The decision to breastfeed or formula feed in case of a long absence is made by the mother. Of course, it is better to give preference to expressed breast milk, because it is in it that all the most useful is stored. However, this is not always possible, so the question arises of how to store expressed breast milk.
Reasons why you may need to express
- The birth of a premature baby, the baby cannot suck independently.
- Illness of a child when he cannot suckle (neurological diseases, congenital malformations). You need to express yourself, imitating the feeding regime of the baby.
- Separation from the child. To maintain lactation, you need to express at least 1 time in two hours.
- In the postpartum period for the formation of lactation. Expressions are recommended once an hour - an hour and a half.
- If there is a threat of mastitis, pumping is recommended at least once every two hours.
- Expressing hot flashes to relieve the condition. It is very important that the pumping time should not exceed 5 minutes. This should be done until the breast becomes soft and the baby can take it himself.
- Problems with breastfeeding (psychological, including) on the part of a nursing mother, or when there is nothing left (the child stubbornly refuses to breastfeed).
In this case, it is important not to stimulate, but to make sure that the baby can suckle on its own.
Once you have made the decision to express breast milk, there are a few important storage rules you need to learn to preserve all the properties of your milk.
What needs to be preserved during storage?
- proteins. There are especially many of them in colostrum (it is secreted during the first 3 - 5 days after childbirth). Proteins make up to 14% of the total;
- immunoglobulins;
- hormones and hormone-like substances;
- antioxidants;
- immune defense factors;
- carbohydrates, part in the form of lactose - 7%;
- fats - up to 4%;
- water - about 80%.
What milk can be?
It is important to understand that the composition of milk is not constant. It changes regularly depending on the age of the baby and his needs, the time of day, the characteristics of the day's regimen and the mother's diet.
The so-called fore milk is just as different from hind milk. In the front there is a lot of water and carbohydrates, in the back - a lot of protein and fat. That is why some experts do not recommend quickly changing breasts while feeding, but letting the baby suck everything up.
Thus, expressed milk will always look different. The color of milk can be from white-bluish to light yellow. If your mom has cracks in her nipples, the milk may be pink.
If the milk stands a little, it is divided into fractions. From above it is thicker, below it is almost transparent.
The smell of milk is usually sweet, and it can change after storage and defrosting.
It happens that after defrosting, milk smells like soap. In this case, it must be boiled, but then the beneficial properties of milk will be partially lost. It is not recommended to boil milk; the best option is to keep freshly expressed milk in the refrigerator. Long-term storage in the freezer is acceptable.
If the milk smells sour or looks sour, pour it out.
What to store?
Storage containers:
- glass bottles. It is desirable that they have measured risks;
- plastic bottles, made of transparent and opaque plastic;
- special bags for storing milk.
How do I store expressed breast milk in a bottle, bag, and plastic?
Each of these containers has its own characteristics. All of them are designed to protect milk from the loss of useful properties, but with certain reservations:
- Milk storage bags are sold sterile. They have a place to sign the date and time of expressing and freezing milk, they are conveniently stored in the freezer, since they take up little space. But the seams of the bag sometimes break when defrosting and milk flows out.
- Glass bottles are ideal for freezing, but some authors believe that they are not at all suitable for storage in the refrigerator, since some of the leukocytes "stick" to the glass.
- Plastic dishes. The advantage of this dish is that some of the bottles are directly connected to the breast pump and have a tight-fitting lid. And also this container is suitable for freezing.
How to store at room temperature
In the case when a mother goes to work or study and at the same time wants to keep breastfeeding, but there is no refrigerator in the room where she works, there are several storage options:
- Use of special thermos bottles.
- Thermal bag. It is very convenient for such a case.
- If you don't have anything at hand, and you plan to stay at the workplace for a short time, you can put milk in a place where it is cool and dark. It will not deteriorate up to 6 hours at a temperature no higher than 18 - 19 ˚Ϲ. You can store milk at room temperature (22 - 24 ˚Ϲ) for no more than 4 hours.
You need to take care of the storage of milk in advance. Prepare storage container, refrigerants or ice. Please note that it is recommended to store milk at room temperature in a sterile container.
Refrigerator storage rules every mother should know
To prevent milk from losing its beneficial properties, it is necessary to express and store milk correctly.
How to express milk correctly? There is a certain algorithm:
- self-massage the breast before pumping;
- take a contrast shower;
- wash your hands;
- gently express your breasts.
Fresh breast milk in the refrigerator at 4 ˚Ϲ can be stored for 6 to 8 days. If you intend to use breast milk after 8 days, it is best to freeze it.
Do not store milk on the door, as the temperature changes when you close and open the refrigerator, select a zone with a constant temperature.
- Milk should only be stored in the refrigerator in a signed milk container. It should show the date and time of expression to determine the shelf life of the milk.
- It is advisable to keep different portions of milk in different containers and mix only when feeding, if necessary.
- Do not store large portions. Ideally, portions should be up to 120 ml, so as not to pour out a lot if the child does not finish eating.
Freezer storage rules
- Breast milk can be frozen. In this case, the frozen product is stored at -15 ° C for two weeks. If the freezer has a separate chamber with a constant temperature of -18˚C, then milk can be stored for up to 3 - 6 months.
- Breast milk does not lose its properties when frozen. But if stored improperly and defrosted, it deteriorates.
- The container in which you will freeze the milk should not be full, especially for bags. When frozen, the liquid will expand and may break the container.
- Use older milk to avoid sour milk.
How to defrost correctly?
Let's discuss how to thaw and warm expressed breast milk and what you should tell the person who stays with your baby and feeds him.
- Frozen milk must be removed from the freezer and placed in the refrigerator. It is best to do this 12 hours before feeding.
- Chilled or defrosted milk must be warmed either under running water or in a water bath, gradually increasing the temperature of the water. Heating is possible in special devices for warming milk.
- Do not heat breast milk in the microwave or directly on the stove.
- Thawed milk can be stored for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. It can only be frozen once.
- When milk is in the refrigerator, it is divided into fractions. Before heating milk, take a bottle and gently stir the milk without shaking it.
- Do not boil breast milk.
- Remember to sign your pumping dates.
Follow these simple tips and your baby will always be provided with high quality food - breast milk. And even in those moments when a nursing mother will need to be absent.
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