The most valuable and beneficial for your baby, of course, is breast milk. And not one alternative food can not compare with benefits of breastfeeding. Almost every mother knows about its benefits, but not everyone knows how to store expressed breast milk correctly under different conditions. During lactation, a young mother may encounter various problems and situations, for example:
- need to go to work;
- the child bit his chest;
- the baby suddenly refuses to take a breast;
- urgently need to leave;
- any other life circumstances when a child has to be left at home with a nanny, grandmother, and relatives.
And during these periods, for the most accurate solution to problems, mothers try to express and leave milk, so as not to violate the diet of the child (How to express milk with your hands) And a logical question arises: what to store breast milk and how much is it stored without loss of beneficial properties?
Important! It is not necessary to sterilize expressed breast milk! Do not use milk after expiration of storage!
Storage tanks for expressed breast milk
There are several types of storage containers: glass, plastic and plastic. It can be packages and various containers, cups, bottles.
Video instruction on the use of milk storage bags
The main criteria that they must meet are:
- sterility;
- closure density;
- ease of use;
- the presence of a measuring scale is desirable.
Before purchasing a container, it should be decided for what purpose it will be intended.
If for freezing, it is better to buy special disposable plastic bags. Their advantage is that they are hermetically and easily sealed, sterile, made of very dense polyethylene and ready to use. They are also marked with a measuring scale and there is a place for inscribing the date and time. Such packages are sold in any pharmacy.
Some mothers use disposable plastic bottle liners to freeze, but this is not reliable.They are not suitable for storage and when frozen, the seams can burst. By defrosting, all contents simply flow out. But if you still have to use them, then for reliability, pour milk in a double bag. And do not store for a long time.
Most popular among solid containers is glass, in second place is plastic, and in third is plastic. But scientists have proven that milk can be stored both in plastic and in glass without compromising on quality.
For convenience, choose a container that will contain only a dose sufficient for one feeding. Be sure to indicate the date and time of decantation on the container.
How to store breast milk for a walk
Young mothers may face another problem - how to store expressed milk for a walk. For these purposes, the market offers several options for thermobags, as well as special thermoses for bottles. This is quite convenient, especially if you are on vacation for a long time and at the same time you can stock up on several servings of food.
Where to store breast milk
In between feeding and decanting, certain conditions must be adhered to for the proper storage of breast milk.
- If you plan to store milk for a long time, then the best way is to freeze it. Only freeze fresh milk, but before freezing it must be left in the refrigerator for a period of 1.5 to 2 hours. And do not forget to write the date and time. A frozen product, of course, loses a number of its useful properties, but it is definitely better than artificial mixtures.
- If a expressed portion of milk is used within a few days, it is better to keep it in the refrigerator. Chilled milk will retain almost all the beneficial substances. The main rule is not to store on the door.
- If fresh milk is drunk during the day, it is best to store it in a room in a sterile container and tightly closed.
Rules for defrosting and heating milk
To defrost a portion of milk, first place it in the refrigerator so that there is no sharp temperature difference. Then pour the portion into the bottle for feeding and heat in a water bath. For the convenience of heating milk, you can purchase a bottle warmer.
Never heat milk for feeding in a microwave oven, do not heat in saucepans, do not boil - it will lose all its useful properties.
Never freeze newly thawed breast milk. In this case, too, all properties are lost.
How much to store breast milk
Leaving stocks of breast milk, you need to know where, how much time and at what temperature it can be stored.
In a refrigerator:
In the refrigerator, expressed milk can be stored for up to 24 hours at a temperature of +4 + 6 degrees. At the same time, it should be placed as deep as possible. Fresh milk must be cooled before being refrigerated.
In the freezer:
In the freezer, expressed milk is stored at a temperature of -13 to -18 degrees for a month or even up to three months, and at a temperature of -18 to -20 degrees for no more than a year. Before freezing, milk is cooled in the refrigerator.
At room temperature:
At room temperature (from +19 to +22 degrees), a fresh product can be stored for no more than 10 hours. At a temperature not exceeding + 25 °, milk can be stored for no more than 6 hours (4-6 hours). More than 25 ° - up to 3 hours. Scientists have studied that the substances that make up breast milk can counteract the multiplication of various microbes, so milk does not deteriorate.
Shelf life of breast milk (visual table)
| Room temperature up to 25 ° С | Up to 6 hours |
| In the refrigerator (without freezing) 4 ° С - 6 ° С | Up to 24 hours |
| In the freezer with a shared door | Up to 2 weeks |
| In the freezer with a separate door -18 ° С | Up to 3 months |
| In the freezer -20 ° C | Up to 1 year (see video) |
Storage of expressed breast milk is an excellent solution to many problems associated with the violation of the feeding regime of your baby. Even if you are forced to be absent for some period of time, then your baby will not stop receiving your love, protection and all useful vitamins. The most important thing, of course, is to know the rules and storage conditions of this irreplaceable food for your crumbs.
On the topic of decantation:
- How to express milk with a breast pump?
- How to express with your hands?
- What you definitely need to know about pumping
How to store expressed breast milk? Tips for parents - Union of Pediatricians of Russia
Real advice from mommies. Nina Zaichenko
Tips from Maria Bezhko
Just today I prepared storage containers. Next week, you will often need to leave your daughter. very good and affordable article. thank.
I’m waiting for the baby, but I didn’t think about storing milk! And then I read the article and was a little upset. It would be nice to have all this. In any case, I would definitely buy a thermos! It's a pity there is no link where to buy it.
Sensibly, informatively, professionally, but does not crystallization of milk lead to a loss of the properties of mother's milk? Enzymes, hormones, immunoglobulins, protein fractions that lose their properties after freezing. In my opinion, after thawing, milk becomes only an ordinary food product ... If I’m wrong, write it off!
Marina, the article has a link to the online store. You can order bags and containers, and thermal bags.
Everyone has to express and store milk. Someone less often, someone more often. I needed it periodically to go away, but I did not make large reserves. Normal bottles are sterile and refrigerated. Milk was heated using a special heater. I had a fairly simple B.Well heater, it is inexpensive, and life makes it easier. At least, the grandmother with the screaming baby in her arms does not need to run to the stove, check the milk is warm or has already overheated. The heater switches itself off when needed. And you can put it in the child’s room.
Please tell me, the baby did not eat the bottle with expressed milk, there are 70 grams left, it is a pity to pour it out ли can I feed him with this milk? And for how long? Thanks in advance 🙂
Gathered to a stamotologist and thought about collecting milk. Thanks to the authors: the article is informative, structured and no water, all on the topic! I read many others before this article, but nothing was clear in them, I could not find answers to my questions.
The article is cool, though I store milk in an ordinary bottle (it seems to me that it is not profitable to buy these One-time bags and jars, it’s unprofitable, but the article was useful to find out how and what you need! Thank you!
Thank you for the detailed and structured description of the topic. It was very useful to learn about storing milk.
very good and useful information.
And I read somewhere on the forum that they are frosting in special ice packs. Tried very comfortable. Places in the freezer takes a little. by weight, one cell is approximately 10 ml; it is convenient to calculate how much milk is needed.
Is it possible to store expressed milk in a refrigerator in a bottle with a breast pump and, if necessary, strain it there and clean it again ???
It is very convenient to store milk in glass containers from anyone who has a yogurt maker. They were very useful to me for such a case!;)