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. 

Celeteque Maternity: Anti-Stretch Mark Cream

Growing up, it was never in my daily regimen to apply beauty products or even put on make-ups. Maybe because I don't see my mom or sisters using them or that often. I also had the impression that the more chemical products I apply onto my skin or take in to my body, the more it could get worse or might even pose some harmful effects instead of good. That's why when I was pregnant, it was not that difficult for me to temporarily refrain from using perfumes or even just a simple lipstick. But despite that, I see to it that I still look good with my natural beauty. 

One of my dreaded part in my pregnancy was getting stretch marks. Because of my being too cautious or should I say stubborn, I gave birth without really being serious in applying topical lotions to prevent stretch marks. I can't believe I started applying only during my 3rd trimester already. Too late!



Here's a glimpse of my big belly at 3rd trimester, full of red newly-developed stretch marks. Yikes!

Why do we get stretch marks?
- having stretch marks is one of the common skin problems experienced by both men and women in their adulthood caused by hormonal changes, fluctuation of weight/size, growth spurts and pregnancy among others
- appear more often in adults because the skin becomes less resilient and collagen production becomes slower as we age

Recently, Unilab's Celeteque brand has come up with a new product to treat stretch marks. It's one of their latest product from their Maternity line, the Anti-Stretch Mark Cream.



Celeteque DermoScience Maternity: Anti-Stretch Mark Cream 100ml

What's good about this product?- first of all, it's OB-certified safe for pregnant women
- it helps strengthen skin elasticity
- it helps prevent future stretch marks
- it helps minimize new and existing stretch marks during and after pregnancy
- proven to reduce visible lines in the abdominal area by 63% by 4th week of usage 

Squirt!