Mother's milk is the most delicious and nutritious dish for the baby. This is a unique product. There is nothing in the world that could replace it. Nature itself has tried over the composition of breast milk. And mankind has not yet been able to recreate it, because some components of breast milk are simply impossible to reproduce artificially. You can talk about the benefits of milk forever. Young mothers are ready to fight for every drop for their baby. What if there is too much breast milk ? Well, do not pour it out! There is a way - this is freezing. How and in what to freeze breast milk?
Why is it frozen?
There are many reasons why young mothers want to preserve such valuable nutrition for the baby. During breastfeeding, a woman may encounter a number of situations and problems. For example, you need to go to work, and leave the baby with a nanny or grandmother, and so that during the absence of the mother the baby receives proper nutrition, it is better to express and save breast milk, namely freeze it.
No one is safe from ailments, and if you suddenly get sick, and the doctor was forced to prescribe antibiotics, then a supply of milk will be needed. After all, breastfeeding when taking such drugs is impossible. By the way, it happens that the baby simply refuses to suckle, then you can feed the baby with breast milk using a bottle. Anyway, there are no situations, and, of course, you can always feed a child with a mixture. And why, if there is an opportunity to freeze mother’s milk? So, dear mother, if you are lucky and you have a lot of this valuable product, in no case do not throw it away, better save it. And we will tell you how and in what you can freeze breast milk at home.
Can breast milk be frozen?
The answer is clear: you can. It is important to know how and in what way to freeze breast milk, how long it can be stored, and how to properly defrost. Of course, if you violate storage technology, you may run into trouble. Such valuable food will go bad and cannot be given to the baby.
How long can breast milk be stored?
At 20-24 degrees and above, this product cannot be stored at all. After 3 hours at room temperature, it begins to deteriorate. If you put freshly expressed milk in the refrigerator at 0-7 degrees, then the period of its storage should not exceed 5-6 days. Already after this time, it will begin to lose all its antibacterial properties. And then put it on the refrigerator door is not recommended. The shelf life of milk in such a place should not exceed a day.
And only freezing will save breast milk for a longer period and with a larger volume. In the freezer, it can be 3-4 months, and with deep freezing (at -20 degrees) - up to six months. Thawed milk is stored in the same way as just expressed, that is, no more than a day.
What is better to store?
Most mothers who decide to approach this method of storing natural nutrition for the baby are worried by the question: what is freezing breast milk? The feedback and answers to this are different. Someone acquires special containers, while someone uses everyday bottles. By the way, some mothers answer the question of how to freeze breast milk: in test jars. Of course, this method takes place if the jars are bought in a pharmacy and are completely sterile. But still, you should find out about all existing types of containers.
Storage containers are plastic and glass. The first thing that should guide everyone who purchases dishes and is interested in how to freeze breast milk is sterility and the ability to close the lid tightly. In addition, the container should be easy to use and have a measuring scale.
Today, manufacturers of products for mothers and babies can offer a lot of options in which you can freeze breast milk. When purchasing a breast pump, and you need it to express milk, ask if there are special containers for freezing in the kit. There may be glass bottles or freeze bags. Packages can be both reusable and disposable. The second, of course, is preferable. They are airtight, sterile, easy to seal and have a graduated scale.
The choice of how to freeze breast milk is up to you. Someone may advise glass jars, someone prefers plastic, but if you decide to opt for plastic, then it should be safe for the baby, without polycarbonate and bisphenol A.
Methods for sterilizing containers
Not everyone can afford to buy disposable dishes for storing mother’s milk, so you should pay special attention to the bottle sterilization point. After emptying the jar, washing it is not enough. For repeated use, it must be sterilized.
There are different ways to sterilize dishes for the baby. If you use glass containers, then it can be processed in a double boiler. Unfortunately, you cannot sterilize plastic using this method. You can also use a multicooker for these purposes by setting the “steaming” mode. The standard sterilization method used by our mothers and grandmothers is boiling. If you do not have a double boiler or multicooker, and also there is no way to boil the dishes, use the special antiseptic tablets that are sold in each pharmacy.
How to freeze breast milk?
Now you know how to freeze breast milk, a photo of containers for these purposes will help you make a choice in the store. And how to freeze this product, because simply decanting and putting it in the freezer is not enough? First of all, you need to decant only with clean hands, in clean and dry dishes. Then the container must be refrigerated to cool the milk. And only then place the container in the freezer.
Do not forget to mark the date of decantation on the container. If the container could not be filled, this can be done later, but the main thing - do not add freshly expressed milk to the frozen milk. First, cool the expressed milk in the refrigerator, and only then add to the frozen milk.
How to defrost milk?
In order for breast milk to retain as many beneficial properties as possible, it must be properly thawed. In no case can you do this in the microwave, you can’t boil - so all the beneficial properties will disappear. The most optimal is to use a bottle warmer , a stream of warm water or a water bath (but not more than 40 degrees). But before using these methods, milk must be moved from the freezer to the refrigerator so that there is not too sharp a change in temperature. It is better to move the container before bedtime, and get it in the morning.
Now you know how to freeze breast milk properly and in what. Of course, fresh is much better than frozen. But compared with the adapted mixture, frozen milk still has more beneficial properties.