How to store breast milk at room temperature, in the refrigerator, in the freezer

The most valuable and beneficial thing for your baby, of course, is breast milk. And no alternative food can match the benefits of breastfeeding. Almost every mother knows about its benefits, but not everyone knows how to store expressed breast milk correctly in different conditions. During lactation, a young mother may face various problems and situations, for example:

• need to go to work;
• the child bit through the breast;
• the baby suddenly refuses to take the breast;
• need to leave urgently;
• any other life circumstances when the child has to be left at home with a nanny, grandmother, or relatives.

Proper storage of breast milk
And during these periods, in order to solve problems as carefully as possible, mothers try to express and leave the milk so as not to disturb the baby’s feeding regime (How to express milk by hand). And a logical question arises: what should breast milk be stored in and how long can it be stored without losing its beneficial properties?

Important! There is no need to sterilize expressed breast milk! Do not use milk after the expiration date!

How to Express Breast Milk for Storage

Separation from your baby is not a reason to stop breastfeeding. Save food for a short period of time, or create a milk supply. There are manual and mechanical expression.

Manual expression

At home, the mammary glands are expressed manually. Breast milk is sterile, but in any liquid environment there is a danger of pathogenic microorganisms multiplying, which is extremely dangerous for the baby. Therefore, during the pumping process, it is important to strictly follow the rules of hygiene. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap, and just wash your chest with water to avoid cracks. Sterilize containers for collecting milk.

Breast pump

Make sure that expressing milk using a breast pump is painless and comfortable for you. First of all:

• take a warm shower and get another “flush” in your chest;
• drink hot tea with milk;
• relax, stroke your breasts, mentally directing the milk to its center;
• put on the suction and monitor its intensity level;
• Express breast milk into a glass bottle or special container;
• select a storage method.

To make the device last longer, after use, rinse all parts with running water and dry.

Important points

Young mothers have a lot of questions about pumping, and answers to some of them can be found below.

Should I pump both breasts?

It all depends on what goals the woman is pursuing, how long she intends to be separated from the baby, and, accordingly, how much breastfeeding she will have to do.

If the mother is expected to leave for several hours, and you will have to feed expressed milk once, then expressing from one breast is quite enough. But if the mother's absence takes a longer time, then full feeding of expressed milk from a bottle can be ensured by expressing both breasts.

How often should I pump?

A woman must independently determine how much to feed her baby and how often she can express her breasts. However, you should not do this more often than once an hour. It is best that the interval is from one and a half to three hours. To make everything as convenient as possible, you can give one breast to the baby and express the other.

How many times should you pump?

It all depends on the life situation in which the young mother finds herself. In some cases, you have to practice this constantly, sometimes only periodic pumping is enough to ensure uninterrupted natural feeding. If this process is regular, then it is important to focus on the time when the baby is used to taking the breast. Of course, the mother must take care of the required amount of breast milk while she is away.

Should I pump at night?

If the baby is separated from his mother immediately after birth, it is very important to express at night, as this process will help maintain lactation. But to successfully establish lactation, you need to do this at least once every three hours. During this period, you can store milk for the future or simply pour it out if the newborn cannot consume such an amount. The most important thing these days is to establish the feeding process, which regular pumping will help with. If the baby no longer breastfeeds at night, night pumping is not necessary.

Will it be possible to feed the baby and express the other breast at the same time?

This is very technically difficult to practice. However, some women still succeed. Many mothers believe that this method helps stimulate milk production. If this does not bother the baby, you can practice this method. However, for most women, this distracts them from their baby. Therefore, it is still advisable to distinguish between feeding and pumping.

How long does this process take?

The procedure, which the mother carries out without a breast pump, lasts approximately 20-30 minutes. Using a breast pump speeds up the process - it takes about 15 minutes.

Should you mix milk obtained at different times?

This does not need to be done, regardless of the size of the portions received. It is worth feeding the baby only with the product that was expressed at one time.

Is it acceptable to feed a baby milk that has been stored outside the refrigerator for more than 4 hours?

Despite the fact that breast milk, in theory, does not spoil for 6 hours, being at temperatures up to 25 C is not worth the risk. It is especially dangerous to give your baby a bottle that has been stored for so long in the summer.

Which is better to express - with a breast pump or manually?

Using a sterile breast pump is reliable and safe. However, it is better to choose a method based on the mother’s individual feelings. Proper hand expression, provided that the mother adheres to all the rules, can also be practiced.

Is frozen food good for your baby?

Even if breast milk has been exposed to low temperatures, it is still much healthier than any artificial formula. However, it is important to adhere to the freezing and thawing technology and not to boil it after defrosting.

How to store breast milk

The containers used for storing breast milk must meet all the standards and requirements imposed on them. Pharmacies offer glass bottles and sterile polypropylene containers of a special composition that are safe for children.

Glass bottles

The most environmentally friendly option is to use glass bottles. At the same time, you will also save on used bottles with caps and jars of baby food. All the disadvantages of glassware are more than compensated for by its positive properties:

• it washes off perfectly;
• withstands all types of sterilization, incl. steam treatment;
• used repeatedly;
• non-toxic when heated.

Adviсe:

• Do not risk freezing the product in a glass container. Glass will not withstand low temperatures in the freezer for long;
• glass may crack due to a sharp temperature change during heating;
• Keep glass bottles of breast milk on the refrigerator shelf. When frozen, the container may burst under the strong pressure of the increasing liquid.

Plastic bottles

You can also store breast milk in plastic bottles.

Bottles from Medela, Philips Avent, Canpol Babies are compatible with breast pumps, which allows you to express breast milk directly into the container. Bottles are available in different volumes - from 150 to 250 ml, with a scale for measuring the amount of expressed milk.

Special containers

Plastic containers for storing baby food have become widespread. They are not cheap (from 300 rubles and above), but they have advantages: the containers are durable, they can be used many times, they do not crack, you just need to wash them and pour boiling water over them. Manufacturers guarantee reliable tightness and safety, citing mainly the absence of besfinol A.

Bisphenol-A is a synthetic estrogen, synthesized in 1891 by the Russian chemist A. Dianin. It is used as an inexpensive hardener in the processing of plastics; it can be contained in baby bottles and plastic dishes. The substance has a negative effect on the brain, causing tumors of various origins, diabetes, obesity, and autism. Dangerous when heating or storing food or liquid for a long time.

In Russia, the production of baby bottles has begun by companies that have abandoned the use of this chemical compound. The “BPA-free” icon indicates the absence of this substance in the packaging.

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Special packages

Plastic bags are sterile, easy to use, but expensive (average price: $10). Packages from Medela (from 800 rubles) and Avent (from 450 rubles) are popular among mothers. The package contains 25 bags of 150-180 ml:

• consist of two-layer polypropylene;
• the seams are additionally reinforced;
• The hole for pouring milk is wide;
• the base is stable;
• double protection clip;
• They are attached directly to the breast pump using adhesive tape.

After expressing breast milk, the bag is sealed and placed in the refrigerator. The bags have a graduated ruler and a place to write the date and time of pumping.

Before adding the product, squeeze out excess air from the bag and only then close it with the latch.

In a thermos

A real test for mothers is walking to the doctor or traveling long distances. A trip to the doctor takes time, during which the child has time to get hungry. A bottle of milk wrapped in a mitten quickly becomes cold in winter and sour in summer. Special thermoses help to store breast milk, maintaining its optimal temperature:

• thermos container;
• thermal bag;
• thermos refrigerator.

A thermos container is a simple, leak-proof container with a lid. The outside is lined with plastic, the inside is a thermal insulation layer (foam rubber or polystyrene). Porous materials conduct heat poorly, so a bottle placed inside will remain warm for 3 hours.

The thermal bag is convenient during walks. Externally it looks like a bag, inside there is a cavity for installing a bottle (or two). There are models with pockets for children's small items and diapers. Retains heat for 2-3 hours.

A thermos refrigerator will be a good help when traveling with a child over long distances. It is powered from the mains, and when using cold batteries, it can work for 15 hours, like a portable refrigerator. Without batteries, it “holds” the cold for up to 9 hours at an air temperature of +32 degrees. The durable fabric surface reflects the sun's rays well, and the walls are airtight. The thermos is compact and easily fits in the trunk of a car.

Which container to choose?

Containers for long-term storage in refrigeration devices are sold in children's stores and pharmacies. You need to choose experimentally what is most convenient for you. There are the following types of storage packaging, each with advantages and disadvantages:

1. Sterile disposable bags - they have a measured volume, take up little storage space, but have only one-time use and therefore their price is not justifiably high.
2. Sealed packaging containers - made of safe material, can be sterilized, which means reuse is possible, but the disadvantages are that you need to carefully monitor the tightness of the container and again the price is too high.
3. Bottles with sealed lids made of food-grade plastic - made of durable material that will withstand more than one sterilization, the lid closes with a screw thread and ensures tightness even in a horizontal position, convenient for defrosting and heating and feeding the child.

How to prepare a storage container

Prepare a clean, tightly sealed container for expressing. Make sure the container is heat treatable (glass bottles, jars, plastic containers). Polypropylene bags specially designed for this purpose do not require preparation.

Do not choose disposable tableware for this purpose! Below is a table of the suitability of plastic containers for freezing and heating milk.

Appearance and taste after defrosting

As the temperature drops, the appearance of expressed milk changes greatly. Because of this, many young mothers get scared and rather throw out the milk. The fact is that the fats contained in breast milk float, and at the bottom there remains a white, fat-free part rich in proteins - the milk stratifies.

Shaking the bottle causes the parts to mix and the milk to appear as usual. Its beneficial properties do not change at all.

After defrosting, it is always recommended to check the taste of the milk. A bitter or sour taste may indicate spoilage of a valuable product. A child should not be given this type of milk.

It is very important for all mothers to know how to properly feed a newborn in the first days.

Rules for storing breast milk

Breast milk is sterile. It has an ideal temperature regime for infants, a balanced composition and properties - antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory. Milk retains its valuable qualities for 4 hours after it was collected (at 28° C). Long-term storage requires low temperatures.

In a refrigerator

If you plan to store breast milk for a week, place the bottles in the refrigerator and follow these guidelines:

• Sterilize a regular container, otherwise the milk will quickly turn sour;
• Date the dishes with the time of pumping.
• Place the bottles closer to the back wall of the refrigerator, where temperature fluctuations are less (unlike the door).

The separation of milk into two parts (a fatty film at the top and a watery part at the bottom) is a common phenomenon that has nothing to do with the quality of the milk. Shake, the product will become homogeneous again.

If breast milk takes on a soapy smell, discard this type of storage. This sometimes happens in self-defrosting units.

In the freezer

The storage period of a dairy product depends on the power of the freezer, the frequency of its use and the location of the containers. Remember simple rules:

• freeze the product quickly, defrost slowly! Begin freezing by placing the bags in the top compartment of the freezer. The temperature is the lowest there. After complete freezing, place the bags lower (this applies to a separate freezer);
• Always freeze. Do not throw away breast milk, even if your baby refuses it. Later it will become an excellent addition to porridges, vegetable and meat purees, and desserts;
• Place in the freezer portions for one feeding (120-160 ml), otherwise the remaining defrosted milk will have to be thrown out.

At room temperature

Thanks to its bactericidal properties, breast milk remains fresh:

• at 15 °C – the whole day;
• at 22 °C – 10 hours;
• at 25 °C – 6 hours.

If you are leaving your baby for less than a day, you will not need a refrigerator. You can place the products in the basement, on the veranda, balcony, where it is cool (10-15°C). Rest assured that it will not spoil within 24 hours.

If there is a need to leave, cover the top of the milk with a “breathable” material - several layers of gauze or a linen napkin ironed on both sides. This will protect breast milk from the sun, provide a small amount of oxygen, and prevent anything foreign from getting into it. You should not leave the bottle in the sun if you do not plan to quickly obtain the curdled product.

How long can breast milk be stored?

Breast milk can be stored for a long time. Canned, it can be stored for six months or more. It depends on your planning and execution of the program "maximum" or "minimum". In accordance with this, the following is created:

1. long-term milk “bank” (when the surplus is frozen, the mother needs to leave for a long time, etc.)
2. short-term supply (from several days to a week).

If you are going to store milk for a long time, keep it at a low temperature. When deep frozen, milk is able to retain its unique properties throughout the year.

Having decided on the program, you select the means: a thermal bag, a refrigerator, a freezer compartment or a separate chamber with low temperatures. Then the containers: glass containers - for short-term waiting (on the countertop, in the refrigerator); containers and sterile bags - for a long time (in freezers).

Preserving colostrum

Use an unusual type of milk container - a medical syringe. It is ideally suited for preserving colostrum. It is possible to express and store first breast milk not only after childbirth, but also during pregnancy.

Do this strictly with your doctor's permission! Excessive stimulation of the breast threatens premature birth.

While waiting for the baby, the following is done:

• colostrum is collected in a sterilized spoon, then in a syringe (5, 10 cc) and placed on the refrigerator shelf.
• the contents of 3-4 syringes collected per day are poured into a special sealed bag with a zipper, the storage start date is signed
• The package is sent to the freezer before delivery.

The table shows the shelf life of expressed milk and colostrum for a healthy baby:

Shelf life of thawed breast milk

Proper thawing is extremely important for breast milk. One wrong step, and it will lose most of its nutrients, primarily enzymes and vitamins. Follow the basic rule: defrost slowly. Rapid defrosting will render the product useless.

How to defrost correctly

Containers and bags of the required volume from the freezer are placed on the middle shelf of the refrigerator until completely defrosted. After 6-8 hours, place the containers on the countertop, leave for another 2 hours at room temperature and reheat.

If you need to defrost breast milk faster, reduce the time it remains in the refrigerator and reheat it longer in warm water. As a last resort, defrost it at room temperature. If a frozen product is placed in boiling water, then immediately after heating you can safely pour it out, due to the lack of anything useful in it.

Signs of damage

If the milk has gone bad, several signs will indicate this:

1. Change in smell . It becomes unpleasant and acquires sour notes. If fermentation is active, the smell will be pungent.
2. Change in taste . If in doubt, you can try a drop of milk. Normally it is sweetish. The missing product is bitter or sour.
3. Changing the view . The fact that milk has spoiled is indicated by a change in its consistency. The whey rises to the top, and a substance resembling kefir remains at the bottom. It is not difficult to notice this in a transparent container. Curdled milk cannot be returned to its previous uniform consistency.

The color of milk does not indicate spoilage. If it's slightly bluish, it simply means it's low in fat. The color will change if a woman adjusts her diet.

Is it possible to store warmed expressed breast milk?

The optimal temperature of breast milk for feeding a baby is 36-37 degrees. Overheating is extremely undesirable. The heating temperature is no higher than 40° C. At high temperatures, the same thing happens as with rapid defrosting - useful microelements and vitamins are destroyed.

There are different ways to heat frozen baby food:

• under running warm water, periodically shaking the contents;
• in water heated to a boil. Boil water in a bowl. Switch off. Place a bottle of milk in it and, shaking, wait for it to heat up. You can use an infrared meter.
• in a baby bottle warmer. It maintains the optimal temperature for heating at 37° C and eliminates overheating.

Heat thawed breast milk once and store it in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Do not refreeze milk that has already been heated! Firstly, the quality will suffer, and this is unsafe for the child. During initial heating, air access opens to the product and various kinds of microorganisms penetrate there (in non-hazardous quantities). Unsterilized milk is again sent for preservation along with them. Microbes will “overwinter” well and, upon reheating, will dangerously multiply in the environment they most desire—warm liquid.

How to store breast milk while walking or traveling

When walking with your baby, it is convenient to use thermal bags. Their main function is to preserve cold. Inside there is a foil layer that helps maintain the temperature for 3 hours.

Cold storage batteries are included with the bag. These are sealed containers with a salt solution or special gel inside. They are frozen before use, then placed in a bag where the melting gel releases the cold. The shelf life of the product increases to 10-12 hours.

When traveling for a long time with a baby on a train or by car, it is convenient to use a car refrigerator. It connects to a power outlet or car cigarette lighter and cools the containers.

How to keep it longer

If, for a number of reasons, you do not plan to breastfeed your baby until he is 1.5-2 years old, then there is a need to preserve your milk longer. You will receive a fresh, healthy, vitamin-rich dairy product if you listen to the recommendations:

• containers must be clean and well closed;
• It is advisable to exclude contact with air and sun;
• freeze milk at different temperatures, including low.
• the container should be convenient and small in volume;
• use special containers, they are sterile and have a measuring scale.

What not to do

Mothers face a difficult task - to maintain the quality of expressed milk and eliminate any possibility of infection. Therefore, get some advice on what you definitely shouldn’t do:

• secondary freezing is an open gate for pathogenic microorganisms. You can't freeze it twice!
• A microwave oven is a destroyer of enzymes and vitamins and heats unevenly. Not recommended.
• Reheating the same defrosted portion is prohibited!
• Open fire for rapid heating and sterilization are unacceptable!

Listen to the advice, take it into account and feed your baby with mother's milk. Storing breast milk means giving him a well-preserved, unique product for a long time, and the mother continuing to lead an active lifestyle.

When should you practice pumping?

So, whether you need to express milk after feeding depends on the situation. In fact, there are not many cases when you need to express. But it is precisely in those cases that will be mentioned that this is really necessary. If questions arise about why to express after feeding and whether it should be done, a woman can always ask their doctor.

So, expressing breast milk should be practiced in the cases listed below:

If the baby was born premature

When a baby is born prematurely, a sucking reflex , so he simply cannot suckle at the breast. However, the body of such a baby can easily absorb mother’s milk, and, moreover, it is vital for a premature baby to receive natural nutrition, which will provide him with all the necessary substances, which will activate his growth and improvement of all body systems.

Presence of pathologies in the baby, poorly developed sucking reflex

Babies whose sucking reflex is poorly developed are called “lazy suckers” in medicine. A poorly developed sucking reflex can be associated with various reasons, including pathologies of the central nervous system . But even if such a problem occurs, this is not a reason to suspend lactation. You can practice pumping and give your baby a bottle - this will make it easier for him to suck.

Formation of lactation

After childbirth, colostrum begins to be produced , which is not yet milk. Colostrum is thicker and richer. And although little of it is produced, the baby gets full very quickly.

Breast milk appears 2-3 days after the baby is born, and its volume is usually very large. The child simply cannot cope with it. This is why mom has to release her breasts, which are getting heavy. After all, if the baby does not suck milk, this is a signal for the body that it needs to be produced less. In order to ensure sufficient milk production, it is necessary to express. But this should only be done until the chest is relieved and softened.

Lactation deficiency

Many young mothers are faced with advice that they need to express milk if they are producing little milk, in order to stimulate its production in this way. However, not all doctors give such recommendations. After all, natural feeding and pumping are completely different things.

It is feeding that best stimulates milk retention. However, if a woman still tries with all her might to establish lactation, you can try all available methods. So, if the mother stays next to the baby and thinks about him while pumping, this helps stimulate milk production.

Milk stagnation and the threat of mastitis development

This condition can develop if the baby sucks the breast incorrectly or if the baby’s sucking reflex is poorly developed. Also, stagnation leading to the development of mastitis is possible if a woman expresses incorrectly. With mastitis, you need to try to express specifically from those lobules that have hardened.

Use of medications that are excreted in breast milk

During breastfeeding, very few medications can be used, both herbal and synthetic based. If, however, circumstances develop such that a nursing mother is forced to take medications that are prohibited during feeding, she must regularly express and pour out the milk. During this period, the baby will have to be fed with formula. However, this way you can maintain lactation.

If the mother knows that she will have to start a course of treatment, you can try to store breast milk for future use, knowing how to properly freeze it for storage.

Inverted, flat nipple

This reason is considered to be conditional, since nowadays you can purchase special nipple covers, with the help of which breast sucking is significantly facilitated.

Nipple shields

But if even with the help of such a device it is not possible to establish the baby’s nutrition, you will have to express your breasts and practice feeding with a bottle.

The need to be separated from the baby

If breastfeeding is a priority for the mother, but at the same time she needs to be absent periodically, pumping is a real way out of the situation. A similar situation occurs if the baby is undergoing treatment without his mother. Then you can express the milk and transfer it to a medical facility.

Procurement for future use

To practice natural feeding for as long as possible, mothers sometimes simultaneously feed their baby and express milk to use in the future.

Preserved breast milk

However, it makes sense to do this only if the mother plans to stop breastfeeding soon, but wants to provide the baby with such a valuable product for as long as possible. It is important to remember how much milk costs in the freezer. It also has its own expiration date. In addition, with such storage, mother's milk loses its properties to a certain extent.