Human milk is the best food for a nursing infant. It provides the growing child's body with essential nutrients. And if circumstances force the mother to be away from the crumbs for a long time, the woman begins to wonder if it is possible to preserve breastfeeding. Freezing seems like a good solution. Is it really possible to freeze human milk and how to do it right?
Causes
There are a variety of reasons you may decide to freeze your breast milk. For example, a mom has a trip, treatment, or has to temporarily stop breastfeeding for another reason. Having made a frozen supply, the child can be fed with expressed milk during the absence of the mother's breast.
Is it helpful?
Of course, milk that goes directly to the baby from the mother's breast is the most useful, but the difference in composition is insignificant. As shown by the research of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, proper freezing practically did not affect its qualitative composition, the content of biologically active and mineral substances.
If you need to choose - formula or expressed milk, which was frozen by mom, then the answer is obvious. Partially minerals and vitamins are destroyed during freezing, but useful proteins and other components that cannot be found even in the best adapted mixtures remain.
Be sure that human milk retains its beneficial properties not only when directly feeding the baby, but also during storage. At the same time, the storage period depends on the way you want to save it. If it stands at room temperature, then such a product should be drunk within three to six hours.
By sending a container of expressed milk to the refrigerator, you can store it for up to 48 hours. During this time, the antibodies included in its composition will not be allowed to deteriorate. This storage method is preferable because it preserves the macrophage cells that help the baby to resist disease. If the milk has to be stored longer, it should be frozen.
It can be stored in a regular freezer for up to three months, and in deep-freezers for six months or more.
Please note: Do not re-freeze milk if you have it left after feeding.
Choosing containers
The containers in which you can freeze your mother's milk can be:
- glass bottles;
- plastic containers;
- special bags for freezing.
Glass is considered the preferred and sustainable material, and when choosing plastic containers, care should be taken to ensure that containers are safe for children (they must be phthalate-free and must be labeled “BPA free”).
Freezer bags are a very practical and convenient storage method. They also take up little space in the freezer.
Freezing stages
Milk must not be frozen:
- stood for 2 hours at room temperature;
- from the refrigerator in order to extend the shelf life;
- thawed (for example, left over after feeding).
The first step is pumping. Usually, they use a breast pump for this and express breast milk in special containers that come with it in the kit. However, you can also express your hands. Write the date of pumping on the jar.
The second stage is cooling in the refrigerator. You cannot put newly expressed milk directly into the freezer. Let it cool first in the refrigerator, but no more than 12 hours.
The third stage is freezing milk containers. Place them in a regular freezer, or better, in a device that provides a temperature of minus 18-20 degrees. This way it can be stored longer.
Defrosting is a very crucial stage, on which its nutritional value depends. Defrosting breast milk properly is discussed elsewhere.
Tips
- Do not fill containers completely. Always leave about a centimeter of free space or 3/4 of the volume, as milk expands when frozen.
- It is important to wash your hands before expressing.
- Write the date of pumping on each container. So it will be convenient for you to use containers with an earlier date first.
- Freshly expressed milk can be added to frozen milk if the amount is less than the volume of the frozen product.
- If the milk is thawed, it must not be frozen again.
