Customer Reviews

Medela Pump & SaveTM Breastmilk Bags 20-pack - Medela 87033

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

As a working mother of two I've tried a lot of breast milk freezer storage bags and I'm sad to say that despite Medela's impeccable reputation when it comes to pumps, their breast milk storage bags fall way short of the mark. First off, the perforations aren't cut completely or set up incorrectly or something which leads to skewed tearing of the tops of these bags rendering the bag useless since you end up tearing the bag. I had to use scissors to cut the tops off these bags to make sure I didn't tear into the area where they seal. Secondly, the inside of the bags SMELL HORRIBLE compared to the inside of other bags. Perhaps this has no bearing on how the milk turns out when it is thawed but I don't think I'd like to take that chance with my "liquid gold".

Also, I pump into a bottle and then pour into these bags. I use the Medela bottles to pump into. The bags say they can hold up to 5 oz. of fluid. Sorry, but not only can they not hold 5 oz. of fluid, the markings on the side of the bags are completely inaccurate. I know they're inaccurate because I pump into the hard Medela bottles and then pour a certain amount in the bag. I've tried manipulating the bag (folding it, opening it more, etc.) but I can never get the bag to actually read the proper fluid amount.

As a final note, these don't fold flat very easily into the freezer. They are more designed to stand up and freeze that way. Perhaps this is more of a personal preference but I prefer to lay the bags flat because it saves on freezer space better that way.

My personal favorite storage bag is the Lansinoh bags. The bags don't stink on the inside like these do, the fluid amounts are accurate and they fold flat easier in the freezer for increased storage.

I bought this item because I can pump directly into it; I wanted to save time washing bottles, save time pouring from one to another, and save space in the fridge. But after giving this a try for 3 months I have decided I hate these bags. Here is why:

1. It's impossible to tell when these bags are closed. I've lost several bags of milk due to spillage. Every time I thought this time I closed it really well...but then I'd get home to find milk all over the bag.
2. It's very difficult to pour into the bottle without some spillage
3. Bags have small leaks. The other day, when trying to warm up the milk (just by putting it in a bowl of warm water) I noticed that the water turned white. I picked up the bag and the milk was leaking out from the bottom. This was the deal breaker for me as it could mean other bags are contaminated.

I still haven't found a great solution for freezing milk.

Don't waste your money on these. I prefer the Lansinoh Storage Bags.

Cons: do not have a double zipper, so they tend to leak
they do not hold as much milk as the other brand
they do not freeze as flat as the other brand because there is not extra room at the top to squeeze out the air
more expensive
Pro: they attach directly to your pump, however I don't think it is very hard to pour the milk from bottles into the other brand's bags.

This bag has one job: to properly store pumped milk. Unfortunately, it doesn't live up to its task. When defrosting a bag of milk the other day in a bowl of warm water, the water turned cloudy. When I lifted the bag up, milk was leaking out from the seams. I had to throw that bag of milk away. Thinking it was just the one bag, the next day I defrosted another bag in a bowl of warm water. Same thing happened! I threw it away and tried another bag, and yet again, it leaked. I had to throw away many, many ounces of hard-fought pumped milk. The other problem with Medela bags is they don't lie flat, and it's hard to squeeze all the air out. I had a lot more freezer burn problems with Medela than with Lansinoh. Don't buy these bags, otherwise you will be pumping just to throw your milk away later!

For the price, this product cost more than other product.

So far, I have been using this product for 4 months now. Out of 6 x 50-count boxes I have filled and thawed only 2 bags had leak so far. I am now using my 7th box of 50-count storage bags and still pleased with the product. This product works for me. The measuring guide seems accurate for me. I usually scald my breast milk immediately after I came home from work before freezing it in its individual storage bags. I pour 4-oz of breast milk into the hard Medela bottle and transfer it to the storage bag and find the measuring guide precise.

For the seal, it seals well in my opinion. I am always careful and ensuring that it is completely sealed before storing the milk. However, my husband accidentally spilled the milk because he thought he sealed it completely. The seal is strong, which I like so bacteria can get in and contaminate the milk. Opening the bag after thawing is quite a work, so I usually cut the bag using scissor and use the removable breast shield as a funnel to transfer the milk into the baby bottle.

I bought these to go with my Medela pump. I have only had 1 leak in the freezer. I didn't know it was a problem until today. I take my kid to the babysitter and she calls and said the amount written on them is not at all even close to what's in the bag. When it says 5 oz there is more like 1.5 oz in the bag. Very frustrating!! Have never tried another bag but will now.

First of all, I paid almost $20 for 50 of these -- they are much more expensive than the Lanisnoh brand. I bought these on a business trip in Washington, D.C. because I didn't pack enough Lansinohs for being out-of-town. I thought they'd be great, since I could attach them directly to my Freestyle and pump directly into them. But I was oh-so-wrong...

1. The ounce measurements are inaccurate. Usually, when I pour breast milk into a Lansinoh bag, I can roughly gauge the correct amount of milk in the bag according to the tick marks. But the Medela bags are way, way off. You are better off pumping straight into the bottle and then pouring the milk into the bags, which eliminates the convenience factor altogether.

2. The bags leak!! They don't seal very well AT ALL! Even when I'd turn the bag upside down and nothing came out at first, sure enough they'd tip over in the fridge and leak everywhere!

3. The bags rip easily. The cutouts for attaching to the pump make the bag extremely flimsy and easy to tear.

Save your money and your milk -- use the Lansinoh bags instead.

I bought these because I was tired of washing the bottles that connect to my pump, and I thought that these would be an easier, albeit more wasteful, alternative.

Overall, I'm not a huge fan. I use them mainly to store milk in the freezer after I've pumped it into a bottle, which defeats my main purpose in buying them.

When pumping directly into the bags, the milk gets all over the zipper, which is hard enough to seal when it is clean. The instructions say to make sure there is no milk in the zipper before freezing, as it can cause leakage once the milk freezes and expands. It is virtually impossible to clean the milk out of the zipper if you pump directly into the bag.

Another flaw that I see in the bags is the accuracy of the volume measurements. Since it is a bag, the volume depends on how open it is, this is just the nature of a bag, but it is annoying when you think you have 5 ounces, and the bottle reads three and a half. This leads to an angry baby.

I have not had any bags leak so far, but I have found that it can be tricky pouring the milk from the bag to the bottle without spillage.

I will most likely not buy these bags again.

I only bought these because I couldn't find the Lansinoh ones (should have just gone online).

1. no double zipper.
2. the zipper is really hard to zip
3. they don't hold enough milk- the Lansinoh ones hold much more. My DD's bottles are 7 oz so with these I have to use two bags (along with the extra effort).

I have not found any bags that reflect accurate measuring. I don't bother pumping into them as I'll never know how much milk is in there. No matter the brand, I always pump into a hard bottle then pour into the bag.

Get the Lansinoh ones!

Very expensive, hard to pour into, and they do not stand up very well. The lansinoh bags are so much better and easier to use. Plus they are cheaper. Medela makes a great breastpump but do not be fooled into buying their bags!