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Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Breastmilk Storage Bags Review

To commemorate World Breastfeeding Week (Aug. 1-7) and National Breastfeeding Month this August, let's have a topic about breastfeeding.

Feeding 6-month old Baby A in a standing (cradle) position.

I haven't been talking about my breastfeeding journey for quite some time now. I'm proud to say that I'm still continuously breastfeeding my almost 20-month old toddler and have no plans of stopping as of yet. Some would ask how long will I breastfeed Baby A and my default answer would be, "as long as possible". 

I invite you to read my previous posts here, here and here to learn more about my breastfeeding journey.

Feeding 19-month old Baby A in sleeping (Australian) position.
 
Overview on my Breastfeeding Journey

I'm thankful for having a good start at breastfeeding that I didn't experience lack of supply nor even oversupply. My milk supply has stabilized on its own, producing only what my baby needs. And the only secret I did was to follow what I learned, "to start pumping only after 6 weeks of direct feeding". Little did I know about the concept of milk donation as I only store milk at the refrigerator for a few days' consumption and never had any excess to try storing in the freezer. Not until my friend explained how fulfilling it was to be able to donate milk and help other babies that I felt the need to buy breast milk storage bags. 

I made this infographic when my milk supply was still at its peak, Baby A at around 4 months old.

The very first breast milk storage bag that I used was Baby One where I bought it online for only P479 at 80's when baby was still 1 month old. I didn't experience much complaint about its quality as I rarely store milk. Actually there's still a few pieces left until now. Then slowly I also received samples of different brands from else where. The latest brand I encountered was the HoneySuckle breast milk storage bag which I volunteered to give it a review.
Sample breast milk storage bags I have for comparison:
Jingle Jungle, Mom&Baby, HoneySuckle, Baby One and Pur

Let's Review


For a more realistic and unbiased review, I did my best to inspect each of the different brands' features and took note of their differences and similarities. That's when I realized that the current brand that I was using has the least quality while the rest have almost similar features. 
Breast milk storage bags filled with water for testing.

First let me share with you my findings on Baby One breast milk storage bag, the brand that I have been using, after careful review of the other brands:
  1. Although there's a tear-here portion, I still use scissors to access the zip lock.
  2. I would need to use a pentel pen and write the details first before pouring the milk inside.
  3. I'm used to measuring milk volume in ounces and because only ML is indicated in the packaging, I just read the volume based on what I have labeled.
  4. Because there's only one zipper, I've experienced milk leaking out when stored flat thus I only store in a standing position. For me, it didn't took up much space since I only have few bags stored. What if I have an abundant supply?
  5. The plastic material used is similar to the plastic packaging of a polo shirt wherein it would make a noise when tried to crumple. Not that soft and flexible.
Usual and ideal breast milk storage bags

Let's list down the common grounds of most breast milk storage bags:
  1. has dual zip lock zippers to avoid leaks when laid flat
  2. has a perforated opening for easy tear without a need for scissors
  3. has bottom gusset for stand-alone feature
  4. has both milliliter and ounce measurement
  5. has separate tab for labeling, usually ordinary pen will do
  6. BPA Free
  7. soft and flexible plastic material 
  8. has an easy-pour-shaped flap or cut

HoneySuckle Breastmilk Storage Bag
The individual storage bags are kept inside a white sealed bag with a center opening.


What made HoneySuckle breast milk storage bag stand out among others:
  1. the violet portion of their zip lock looks thicker and stronger similar to Ziploc or Ikea resealable sandwich bags
    Double sealed and are thicker

  2. the bottom gusset is ribbed allowing more flexibility and balance

    Ribbed bottom gusset

  3. the seal on both sides is wider and more durable
    Wide side seals
  4. It is oxo-biodegradable meaning it is earth-friendly and would degrade in time leaving no waste behind.
 
Of course the better the quality, the more pricey it becomes. I am not aware of the price range of the other breast milk storage bags I sampled above except for the Baby One and the HoneySuckle. HoneySuckle retails for P399 for a box of 25. The price difference of the two is quite big, around P10.

I was only able to try one bag with my own breast milk.

So you decide, if you want to have a peace of mind, then go for HoneySuckle to ensure that your precious liquid gold is stored securely. The quality of breast milk storage bag does matter if you are transporting huge amount of breast milk for a long period such as going out-of-town trips or frequently traveling. But if you are just at home, like me, storing excess milk for donation purposes only, this might not be a practical choice unless you can afford it. 

HoneySuckle breast milk storage bags in 6oz size

Thank you Ms. Ge and Ms. Jem for providing me a box of HoneySuckle for review. I will definitely use this if ever I will travel abroad to save space on my cooler bag.

Available at

HoneySuckle breast milk storage bags are available at Babyland branches in Shaw Blvd, Eastwood Mall and Festival Mall; Mamaway in Shangrila Plaza; and Rustan's in Makati, Shangrila and Alabang. 

For more info about HoneySuckle, check out their two-page flier here:


HoneySuckle features; Breastmilk storage guidelines; Tips for storing and thawing your breastmilk


If you are familiar with Lansinoh brand, HoneySuckle is the improved version of it.


HoneySuckle background and origin

HoneySuckle Breast Milk Storage Bag

Website: http://honeysucklemoms.com/products/breastmilk-storage-bags/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HoneysucklePhilippines 
Instagram: http://instagram.com/honeysucklephils

How about you dear readers? What brand of breast milk storage bags do you use? Feel free to share your comments below and let's discuss.

Mommy Sally

16 comments:

  1. Thanks so much for doing the review Sally =) We're so happy that Honeysuckle did well on your breastmilk bags testing hehe =)

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  2. Hope these will come in handy when you go to HK =)

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  3. Honeysuckle is now available at www.facebook.com/mutterliebe na rin.

    I agree with you sally! Super nice niya. Kasi i have used many many brands na, including the ones you have sampled.

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  4. im using autumnz storage bags. 250 only bought at mamabella. i think it way better than honeysuckle. just my opinion. :)

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  5. hi. just an inquiry.. i'm a working mom. is it okay to store it sa ref sa office, tapos iuwi sa bahay (about an hour travel) then ibalik ulit sa ref?

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    Replies
    1. Hi! Yes, you can store the milk inside the ref of your office and transfer them to a cooler bag with ice packs while travelling and then transfer the milk to your ref once you get home. As long as the milk bags are cool (malamig pa), no problem with that. :)

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  6. I want to give my point of view. I try to look for where Autumnz is made from but can't find. I guess is from China and I recall the milk powder scandal In China. Just a piece of advice, pls buy from trust brand that dare to say where is made from. :)

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  7. Im using sunmum milkbags. And no leaks so far even for hours of travelling (3-5hrs). Sunmum is also cheap at 110php 20pcs. This is already a good deal specially when you have abundant milk supply which would definitely requires more milkbags. Not all moms can afford pricey yet almost as durable as the cheaper ones. Just my opinion. :)

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    Replies
    1. Hi mommy, ask ko lang kung san ka nakakabili ng Sunmum breastmilk bags?

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    2. Hi Rachel, I'm not sure if there's a local dealer of Sunmum but you can check out OLX: http://olx.ph/item/breastmilk-storage-bags-sunmum-ID4Xh5L.html?p=2#094c681072 Thanks! :)

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  8. hello mommy, just wanna ask where can i buy mom&baby BM storage bags? thanks!!

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    Replies
    1. Hi, if I'm not mistaken, I think in SM. Dept Stores. I'm not that sure. Hope this helps. :)

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  9. Hi, a bit confused. Pag nag pump ako sa office tapos ilalagay ko sa ref then pag uwi ko sa cooler or insulated bag with ice packs, pag uwi ko should I store it sa ref lang or pwede kahit sa freezer? Thank you!!! 😊😊😊

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  10. Hi,
    Honeysuckle is a really good choice if you want to store horizontally.
    If you want to store vertically, I suggested you can use this brand "Baby's Friends" from Korea.
    The problem is when I store my milk in horizontally manner, I need to "dig" to find the earliest date and this is quite troublesome. Moreover, our previous milk need to move "accident can happen" in order to access the earliest batch of breast milk and that why I prefer to store upright. My personally view and your reference.

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  11. Sunmum is the most affordable I've seen so far and the best in quality IMO since it has triple zip lock. It's only P110 per box (20pcs milk bags) from @milkingmomma on Instagram and FB. I buy my stash from them. :)

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