How to store breast milk, what should be the storage conditions of breast milk for the healthy growth of the baby? You will find the answers to your questions and more in our special news!
babyBreast milk is the first basic food source for your baby to grow up healthy. It is recommended that you give your baby breast milk by breastfeeding first. Even if you cannot breastfeed, you can express breast milk with a breast pump and give it to your baby. Expressing breasts is not an easy task for the mother. Considering how precious even a drop of breast milk is, it is very important to keep expressed breast milk safely. Here is the important question that bothers you:
What are the breast milk storage conditions?
The rule of 3 applies to the storage of breast milk. After breast milk is expressed;
- 3 hours away from the sun at room temperature
- 3 days in the cooler part of your refrigerator
- It can be safely stored in the deep freezer section of your refrigerator for 3 months.
How should breast milk be stored and used?
Put the breast milk you have expressed in your refrigerator.You can store it in the fridge or freezer section. For this:
- You can use a medically sterilized container/bottle or breast milk storage bag specially produced to store breast milk.
- You should make sure that the products to be used for safe storage of your breast milk do not contain BPS and BPA. These substances are harmful to your baby's health.
- The breast milk storage bag you use should have a double lock system against leaks.
- You should be able to use it vertically and horizontally when you want.
- You should be able to easily write the time and date of milking on the breast milk storage bag or container. Because first expressed breast milk should be used first.
Expressed breast milk storage tips:
- Bags or containers should not be filled to the brim. Since the milk will expand when frozen, a space of at least 2.5 cm (approximately 1/8 of the liquid inside) should be left.
- Write the date of milking and how many cc of breast milk you will store on the storage bag/container. Also, if your baby is going to a nursery, don't forget to write your baby's name on the bag.
- If you breastfeed at work and store your milk in a communal refrigerator, make sure your name is written on the breast milk storage bag.
- Frozen breast milk should be stored in the middle of the freezer. because the place where the temperature is most stable is in the middle of the freezer. The temperature may fluctuate in the sides of the freezer and some of the frozen milk may thaw if you do not want to. In this case, it is not healthy to freeze the milk again.
How to thaw and warm frozen breast milk?
- To thaw frozen breast milk or increase its temperature, fill a bowl with hot or lukewarm water and fill it with frozen milk.Sit the sachet/bottle with work breast milk.
- To warm breast milk, you should definitely put the milk on fire.Do not put or boil. Boiling will damage the nutrients in the milk.
- As frozen breast milk thaws, layers of cream and milk may form on top of the milk. Before testing the temperature of the milk, mix the breast milk with light circular movements so that the temperature spreads homogeneously. In addition, gentle mixing will ensure that the cream in the milk is dispersed. Be careful not to shake the milk too quickly, as this can damage the live components in breast milk.
- Do not use a microwave oven to heat breast milk.
How should thawed breast milk be preserved?
- After thawing, previously frozen milk can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
- Breast milk should not be refrozen!
