Important To Keep In Mind When Storing Breast Milk

You may not be able to breastfeed due to your work schedule or other circumstances. In these cases, storing breast milk is a healthy alternative.

Breast milk is undoubtedly the best and most complete food available for babies. Storing breast milk gives mothers the opportunity to give breast milk and not have to exchange it for compensation.

Therefore, we will give you some tips on how to store breast milk in the best way. You will see how practical and easy it is.

The first thing you need to know is when to use a pump to extract the milk.

After that, we will review the steps for storing breast milk. How long can it be stored? What temperature should it be stored in and how is it heated?

When should you use the breast pump?

There are three types of breast pumps for extracting milk: electric pumps, battery-powered ones and manual pumps.

All three fulfill their function well. The difference is the speed at which they extract the milk and the suction power. Efficient pumps create less discomfort for your nipples.

In terms of timing, there are several ideal moments to use the pump. It is best to do this one hour after feeding the baby.

If you already know how much milk it consumes, you can use the pump while eating.

Using the breast pump takes about the same time as breastfeeding the baby: around 10 to 15 minutes. You can do this as many times as you deem necessary to have a good milk supply.

If you have any doubts about the amount you can extract, it is important to know that  the more you use the breast pump, the more milk you produce thanks to the stimulation of the body.

Keep in mind that what you can extract also depends on the amount of water you drink and your diet.

Equipment for storing breast milk

Specialists recommend using sterile glass containers with airtight lids. If you use plastic containers or the popular pump bags,  make sure that they are certified to store food in and that they are tested for this purpose.

A practical tip is to  store the amount your child normally consumes at one time in a glass container. That way, you do not have to throw away any leftover milk.

How long can breast milk be stored and where?

The last tips regarding storage of breast milk, concern the aspects of time and temperature. The time the breast milk can be stored depends on the temperature at which it is stored.

It can be stored around 6 h at room temperature or cool. It lasts around 24 hours in the refrigerator. If you decide to freeze it, it will last over three weeks in the freezer.

It does not matter how long the milk has been stored. You should always check it before giving it to your child. It is best if you smell it, taste it and check its color.

For greater safety, it is wise to label the containers you store with the date and time. If you do this, you will have full control over how long the milk is stored.

How should breast milk be heated?

If you decide to freeze the milk, it is a good idea to put it in the fridge for 24 hours before using it. This allows the milk to gradually return to liquid form.

If you can not wait that long, put the container in warm water and stir with it until the milk returns to liquid form.

The same procedure should be applied if you want to heat the breast milk. You should first immerse the bottle in warm water and then pick it up when you feel it has reached the optimum temperature.

As always, taste or feel so that the temperature is not too hot for the baby’s sensitive mouth.

As you can see, storing breast milk is not that complicated if you use these simple and useful tips.

Keep in mind that breast milk offers the baby the best vitamins, antibodies and defenses that its body needs to grow and become healthy.