If there is one good thing that came from Naima's breastmilk jaundice, it would be the snappies bottles I accumulated while being forced to pump while she was given liquid Enfamil. Snappies are innovative breastmilk containers which allows a mom to pump, store and feed (older babies) all from the same container. Please note however than for young babies, cup, finger or syringe feeding is recommended over bottle feeding. When I started using these containers almost 2 years ago, they only come in 2.3 oz. sizes. Now, they come in 1 oz. sized bottles as well.
So what do I love about these containers? Number 1 is the flip-top lid. The manufacturer's website describes the lid as follows:
The flip-top lid is conveniently hinged to the container, so you can open and close the Snappies Container with one hand without concerns about dropping or misplacing the lid. The lid locks back out of the way while in use, and closes with an exclusive audible “snap” to indicate an airtight, leak-proof seal.
That best summarizes why the flip-top lid is what I love best about my snappies containers! I don't have to worry about the lids being placed on an unsanitary office table or worse - getting dropped on the floor! My Snappies also fit my Lansinoh and Ameda pump flanges. They also worked well with my Medela Swing pump (before I sold it!).
The Snappies are also packed and sold as sterile and have a space where you can write pumping date and time. Although Snappies are meant for single use (thus the space to write information), they are made of durable plastic (not polycarbonate!), which is a food grade polypropylene material. Thus, to allow me to reuse my Snappies, I usually write information on a magic tape and stick them on the containers.
On the Snappies size - it can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on the mom. I'm sure a lot of moms can relate when I say that not everyone is able to pump ounces and ounces of milk. This is not a matter of having no or little milk, but rather, the amount of milk you pump is dependent on the mom's storage capacity.
When I used them during the L.A.T.C.H. training, one of the moms (who was gushing with milk) commented they looked like milk test tubes. However, for someone like me, who has a small storage capacity, seeing the containers get filled up (even if they are small) is such a huge confidence booster! The most I was able to pump in my almost 2-year breastfeeding career is about 7 oz. (both breasts) and that happens when I skip 2-3 feedings or was unable to pump for 6 hours. My normal pumping output was 4oz. (now, it's down to about 2-2.5oz.). So, these Snappies containers fit my needs perfectly. I can imagine that the 1 oz. container will be very helpful for moms with preemie babies who are unable to latch on.
Anyway, I'm very happy to see that Snappies are now available in the Philippines. They are currently being sold by Janice over at Mommy Matters. I'm hoping to carry them in my online store soon. Watch out for them! :D
Here are my Snappies in use - filled and stored with other milk bottles, in my storage container ready for use and just filled with milk ready for storage.
10 comments:
This article was really helpful. I didn't know that the amount of milk expressed was based on mom's capacity. You learn something new everyday. I received a couple of snappies as free trials when I left the hospital. I can't wait to try them out!
hi jen! this is candy. just saw this post. thanks for the post. also, just wanted to share...i was also just like you! my storage capacity was very little. i could only pump 4oz. max and it did dwindle to 2.5oz before we weaned. i totally agree using small containers does help boost confidence when pumping. btw, i enjoy reading your blogs when i get a chance. keep it coming...
do they work with medela pump in style? these would be great for first few months of pumping, and when baby consumes 2oz each feeding.
Yes, they work with Medela.
I read before that snappies bottles have an expiration date. Is this true?
hi! where did you read it? my snappies from 2007 are still with me. i would throw them away though if they get warped.
I was trying to buy snappies online and the additional information of the item was its expiration date. So I asked another seller of snappies if they have expiration dates and said yes. I've confirmed it from 2 sellers already.
got it. thanks for sharing!
hi faith! i contacted the manufacturer and here is their reply "No, they do not expire but we can only guarantee the sterility for 2 years so that is the reason for the expiration date on the bag. If you have some that are past that date, just make sure to clean them before use."
Wow. Thanks for the information. I'm glad you were able to contact them. I had doubts in purchasing one because of the expiry dates.
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