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Methods for Pumping & Storing Breast Milk

Methods for Pumping & Storing Breast Milk

dr brown's bottles wide neck

Last updated on September 18th, 2023 at 11:29 pm

Dr. Brown’s 8 oz. wide neck bottles are a Twiniversity favorite. These bottles are the BEST! Babies suffering from bad gas and colic will especially love them.

Features of the wide neck Dr. Brown’s bottle:

  • The bottles feature an ergonomic design that’s easy to fill and hold.
  • The silicone nipple has a broader base which some breastfeeding moms prefer.
  • The patented two-piece internal vent system allows babies to feed more comfortably, as it allows them to nurse without fighting the negative effects of a vacuum or the discomfort of ingesting air bubbles. This helps to reduce feeding problems like colic, spit-up, burping, and gas. The breast milk or formula flows freely, without nipple collapse.

When you have newborn multiples it often takes numerous techniques to feed your babies. Many moms are not able to or don’t want to exclusively breast feed. Instead they will use a combination of breastfeeding, pumping, and formula, often mixing the breast milk they are able to pump with formula to meet their babies’ daily needs. Just remember there is no right or wrong way to feed your babies. You do whatever you need to do to get your babies fed and happy!


We asked our Twiniversity fans the following question…

“If you breastfed your twins did you use pumped milk? Did you use bottles?
What were your storage methods?”

Here are their answers!

  • I nursed, pumped, used bottles, and supplemented with formula. Quite a routine and with multiples, and very little time in between! But, certainly worth it!
  • No pump, no bottles. Breastfed only – 21 months
  • I did it all. Nurse, pumped, bottles and supplemented as needed. Still going strong at 10 months and working full time.
  • I pumped and used both bottles and bags. I was not allowed to breast feed because they were in NICU and monitored very closely. After a month of bottles they were not interested in breastfeeding and it was just as easy to pump.
  • I nursed them. Started pumping when I went back to work at 12 weeks. I used bottles or plastic breast milk bags. 3 weeks away from 1 year breastfeeding!
  • I pumped 8am/11am/1pm/4pm for the first few months. Then I went to 8am/12/4pm, I was getting around 30 oz avg. Around 8 months my milk started to decrease. Then I started nursing them at 7am before leaving and pumping at 12pm/4pm. My milk has decreased so much over the last 2 months I don’t get enough to continue but I am set on hitting the 1 year mark. Then I will plan to nurse them before work during the week and as needed on the weekends. I do supplement now.
  • My twins are 5 weeks old and I am trying to pump exclusively. I feed the them about 4 oz BM through a bottle while I pump the next batch. I pump for 30 min sessions every 2-3 hrs and I get on average 3-4 oz from each breast. It’s just enough to keep them satisfied, even then sometimes I have to supplement with formula. I pump and feed them each about 32-36 oz a day.
  • One tip I have is to pump a lot in the beginning when typically your supply is high. I’d breastfeed then pump, but I was so exhausted that I slacked on pumping. And when major exhaustion set in, and time between feedings increased, I didn’t have as much stored up as I had hoped. Pump when you can and freeze the bags for later down the line! Those freezer bags are awesome! You’ll be glad you did!
  • Exclusive pumping. Stored milk in bags due to running out of freezer space.
  • Exclusively breastfed both, still nursing and they are 28 months — I love it!!!
  • pumpingYes, I use a pump. I breastfeed my twins tandem, then half an hour later I pump (in the early evening, once a day.) I’ve been doing this since they were 3 weeks old. The pumping produced half an ounce at the beginning, but two weeks later I was producing more or less 3-4 oz each breast. When they were 6 months old I had to travel for two weeks and they drank just my pumped milk. I froze it in breast milk bags. I wrote on it the volume, date, and some facts like “coffee-free”.
  • I breastfeed every 4 hours. They eat half an hour apart. Tandem feeding doesn’t work for us because one of our girls has reflux. They are almost 4 months old.
  • I used to express into those small bottles that attach to the breast pump and freeze in those. Once they started taking more than 4 oz at a time I would transfer them to an 8 oz bottle once defrosted, add the reflux medication and leave in fridge for 4 hours, then warm up. I tried for 5 weeks to get them feeding from me as well but they always fell asleep after 2 sucks. But breast milk via bottle they took the lot and went 4 hours in between.
  • Breastfed until 3 months and still pumping full time at 11 months.
  • Pumped first month and bottle fed. Then nursed the next two months exclusively. When I went back to work I pumped at work and nursed at home. Used bags to refrigerate and freeze milk.
  • I breastfed and pumped..18 months. Had a wonderful auto double pump which made it so much easier. Also, I froze the milk when I could so Daddy could de-thaw quickly and feed when I went to school.
  • I have been exclusively pumping since my twins were born 2 weeks ago. They need extra calories so we have to fortify the breast milk with Neosure. Since they aren’t eating a ton yet I have been able to freeze a supply which makes me feel confident I can keep them on breast milk for longer or if someone else needs to feed them.
  • drbrownsbottleWe weren’t allowed to breast feed right away and when we could they preferred the bottle. I pumped for 6 months. I pumped into bottles and froze the excess in freezer bags.
  • I breastfed, but only pumped a handful of times, but used bottles to store when I did. I absolutely loathe pumping and am fortunate enough to be a work-at-home-mom, so they just nursed…non-stop…until we started solids at 6 months and then they finally spaced feedings out to every 2 hours. Major booby monsters!
  • I breastfed and pumped. When I pumped I stored it right in the bottles in fridge. It didn’t last very long – LOL – my twins drank so much!
Dr. Brown's offers a wide variety of nipple flows
Dr. Brown’s offers a wide variety of nipple flows

I pumped almost 20 minutes out of every hour I was awake! I actually nursed them at same time twice a day for the bonding and koala care time. I pumped so hubby could also help out with feeding schedules while I was at school events with my older singleton children. At the time my twins were born I was PTA president of my boys’ school and it didn’t really matter that I was the mom of newborn twins who were being breastfed. I had a double breast pump and at one point I had half of my freezer stocked with just breast milk. My sons’ friends would go in for a popsicle and ask them, “What’s all this white stuff in these bags?” My boys would say, “Believe me, you DON’T want to know…” LOL


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