The complex life of a bottle of breast milk

You pump the milk into these little bottles and they feed it to Isaac. How complicated can it be...?

Well it's very complicated. Laura is pumping 8 times per day to both provide milk for Isaac now (by feeding tube) and to be ready to breastfeed as soon as he is able. Yes, that's about every three hours- day and night- at home, in her hospital room, and in the NICU beside Isaac.  She has calculated that she pumps at least a half gallon daily! That's a lot of milk! She has a different pump in each location. One belongs in the NICU, one was provided by their insurance, and one was a hand-me-down from a friend when Wiliam was born. She has several sets of pump parts which is nice, because they require washing each time and that gets you through until morning without a washing! 

(The pump in the NICU. William calls this one the 'big pump' )

(We had a laugh over this at home one day. Yes... this is actually a shop vac )

First, realize that she began pumping immediately after Isaac's birth and he was not given milk for his first 11 days due to blood pressure issues early on. And then, of course, the feed quantities were small. So...she got WAY ahead on production.  We had an issue...where to keep all this milk? The NICU has storage for each patient, but Laura's was full in just a couple of days. Soon Laura and I ended up in Sam's buying a chest freezer.  That one filled and they borrowed another! 

The milk is carefully labeled in the bottles to identify it as Laura's. She has printed labels provided to her in the NICU in addition to orange ones that she labels with date and time.  And for the first 30 days we put orange dots on each lid. Apparently during that time the milk is higher in calories. The bottled milk is then place in specially sized zip lock bags that hold 4 bottles. 

Now, what to do with this fresh milk? Freeze it, of course! So, if Laura is in her room, she keeps it in the little dorm freezer.  If she is in the NICU, someone has to walk it back to the room. I've done it many times (like tonight). I feel kind of funny walking the halls and riding the elevator with it....haha 😝.  And on days Laura is home that's easiest. It just goes right in the chest freezer. 

Now for frozen milk transportation: the dorm freezer gets full every day or so and it has to come home with whomever is driving home next. We always have small coolers and ice packs making the trip. 

But what about when Isaac needs more milk? Laura checks with a nurse to see how much space is free and she passes the word to whomever is home and we load the milk up and bring it right to the NICU! 

Currently Isaac receives his feeds via tube. So they put the correct amount in large syringe and warm it in this special device. 

After it is just right, it is put into this device which delivers it right to his belly! 

Thank you, mommy milk, for fattening Isaac up to 4+ pounds 😀😄