Prolonged breastfeeding is a guarantee that your baby will have strong immunity. However, it often happens that a mother cannot be with her baby all the time. Many are forced to go to work, someone goes to the hospital or goes home for a few hours on business. What to do in order not to deprive the baby of precious mother's milk? There is a way out - this is its decantation and storage. After reading the article, you will learn how much you can store expressed breast milk and how to do it right.
Why express?
It is not necessary to stop breastfeeding when separated from a baby! Today, your baby can get a healthy mother’s milk, even in your absence. To help caring mothers - modern breast pumps and containers for freezing milk. A bottle of milk can be given by a grandmother or a nanny when you are not at home, or a caring husband while you sleep.
The second reason for decantation is the establishment of lactation. Breast milk is produced according to the principle of "demand - supply": decantation enhances the stimulation of the mammary glands, which means that more milk will come.
The third reason is to maintain breastfeeding. If you are prescribed medications that are incompatible with breastfeeding, the baby will have to be fed with a mixture. To maintain lactation, express yourself at the usual time of feeding the baby. Milk in this case is poured.
The fourth - decanting of lactostases, that is, stagnation of milk. Most nursing mothers face this problem at least once - a lot of milk comes in and a painful lump forms in the chest. In this case, express by hand, gently massaging the chest.
Storage and freezing of breast milk
The containers for storing mother's milk are usually plastic and glass bottles with caps. Modern breast pumps are often sold complete with milk storage tanks. Special containers for freezing are also for sale. Fill them with liquid by three quarters, because milk will expand when frozen. And it will be better and more practical to store such a portion, which is enough for the baby to feed one.
Do not forget to write the date of decantation on the container for freezing, use the "oldest" milk.
How much can expressed breast milk be stored?
Mother's milk does not look at all like the cow’s usual in our view. A thick layer of fat will float on the surface, and the liquid itself may acquire a blue tint. Do not shake the container, just gently stir. Milk should not have a smell, especially sour. The only exception is that thawed milk sometimes smells of soap: fats have reacted.
There are various opinions of experts on how much expressed breast milk can be stored. Consider them.
So, milk has left the female body. Experts say that at room temperature it can be stored for up to 8 hours. However, if the house is very warm, you should not risk it - it is better to put it in the refrigerator, and not in the door! Such chilled milk must be used within 5 days. Not used - pour it out!
How long can expressed breast milk be stored in the freezer? At a temperature of -15 C - no more than two weeks, at -18 C - from three to six months. In a powerful freezer at minus 20 degrees, milk may lie for a year, but at the end of the shelf life its quality will decrease. Thawed milk is not recommended to be stored in the refrigerator for more than 4 hours. Therefore, if you need to transport it, keep it refrigerated or do not defrost until the end. Re-freezing milk is not recommended.
With how much you can store expressed milk, we figured out. But how to defrost it? Take a container and place under running hot water. You can do this with a water bath. Do not use the microwave - all vitamins will be destroyed.