A major concern for new mothers is how to store breast milk, especially when they are separated from their baby. Because even if the mother is separated from the baby, her milk continues to come. In this case , it is necessary to store breast milk. So, how to store breast milk? Let’s answer this question for new mothers…
Expressing Breast Milk!
Breast milk is the main source of nutrition for your baby to grow up healthy. An alternative way to obtain breast milk is expressing the breast. Expressing the breast is not an easy process for the mother in the first period. It is sometimes preferred as a reliable and convenient way to store milk and sometimes to increase it. It is important that the expressed milk is stored, not spoiled and ready for later use.
Given how precious even a drop of breast milk is, the safe storage of expressed breast milk is extremely important. Here is the important question that is on your mind: How to store breast milk? What to do to keep breast milk intact? Is breast milk heated and how should it be heated…
Breast Milk Storage Methods
Breast milk does not have to be given to the baby immediately after expressing. In fact, milk expressing machines and milk pumps are available so that the mother can express milk even when she cannot be with her baby. It is important to keep the expressed milk clean and safe and to warm it up and give it to the baby when needed. Remember, breast milk is precious!
Let’s take a look at what breast milk is stored in, how long it can be stored for and how to heat it…
1.Expressing Breast Milk
The first step is milking. First of all, it is necessary to express the milk with a milking machine. Washing your hands and finding a comfortable and clean environment are important details before this process. Our milking tips page will help you in this regard.
2.What should breast milk be stored in?
The question immediately arises as to what kind of container to use when storing breast milk . You can use plastic or glass containers that are sturdy, have a well-fitting lid and a hard exterior. You should write the time and date of milking on these containers. Because breast milk that is expressed first should be used first.
3.Where should breast milk be stored?
Where should expressed breast milk be stored? You can store it in the cooler or freezer section of your refrigerator. It should not be left outside, especially in summer.
4.How long should breast milk be stored?
The answer to the question of how many days breast milk lasts in the refrigerator is3 days. In the freezer, this period is 3 months.
5.How to Warm Breast Milk?
Put the breast milk from the freezer in a bowl filled with warm water with the bag or storage container and wait. You can also warm breast milk from the refrigerator by placing it in a bowl of warm water. It is not recommended to boil it, heat it over a fire or suddenly put it in very hot water. The warmed breast milk is given to the baby with a bottle.
Tips for Storing Expressed Breast Milk
- Breast milk storage bags or containers should not be filled to the brim. Since the milk expands when it freezes, there should be at least 2.5 cm of space (about 1/8 of the liquid inside).
- Write on the storage bag/container the date of expressing the milk and how many cc’s of breast milk you will store.
- If your baby attends a daycare center, be sure to write your baby’s name on the bag.
- If you express your breasts at work and store your milk in a shared refrigerator, make sure that the breast milk storage bag has your name on it.
- Frozen breast milk should be stored in the middle of the freezer. This is because the temperature is most stable in the middle of the freezer. On the sides of the freezer, the temperature may fluctuate and some of the frozen milk may thaw when you do not want it to. In this case, it is not healthy to freeze the milk again.
- As mentioned above, frozen breast milk should be used after thawing. It should not sit in the fridge again or be frozen again.