Storing Breast Milk: Some Tips
For women who cannot breastfeed properly, storing breast milk is central and they need to know how to do it correctly.
They may not be able to breastfeed because of their work or other circumstances. Either way, storing breast milk is a healthy alternative.
Breast milk is undoubtedly the best and most complete food for babies. Storing allows mothers to breastfeed without having to use formula food.
That’s why we decided to give you some tips on how to best store breast milk. You will see: it is practical and very easy.
Tips for storing breast milk
The first thing you need to know is when to use the breast pump to express your milk. When we look deeper into this, we will look at where to keep it, how long to keep it, what temperature it should be stored at, and how it should be warmed up for the baby.
When should you use the breast pump?
There are three types of breast pumps used to produce milk: electric pumps, battery operated pumps, and manual pumps.
All three fulfill their function perfectly. The difference between them is the speed at which they express milk and their suction strength. Efficient pumps are less uncomfortable for your nipples.
In terms of time, there are several ideal moments to express milk with a breast pump. It is best to do this an hour after the baby’s feeding time.
If you already know how much milk your baby is consuming, you can use the breast pump while breastfeeding.
The breast pump takes about the same time as breastfeeding the baby, about 10 to 15 minutes. You can use them as often as you think necessary to keep a good supply of milk.
If you have doubts about the amount you should express, it is important to know that the more you use the breast pump, the more milk you produce – this is because the pumping stimulates your body.
Remember that the amount you can express depends on the amount of water you drink and your diet.
Where can you keep the milk?
Experts recommend using sterilized glass containers with an airtight seal. If you use plastic containers or the popular pump storage bags, make sure they are food dispensing certified and leak-proof.
A practical tip: Put the amount your baby usually consumes in one meal into a container. This way you don’t have to throw away half of the milk.
How long can breast milk be stored and at what temperature?
The last of the tips for storing breast milk should be the duration and the temperature under the microscope. The length of time that breast milk can be stored depends on the temperature at which it is stored.
They can be kept at room temperature or in a cool place for about 6 hours. In the refrigerator, on the other hand, it lasts about 24 hours. If you choose to freeze them, you can keep them in the refrigerator for more than three weeks.
It doesn’t matter how long the milk was kept. You should always do a quick double check to see if it’s still good before feeding it to your baby. Ideally, you smell it, try it and look at its color.
To be on the safe side, you should put labels on the containers in which you keep the milk, stating the date and time. Do this to know exactly when breast milk was bottled.
Storing breast milk: how should breast milk be heated?
If you choose to freeze breast milk, put it in the refrigerator 24 hours before you use it. So it slowly becomes fluid again.
If you can’t wait that long, put the container in some warm water and move it around until it goes into its liquid state.
The same procedure applies if you want to warm up breast milk. You should put the bottle in warm water first, and then remove it when you feel it has reached the optimal temperature.
As always, you should try them to make sure the temperature is not too hot, as this could damage the baby’s tender mouth.
As you can see, storing breast milk isn’t that difficult if you follow these simple and useful tips.
Remember, breast milk provides your baby with the best vitamins, antibodies, and repellants his body needs to grow up healthy.
