Breast Milk is the most precious and nutritious food you can give to your baby. Don’t put the excess into waste and instead keep them for later use! The key to keeping your breast milk healthy and fresh is through proper storage. Here’s a guide on how to store breastmilk!
How to Store Your Breastmilk?
There are many factors to consider when storing your breast milk. Safety is of utmost importance and this can be best achieved by knowing where and how to store breastmilk.
Where to Store Breastmilk?
As for containers, your best option is by using clean, capped glass or hard plastic BPA-free containers. There are also plastic bags that are specifically designed to collect and store breast milk. Be careful however whenever using plastic bags. Make sure that they do not tear or leak as they can become contaminated. It’s also best to use plastic bags on top of hard plastic containers so you’re sure that they are tightly sealed.
Never store your breast milk in disposable bottles or plastic bags that are designed for everyday use. You may put your babies of risk for chemical or bacterial contaminations!
Steps To Storing Breastmilk
After collecting your breast milk in the appropriate containers, it’s essential that you label them. Use a waterproof label and indicate the date of when you expressed them. You can place the breast milk in the back of your refrigerator or freezer, particularly where the temperature is the coldest.
It’s recommended to place your breast milk based on one serving or feeding. In the beginning, this might be around 2 to 4 ounces (around 60-120 ml) and adjust as your baby grows older. Subsequently, consider storing the breast milk in lesser portions in case of emergencies or delays in feeding. It’s good to note that breast milk has a tendency to expand when frozen, so don’t fill your containers too much.
Breastfeeding Storing Guidelines:
- Storing at room temperature:
- Shelflife: for 6 to 8 hours (at no warmer than 77°F, or 25°C)
- Storing in the refrigerator:
- Shelflife: for up to 5 days at 32°–39°F (0°–3.9°C)
- Storing in the freezer:
- Shelflife: for up to 2 weeks in a freezer compartment located inside the refrigerator
- Shelflife: for 3 to 6 months in a freezer that’s self-contained and connected on top of or on the side of the refrigerator and is kept at 0°F (–18°C). Store the milk in the back of the freezer, not in the door.
Story Time
When I was pregnant with Isaac I knew that I was more susceptible to having breastfeeding issues because of my breast augmentation (plus I had already had issues with Samuel with my first breastfeeding journey).
So I was determined that I wanted to do everything possible to avoid having issues and make sure that I had my first milk ready in time for when my baby arrived.
The first milk comes in small quantities so a milk storage bag would be too big and the colostrum might end up getting stuck (the texture of colostrum is thick and sticky).
I collected the milk in a spoon and then transferred it to syringe that way it was easy to store in the freezer and very convenient to thaw and then give directly to my baby.
You can also save any milk or colostrum in syringes so that later on you can use it as medicine to help with scars, rashes, even conjunctivitis for everyone in your family.
How to Warm Breast Milk?
Choose to thaw the oldest stored breast milk first. If the breast milk is frozen, put the container in the refrigerator overnight before the baby drinks it. You can also gently warm the milk by putting it under warm running water or letting it sit in a bowl of warm water.
NEVER thaw the breast milk under microwave or on a stove. It exposes the breast milk in very hot temperatures and doesn’t allow even heat distribution. Due to this, some components present in breast milk, like the antibodies present, might be affected. Also, DON’T re-freeze breast milk. Discard thawed milk that hasn’t been used in a day.
In some occasions, the thawed breast milk might differ in appearance and consistency compared to fresh breast milk. Don’t be worried! This is totally normal. Although if your baby isn’t enjoying the thawed milk, consider shortening the storage time.
What about adding fresh breast milk to a thawed container?
Yes, it’s safe to add your fresh breast milk to the thawed one. It’s just important you do not add warm breast milk to a frozen one as this will initiate partial thawing, You can add this properly by cooling first the fresh breast milk to your frozen milk.
Can I serve cold breast milk to my baby?
Cold breast milk does not harm the baby or affect breast milk in any way. It actually depends on the baby’s preferences. Some babies are not keen on cold breast milk, while some really enjoy it. One thing you might notice though is that there might be a fat layer. Just give your breast milk a good shake before serving it to your baby.
Some few things to note as well:
- Some studies suggest that the longer your store breast milk, there will be a greater loss of vitamin C in the milk.
- Your breast milk evolves just as much as your baby grows. So the components of your breast milk in the first few months might not actually be suitable for your baby when they are older.
- The guidelines for storage might be different for preterm babies or those who are sick and in the hospital.
Common Breastfeeding Problems and How to Solve Them
Anxiety with Pumping
Along with the pressure being a mom is the pressure to breastfeed enough. It’s very common, especially for new moms, to feel anxious about their abilities to nurse their babies. Even worse, some feel this anxiety whenever they are about to express or breastfeed.
How to solve it: Be aware of your anxiety with breastfeeding and be assured that this is common. Do not be scared of the feeling and acknowledge it instead. Address the problem to your doctors and lactation specialists so they can ease you from the stress of breastfeeding. You can also do some stress relieving exercises like deep breathing, relaxation exercise, reducing caffeine intake, and sleeping better.
2. Not getting to trigger your “let-down” reflex
For some moms, it’s easy to stimulate their milk to be released by just being around their baby. Their senses trigger them to activate their breastfeeding cues so they can easily produce milk. However, if you decide to hand express, this might be challenging!
Here’s how to solve it: Think of hand expressing as if you are nursing with your baby latched on you. Trigger your senses by having pictures of your baby, smelling their clothes, or listening to a recording of your baby’s cries! In addition, take a deep relaxing breath and just imagine your baby in your arms.
3. Pain in the hand or arm
While you are still not used it, hand expression might cause your hands or arms to strain. This can be particularly difficult for mommies with muscle soreness or carpal tunnel syndrome during pregnancy.
How to solve it: Sit in a relaxed and comfortable position. Use pillows to assist you and so you can take away some tension around your arms and hands. Take breaks in between so you don’t sore your arms and hands.
In Conclusion
Collect your breast milk in the appropriate containers and store them in the refrigerator or freezer for later use.
If you have problems with hand expression such as pumping anxiety, not having a let-down reflex, or hand and arm pain, these can be easily addressed by applying some tips and tricks. However, if your problem persists, it’s best to consult a health profession or your lactation expert.
