Don't let it deceive you - it may be cheap, it may feel sturdy, and it may be self-standing... BUT... what's the use of all of those qualities when the seal leaks BIG TIME? Every pumping mom knows how every drop of expressed milk counts. It's worth paying a little premium on bags like Lansinoh or Breastfeeding by Blue. Nothing is wasted so it becomes a pleasant experience for everyone - the pumping mom, the breastmilk donor recipient, the hospital nursery, or the baby's caregiver.

I lay the milkbags flat to save on freezer space. After this incident I pretend not to mind the bulkiness of frozen milk. But I'll keep in mind that I'm never buying this again. The little add-on you pay for other brands is worth every single cent because you save the milk. And there's no pricetag to that.

Got Milk?

People may wonder why I chose to bottle-feed breastmilk to Baby. I'm lucky enough to have a lot of milk supply. Thanks to the ever-reliable mamary glands, I haven't given Baby a single drop of formula milk. (She's 10 months old now and my 5cu ft chest freezer is full, and I haven't stopped pumping. I think I can feed her pure breastmilk for a few more months and afford to donate some because of frozen milk's limited shelf life...) So why not directly breastfeed when the benefit is obvious (e.g. great bonding between mother and child)? Well, I have 3 practical reasons:

(1) I wanted to measure Baby's intake. I have a notebook that chronicles the date and time of each feeding, burping, diaper change, and other what-nots like rashes etc. since the day she was born up until the present. This is not an exaggeration.

(2) I wanted to give chance to others in helping out with Baby. I did not hire a yaya or marry a husband for nothing. I have a life, too.

(3) I wanted to save the frustration Baby and I would have gone through when (a) she doesn't latch-on properly and (b) she needs to switch to bottle when her teeth start to grow because it would already be too painful for my poor nipples.

So far, I have tried several bottles. Each kind has its own pros and cons. Read on to know more:

Born Free - I like that its neck is wide; it makes it easier for me to transfer frozen milk from bag to bottle. The regular-neck bottles are a little too messy for milk that hasn't completely been thawed. It also has a valve that prevents colic and gas - very reliable. It's not available here in Manila, though. There's this brand, B Free, that I see at Rustans and Baby & Co, but I believe it's the fake version.

Green to Grow - The best thing about these bottles is that they're eco-friendly! It looks best too, with its cute design. The only thing I hate about Green to Grow is their nipples. They tear easily. And of course it poses a danger to babies. Who cares if the material is guaranteed silicone, we still don't want tiny pieces to be processed by baby's fragile digestive system. The good news is, Medela and Pigeon nipples work compatibly with Green to Grow bottles! I got my Green to Grow bottles in the US, but now I see these bottles to be widely available at Rustans, so that's another good news.

Evenflo - It leaks. But it's glass. I use this to feed water and vitamins to Baby. (The doctor recommends to drop the baby's iron vitamins to her water, so it wouldn't stain her teeth.) I really don't mind if ever the bottle gets stained, I think Evenflo is the cheapest BPA-free bottle available in the market!

Medela - The thing I like about Medela is its compatibility with Medela pumps. It's very convenient for Medela users like me; just pump and feed, or pump and store, no hassle. The nipples can be very hard to find (sometimes available at Rustans) but I use Pigeon nipples when I'm out of choice and it works perfectly well. BTW, there are 2 kinds of Pigeon nipples. The cheaper ones (at P39.75 a piece) work fine, but the more expensive ones called Peristaltic Nipples (P239 each) are softer and more durable. It's perfect!!

I'm loving the Pigeon brand. But I don't have the chance to use any Pigeon bottles because I already have plenty. (I actually have other brands like Adiri, Gerber, and Sassy, sealed and brand new. Any takers?)

No Wait, No Waste

I'm not saying it's good to be impulsive. All I'm saying is, if you want to make the most out of your hard-earned money, do not procrastinate either. I've had my fair share of regrets because of "saving now" and then "paying later".

1. G.E. personal ref - I've wanted to put one in our bedroom eversince Baby was born. It would bring a lot of convenience for nighttime feedings when the breastmilk is stored just a few steps away. But I would always be in thrifty mode and convince myself that the big ref in the kitchen is big enough and it's not practical to buy another one just for the Baby's milk. 3 months into momhood, I gave up and asked Husband to get me one. I'm so happy with the convenience I think I wasted 3 months.

2. Medela 80z storage bottles - I use Medela double electric breastpump. It comes with 5oz bottles. I've been using those bottles even until they couldn't keep up with my breastmilk supply anymore. When I went to Singapore, I had no choice but to hold pumping upto 9 hours. (3 hours at the airport + 1 hour boarding + 3 hours flight + 1 hour baggage claim and immigration + 1 hour ride to the hotel = 9 hours) At that time I would produce 20oz of milk in one go. So I had to pump in batches because I had small bottles. After expressing milk for so long and making do with the bottles, I finally got new 8oz bottles at Rustan's! I never had to pump in batches ever again. I felt I wasted 8 months.

3. G.E. chest freezer - When I first started running out of freezer space due to abundance of breastmilk, I had to throw away lots of older ones and find takers for the other extra ones so I wouldn't feel I'm losing my body's stored calcium for the benefit of garbage bags. When my sister-in-law gave birth after 7 months, I was a little relieved that I can share some of my extra milk to her baby (in other words, take some of her freezer space, while her milk supply was still very low in the beginning. I have also invaded my mother-in-law's freezer and yet I still have nowhere else to store the newly expressed milk. Finally I decided to ask Husband to get a chest freezer specifically for storing Baby's milk. After taking back everything from the space I've "rented", without counting the ones I've thrown away (there were around 200+ bags), the chest freezer is almost full. I did not only waste 9 months, more importantly, I wasted frozen breastmilk, breastmilk storage bags, electricity, and my calcium, for nothing.

Baby has stopped increasing her milk intake because she has started on solids, so I think I can already stop lactating now and still be able to feed her until she turns 1 year old. My only problem is, I'm a coward. I'm scared, not of the living, nor the dead, but of ideas. The idea that I might get fat after breastfeeding. The idea that my boobs would hurt for plus/minus 3 weeks while trying to stop lactation. The idea that my petite body would not look proportional having boobs that are bigger than my butt in those 3 long weeks. The idea that I might have to resort to medication if lactation does not stop on its own. The idea that I might change my mind in the future and decide I want to feed Baby breastmilk until she turns 2... In exchange of what? Nothing but more meaningful social life for me, because I would no longer be restricted by any pumping or feeding schedule. Is it worth it?

4. Bumbo seat - In trying to save some space in our house, I moved the Fisher Price rainforest highchair to my in-laws' house, and got a green Bumbo seat as booster to our dining chair. I even tried putting Baby into it before buying the item at Baby & Co. (P2,999) Unfortunately, right the very next day, when Baby used the Bumbo, her big fat thighs got stuck through the hole, and so we never used it again. I was planning to passing it on to my sister-in-law, but her 2-month-old baby is only 1 pound lighter than mine. And the Bumbo seat is only for babies who can already sit (i.e. 6 months and up). I'm not sure if I can sell it on eBay, because we used the box as chicken house for our pet chicks. If I have purchased the Bumbo seat sooner, I wouldn't have wasted the money.

5. Safety First walker - when Baby turned 6 months, I got so excited I immediately went shopping to choose her walker. I was naive and misinformed by no less than the sales people at Baby & Co. I charged the top-of-the-line walker to my poor Husband, only to be informed by Baby's pedia that walkers can actually delay the baby in learning to walk (ironically!). Babies would tend to push their upper bodies to move, instead of using the corresponding muscles in their hips and legs. I'm not sure the exact age when babies are expected to start walking, but Baby's a little delayed in that she can sit and kneel at this age, but not crawl. I trust the doctor so it's goodbye walker for me.