I can’t avoid milk bubbles, and I always spill milk while trying. Or it gets caught in the seal. Is this fine to freeze? Any tips welcome…I just started trying to freeze motif bags flat. I was just standing them up but they take up so much space. I’ve watched a few YouTube videos on how to get air bubbles out and I end up just spilling milk.

  • I've always had at least a tiny bit of air bubbles and it's fine! I'm weaning now but I've been EP for one year and donated over 3,000 oz and am now using the bit of frozen milk I kept to help my daughter transition to cows milk and the bit of air causes no issue. It wasn't even something on the (long list!) of safety steps the milk bank asked me to take for milk I sent them! With a lot of air there can be freezer burn and less efficient storage but this is negligible. You're doing great!

    parent

    Also 3000 oz, that is awesome!! 👏🏽

    parent root

    These motif bags I got from insurance are the least space efficient and a little air is especially unavoidable with them! I like the pour spout but that's it. My milk bank sent me rectangular ones when they shipped me coolers. It's so frustrating that these seem to be the default for insurance because they'll take over your freezer so fast!

    parent root
    parent root

  • I HATE THESE BAGS! Impossible to get air out. It sucks, because they’re my free insurance bags!

    If you can splurge on the Lansinoh bags they are much better. I find I can freeze more because I can get most bubbles out and they just pack more efficiently.

    That said, you are ok to freeze with the air bubble, it’s just less efficient. 

    parent

    Same lol! I just (like most people) have a stockpile of them from insurance.. most of my freezer stash is in mason jars bc ~microplastics~ but I’m starting to use the bags since they’re free. I’ve filled prolly over 100 jars and it’s getting expensive—plus what am I gonna do with all those jars once I’m done breastfeeding bahahahhah!!!

    parent root

    Oh man I’m jealous of your freezer if you have frozen >100 jars 😍

    But anyway, I know what you mean, insurance would send me a trillion of these and I hated wasting them. I used some and was able to give some away for free. 

    And re microplastics, the lansinoh ones are BPA and BPS free… which, I know, isn’t perfect… but it’s something maybe?? lol

    Side note, the motif medical ones aren’t bad for salad dressing or other small sides for your lunch, if you are up for using them on yourself!

    parent root

    Lol!!! Pro tip on the salad dressing…thanks! I bet you I could use them for smoothie portioning too 🤣🤣🤣

    parent root

    How did you get bags with insurance? Where do you apply for it?

    parent root

    Entering my insurance info on aeroflow, got a free pump and storage bags. The storage bags come monthly.

    parent root

    My insurance company partners with a company called Aeroflow Breast Pumps. I went to them to get my free insurance pump and they saw that my medical plan also included bags + part replacements. The company looked up my insurance and figured out what I qualified for for me, and it included storage bags. I’m sure you could fill out their form with your insurance info and they will figure out what you qualify for for you! 

    Btw there are a bunch of similar companies if you google “free breast pumps through insurance”, in case Aeroflow doesn’t work with your insurance 

    parent root

    I’m having difficulties with the lansinoh bags - really hard to pour the milk with the flaps unless I’m missing something? I feel like I’m always spilling

    parent root

  • Press the bag against your chest and push the air bubbles up and out. Half seal the bag, push the rest out, seal the rest of the way!

    Also I write my baby a little note about what we did that day on the bag before I pour the milk in. Now that I’m going back through my stash it’s so special!!!!

    parent

    I seal mine until there is only a nails with worth of space. Lol I am quite the spiller so I've learned I have to have it basically almost sealed to get it all out without making a huge mess hhahha takes me longer than your method 😭

    parent root

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    parent

  • I think it’s just recommended to save space not bc the air will cause any issues. I personally don’t worry too much about it

    parent

    What about freezer burn? I don’t even know what the big deal about that would be anyway..but I keep seeing “get rid of air bubbles to avoid burning milk” lol.

    parent root

    I have a bunch of frozen milk going back to July 2025 and none of it has freezer burn. I think you should be totally fine

    parent root

    Thanks! July ‘25 is when my baby was born hehe

    parent root

  • Yes, its completely fine! All of mine have at least a few bubbles.

    parent

  • This is the second time today I've seen a post about this... And I'd never heard of it before. Until today it never even crossed my mind that you're supposed to remove air bubbles for any reason besides condensing space. Im on my third baby, 19 years in... Never worried about air bubbles and never had any issues lol

    parent

  • Put it against the edge of the counter at the edge of where the milk is vs bag then press the top of the bag flat and seal. It’ll get out majority of bubbles and allow it to lie flat. You can also freeze less per bag (I do 4), easier to seal.

    parent

  • I’ve pumped for 2 babies now, 10 months each, and never even knew that was a thing to worry about. They are both alive and well and never had any issues.

    parent

  • I donate milk. The milk bank gives me bottles to freeze it in and specifically says not to fill them right up to the top otherwise they split. If it's good enough for the milk bank having some air in it it's good enough for me. Honestly it's a tiny fraction less space efficient but that's all, I've donated plenty of milk where there's been significant amounts of air in the bag and they've been happy to take it and they have to operate on a much stricter set of requirements than feeding to your own baby at home.

    parent