How to store breast milk in the refrigerator. Expressed milk: not all and not at once. What is the best way to store milk?

15.08.2019

Without a doubt, breast milk is the best food for a newborn. Due to certain circumstances, a nursing mother has to resort to the pumping technique. The formation of cracked nipples, a temporary lack of a sucking reflex in a premature baby, refusal of the breast, and other problems can cause a woman to start expressing breast milk. Using it, a woman does not need to take care of the reserves of artificial nutrition, because the baby still receives a unique nutrient fluid and it is only important for a young mother to know how to preserve all the beneficial properties of milk after the procedure. In order for useful substances to remain in milk in the maximum amount, the conditions of its sterility and the principles of how to properly store expressed breast milk must be fully observed, so that the baby receives all the components necessary for growth and development.

If you have problems with putting the baby to the breast, you need to stock up on information in advance on how to store expressed breast milk so that it does not deteriorate. To understand how long expressed milk can be stored, it should be noted that ambient temperature indicators play a fundamental role in the length of shelf life. That is, they can vary, because in the room, in the refrigerator or freezer, the temperature regimes differ significantly, and the storage period is accordingly different.

For many years now, scientific research has been carried out on how long expressed breast milk can be stored. Today it is customary to use the following indicators of the recommended shelf life of breast milk:

At a temperature regime of 15-18 ° C, it is allowed to store it for a day;
The product at room temperature 19-23 ° C, stored for 10 hours;
When the heat is above 25 ° C, it must be fed to the baby no later than after 4 hours;
Breast milk in the refrigerator remains usable for 1 week;
In the freezer, the product is good for 6 months at a temperature of -18 - -20 ° C.

Thawed breast milk can be stored in the refrigerator (4 - 6 ° C) for another day.

Using the above storage methods, it is necessary to take into account all the nuances in which the product does not lose its properties: follow the rules of sterilization, cooling, etc.

In addition, how much to store future food for the baby at room temperature and chilled, mommy should know that there is a specialized convenient container for these purposes.

In cases where the mother is separated from the child after childbirth, it is necessary to establish pumping to stimulate lactation. At the same time, even if only a drop of valuable liquid was expressed, it is necessary to give it to the child. This will help the baby get stronger faster and be close to mom. Medical workers will provide the necessary assistance to a young mother, tell her how to express milk correctly, how many times to resort to this technique and where to store milk for the baby.

What to store

How to store expressed breast milk is decided by the mother based on the quantitative needs for milk supplies.

The modern market of goods for newborns offers you a wide range of special containers in which milk is stored without losing its properties. They are made from high quality plastic and glass. The main thing is that such containers can be subjected to heat treatments and endure sudden temperature changes. They must meet the following requirements:

sterility;
tightness;
the presence of measured markings;
convenient when there is an area for marking.

Expressed breast milk can be stored in a special container without any harm to the health of the baby, since harmful bacteria will not have access to the contents. It is only necessary to label the product in order to control its shelf life under certain storage conditions. The following types of milk containers are used:

bottles for short-term storage of liquid;
special packages for freezing (they have a fastener, an area for an inscription, do not require sterilization, are suitable only for a single use);
food grade plastic containers.

Where it is better to store the product is decided by a young mother based on the current situation. If the mother resorts to expressing only once, then it is more advisable to use a bottle. If a woman plans to leave the baby for a sufficiently long time (for example, during a session), it is worth creating the necessary stock by freezing in bags.

Dr. Komarovsky emphasizes the preservation of all beneficial properties in frozen breast milk. At the same time, the pediatrician focuses on the need to comply with the rules of pumping, storage, freezing and warming up.

Features of storage in the refrigerator

Some principles should be followed so that the milk in the refrigerator does not spoil prematurely. For this:

We sterilize containers that can withstand high temperature changes.
We place it deep into the refrigerator, do not place it on the shelves of the door.
Shake the product thoroughly before use.

Subtleties of freezing

In order for the frozen product to be better preserved, some instructions must be followed. In this case, it is better not to use containers or glass jars, it is better to use the already mentioned special storage bags. Due to the fact that they are completely sterile and do not take up much space in the freezer. Therefore, you can put a large number of them there. It is important not to forget to label the product, which guarantees its freshness.

Also, do not store expressed breast milk in a bottle. Indeed, when frozen, it will be subjected to great pressure due to an increase in the volume of liquid, and as a result, the container may burst.

To properly approach the freezing process, it is necessary to express milk after each feeding, as this will provide a large supply of product. Next, the expressed milk must be cooled, and only then placed in the freezer. Do not forget about sterility when pumping!

Regarding recommendations for portion sizes, they should be small. Based on one feeding, since for the next you have to defrost another portion. Milk stored in this way is very easy to defrost.

To ensure the nutrition of the crumbs for long-term storage, it must be placed in a separate section of the freezer and look there as little as possible. If it is in the general compartment, then it will be stored much less in time.

Do not forget that re-freezing a defrosted product is not allowed! Since all nutrients and useful substances are thus destroyed. And in order to properly prepare previously frozen for use, it should first be placed in the refrigerator. In terms of time, this, of course, is longer, but only in this way can the entire value of the product be preserved.

Defrost Rules

Defrosting a valuable product also requires certain important conditions to be met. The most acceptable is the slow defrosting of milk. Its essence is to place a vessel with a frozen liquid at room temperature for 12 hours. Using this method, it is important to take care of the milk in advance and get it out of the freezer.

In cases where the next portion of milk is needed suddenly, you can use the quick defrosting method by placing a container of milk in a bowl of cool water. It will take about 40-60 minutes to defrost in this way.

Warm-up Features

In order for mother's milk to retain all the valuable properties, it is necessary to follow the rules of pumping, freezing and thawing. An equally important aspect is the last stage - warming up. Because there are many ways to warm up expressed breast milk from the refrigerator. For this, several options are possible:

Use of a special electrical appliance for heating.
Place the milk in the bottle for a while in a container of hot water.
Hold over steam until the contents of the bottle reach the required temperature.
By the method of "water bath" for 5 - 7 minutes. It is important that the water does not boil. After the end of the warm-up, the container must be shaken slightly.

It is important to know that in no case should the product be heated directly in the pan. Such techniques destroy useful vitamins and minerals, and often contribute to excessive overheating. Therefore, it is better not to experiment on the health of the crumbs, but to warm the expressed milk in proven ways.

Heating the product in the microwave today is the subject of much controversy. A number of pediatricians deny the negative impact of microwaves on the quality of breast milk. Opponents of the use of this household appliance argue that microwaves can change the structure of the protein. It is also impossible not to take into account the uneven heating of the liquid when using this technique.

To keep milk warm, you can use special thermoses (thermo bags, thermal containers) for mother's milk. This is especially true when the baby needs to be fed during a long walk or while traveling.

Rules for expressing milk

The possibility of using expressed raw materials allows nursing mothers to lead an active lifestyle. Most often, this need arises due to the following reasons:

mother’s absence for a long time due to (passage of medical procedures, a long trip, going to the cinema, an invitation to a celebration, etc.);
inflammation of the mammary glands, cracked nipples;
refusal of the child from the breast due to a poorly developed sucking reflex;
constant pumping to increase lactation.

Experts have proven that expressed breast milk retains its beneficial properties for six months. The main thing is to observe the conditions of decanting and storing the product.

Breastfeeding consultants have made the following recommendations in this regard:

when expressing with a breast pump, do not forget to sterilize / boil it before each feeding;
with the manual method, you need to thoroughly wash your hands with soap and dry;
use only clean sterilized containers;
do not fill containers to the brim as frozen liquid expands;
label the container with the pumping period.

To keep milk for a long time, it is necessary to express it correctly. The value and sterility, as well as its taste, directly depend on compliance with the above rules.

How long does breast milk last?

Preserving the nutritional value of the milk product expressed from the breast is not an easy task. After all, it is important for a newborn that a tasty delicacy keeps warm, does not contain harmful bacteria, is easily digested and improves immunity. Therefore, every breastfeeding woman is interested in how long the expressed breast milk can be stored.

The problem has been studied by many world-class scientists. They concluded that breast milk can be stored indoors, as well as in a refrigerator and. It is important to observe the storage conditions that allow you to prepare the necessary supply of healthy treats for the crumbs. Let's take a closer look at how much breast milk can be stored and which storage location is best suited for each specific case.

In room

Most of all, mothers are interested in the topic of how long breast milk can be stored at room temperature. Breastfeeding experts respond that even short-term storage of expressed breast milk at room temperature requires air control. Based on the results of the research, they came to the following conclusions:

mother's milk is stored for a day at a cool room temperature not higher than 16-17 ° C;
the storage time is halved (about 10-12 hours) if the air in the room warms up to 19-22 ° C;
only 5 hours is allowed to keep milk in a room with a temperature above 25 ° C.

If you leave the newborn for no more than a day, do not use the refrigerator for the expressed product. Breast milk at room temperature perfectly retains valuable qualities and does not deteriorate due to the content of active substances (beneficial bacteria) that prevent sourness.

However, longer than the indicated time at room temperature, storage of breast milk is prohibited. If you have a veranda, balcony, basement and other rooms that keep cool (10-15°C), put the product there and be sure that it will last for a day.

In a refrigerator

The expressed milk can stand for more than a week. On the shelves, the average temperature regime is + 4-6 ° C, it allows you to keep the freshness of milk up to 5-6 days.

At 0 - + 3 ° C, the shelf life of breast milk is extended up to 8 days. It is recommended to place the product further away, towards the back wall of the refrigerator, where the temperature is lower.

Do not place expressed breast milk on the door, as frequent door openings cause temperature fluctuations. Such jumps are unfavorable because they allow the reproduction of harmful bacteria.

Immediately after expressing milk, do not put it in the refrigerator. You need to keep it indoors for a while.

In the freezer

Allows you to store breast milk for a long period, since the temperature in the freezer compartments is on average -18°C-24°C. The optimal temperature regime in this case is -18 ° С. Such storage conditions allow you to keep freshness a little more than 6-8 months. If the constant temperature regime is from -20 ° C, then the shelf life of milk increases to 12 months.

If it is not possible to set a low temperature, it is acceptable to store the frozen product at -5-8°C. It will remain usable for six months.

Before freezing, it is necessary to hold the container with milk in the cold for about 2 hours and only then freeze it. Be sure to record the date and time of pumping. Do not open the freezer unnecessarily.

Do not be alarmed if you find a strange-looking content when you take out expressed breast milk from the refrigerator. Under the influence of cold, it exfoliates: fats accumulate at the top, a fat-free residue remains at the bottom. The nutrients are preserved. Shake the container with raw materials several times until a homogeneous structure.

Remember that mother's milk will retain its quality only if the storage rules are strictly followed.

How much to store expressed milk and where, mothers decide. Experts recommend using non-durable milk (in the room / refrigerator), since the composition of the dairy product changes with the growth of the baby. An older child needs a different vitamin composition than a newly born baby, so milk that has undergone a long freeze will not suit a growing body.

How to store breast milk?

Breastfeeding women should take a responsible approach to the choice of containers for storing milk expressed from the breast. In this case, containers made of glass, plastic, plastic and even polyethylene are suitable.

The main thing is that they meet the following parameters:

tightness;
convenience;
small volume;
the presence of a measuring ruler;
absolute purity (possibility of sterilization).

If you often have to freeze milk, then purchase special bags at the pharmacy designed to store the expressed product. Plastic bags are convenient because they are sterile, equipped with a scale, a place for fixing the time. Suitable for single use, easy to close, maintaining tightness.

It is equally convenient to store raw materials indoors or in refrigeration equipment in glass, plastic or plastic containers. It has been proven that none of them affects the value of milk.

Moms often ask if they can breastfeed with expressed milk on a short trip or a walk. If there is a need to take a portion of milk with you, then it is better to use a thermal bag.

Try to use the container of the volume that you need for a single feeding. Don't forget to label your products.

Rules for heating and defrosting expressed milk

When defrosting a portion of the mother's treat, you must adhere to the following algorithm:

move the container with milk from the freezer to the refrigerator and wait until the raw materials are completely defrosted;
mix the required amount of melted raw materials until a homogeneous structure, pour into a bottle and heat to the desired temperature in a water bath.

In specialized stores, you can buy a bottle warmer that keeps the raw materials warm at a constant level of 37 degrees. This is the best way to warm up your expressed milk.

We offer some more useful tips for defrosting milk, which have been tested in practice by many experienced mothers:

defrost only 1 serving of milk;
choose a product that is frozen before everyone else;
prepare in advance by removing raw materials from the freezer 8-12 hours before use;
heat only melted raw materials;
thawed products can be stored indoors for about 4 hours and a day in a refrigerator;
before feeding the baby, smell and try the heated product: it is strictly forbidden to give spoiled (with a sour smell and bitter taste) raw materials;
to determine the readiness of warmed milk, put a few drops on your wrist.

Often breastfeeding women ask the question: is it necessary to warm breast milk? If the child has grown up (over 6-7 months) and is accustomed to drinking water at room temperature, then it is permissible not to heat the expressed product stored in the room. Everything else depends on the room temperature. It is up to the mother to decide whether to heat the breast milk or not.

What can't be done?

re-freezing of strained raw materials;
use of a microwave oven for heating;
heated over an open fire in a saucepan and boil;
reheat previously heated milk.

These actions lead to the loss of valuable properties of mother's milk.

The ability to keep expressed milk fresh and nutritious is a lifesaver for moms that solves many problems. It is important to remember that the most useful delicacy is the milk received by the baby directly from the breast. In addition, it is physical and emotional communication with the mother, which forms the psychological health of the child. Keep this in mind and try to give your newborn milk directly from the breast.

Any pediatrician will say with confidence that breast milk is the most useful and proper nutrition for a newborn baby. However, sometimes situations arise when a woman has milk, but breastfeeding is impossible. If a mother is determined to continue breastfeeding (LF), she will have to decide how to properly express and store her breast milk. Our article will just tell you how to do it.

When is it necessary to feed with expressed milk?

Feeding a baby with expressed breast milk is generally necessary in three situations:
1. When there are problems with latch on. This may be due to the physical weakness of the newborn (in the case of a premature or small child, as well as during a severe illness) or an atypical nipple shape (flat or inverted nipple).
2. When the baby does not want to make an effort to get milk. This is often seen in children who have learned what a bottle is. The child very quickly learns that it is much easier to drink from the nipple than from the breast.
3. When the mother cannot be near the child at the time of feeding. This is true for women who needed to go to work early, continue their studies or temporarily leave the city.
As you can see, if a woman understands how to properly express and store breast milk, she has the opportunity to keep breastfeeding not only when her baby cannot (or does not want) to breastfeed, but also when the mother herself needs for some reason reason to be away from the baby for a while.

In Soviet times, nurses told and showed in detail to all newly-made mothers in the maternity hospital how to properly express breast milk. Formulas were then very expensive, and their availability and quality left much to be desired, so women fought desperately to keep breastfeeding.
Today, on the shelves of stores you can find absolutely any mixture for any age, but none of them will ever replace mother's milk for a child, so pumping remains the main tool in establishing breastfeeding.
Pumping helps to avoid mastitis when there is too much milk, and stimulates the mammary glands when there is not enough milk. In addition, it allows you to leave a supply of breast milk at home in case mommy needs to go away.
There are 2 main ways to express:
hand pumping;
pumping with a breast pump (manual or electric).
If you don't plan on feeding your baby often with expressed milk, collect milk by hand or with an inexpensive manual breast pump. If you need to be separated from your baby often and for a long time, get an electric model.

Manual Expression

Many women do not understand how to properly express breast milk with their hands. Yes, not everyone can decant manually the first time: it is quite painful and uncomfortable. To make the process as efficient and painless as possible, it is important to master a certain technique.
Before pumping, it is advisable to wash your hands thoroughly and perform a light massage of the mammary glands. To stimulate milk production, it is also recommended to drink a glass of warm tea. Directly when expressing with your hand, it is necessary to support the chest from below so that the index finger is on the lower edge of the halo. With downward movements of the thumb, the milk is “driven” towards the nipple and, with moderate pressure of the thumb and forefinger, is squeezed out of the breast.
If the feeding time has not yet come, at first the pumping will go very slowly: the milk will literally flow out drop by drop. After a rush, which you can guess by familiar signs (heaviness in the chest, tingling, burning), milk will begin to be expressed in a jet.
If, after repeated attempts, you are unable to figure out how to express breast milk by hand, contact a lactation specialist or try using a breast pump: with it, the process, as a rule, is faster and easier.

Expressing breast milk with a breast pump

breast pump- This is a fairly convenient mechanism for expressing breast milk. You simply apply it to your breast in such a way that the nipple is located in the center of a special funnel, and turn on the device (in the case of an electric model) or rhythmically squeeze the “pear” or lever with your hand (if it is a manual version).
How to properly express breast milk with a breast pump is usually written in the instructions for the device. Be sure to sterilize all items and containers that will come into contact with breasts and milk.

How to store breast milk properly?

In order for milk to retain valuable properties for a long time and not deteriorate, you need to know how to properly store expressed breast milk.
It is worth saying that the most important thing when storing expressed milk is the right choice and sterility of containers, as well as compliance with the temperature regime and storage periods.
How long expressed milk can be stored depends mainly on temperature. So, for example, when stored under normal room conditions (with a temperature of 22–25 degrees), milk must be used within 4–6 hours, and the remains should be disposed of. If you put the bottle in a cool place (19-22 degrees), the milk will not spoil for 8-10 hours. At 15 degrees, milk can be stored for a day.

Can I store expressed milk in the refrigerator or freezer?

Many women are interested in whether it is possible to store expressed milk in the refrigerator and whether it will lose its value from this. We answer: yes, it is possible and even necessary to store the remains of expressed milk in the refrigerator if it is not planned to use them in the next 4-6 hours. In the refrigerator, the stock can be up to 7-8 days, but you need to keep it not in the door, but in the coldest part of the cabinet (with a temperature regime of 0-4 degrees).
As a container, any clean glassware or food-grade plastic is suitable. Some breast pumps are equipped with special bottles, containers or bags for collecting and storing breast milk.
Important: in order to dispose of "expired" milk in a timely manner, it is required to indicate the date of pumping on each container.
An interesting fact: colostrum in its composition and properties is very different from mature milk, so even at a temperature of 27-32 degrees it can be stored for 12 hours.

Breast milk freezing guidelines

There has been debate for a long time about whether it is possible to freeze expressed breast milk. After all, after 1-2 hours it changes its taste. Experiments have shown that human milk, when frozen, retains a large proportion of its beneficial properties, so it can be stored in the freezer in order to subsequently be thawed and used to feed the baby.
The shelf life of frozen milk is strictly regulated: if we are talking about a freezer without its own door, milk is stored under such conditions for up to 14 days. If expressed milk is placed in a freezer, which is an independent compartment with its own door, or in a chest freezer, the storage time increases to 4 and 6 months, respectively.
When freezing and thawing breast milk, a number of rules must be observed:
indicate the date of freezing;
use suitable containers (mainly food grade plastic);
do not add fresh milk to a container with previously frozen milk (otherwise it will be difficult for you to control the expiration date);
defrost milk in a specialized device or in a container with warm water;
do not freeze thawed milk again;
do not overheat or boil milk after defrosting;
use thawed milk in the first 2 days (store in the refrigerator).

Conclusion

We have prepared this article so that new mothers understand how to properly express and store breast milk. Fortunately, expressed milk can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer for a long time, so you won't have to stop breastfeeding even if you suddenly need to be separated from your baby for a long time.
If you only need to leave your baby for 4-5 hours, you don't even need to put the expressed milk in the refrigerator: it keeps well under normal room conditions.
In the end, we can only wish your baby good health, and your home - peace, love and warmth!

Mother's milk is a product whose composition has not yet been repeated. It is this that in the first days of a baby's life is the only and most valuable food. In addition, it is a source of strong immunity crumbs for the rest of his life.

Every mother wants to give her child as much as possible. That is why many try to save excess "product" for subsequent feedings. The need to store milk also arises when a mother, for some reason, cannot breastfeed her baby.

Most mothers have experienced situations where breastfeeding is not possible. The most common of them are:

separation of mother and baby for a while;
mother taking certain medications;
refusal of the baby from the breast;
various diseases of the mammary glands, etc.

But even in these situations, your baby can eat mother's milk if you save it after pumping.

Ways to store breast milk

The shelf life of milk depends on the storage method you choose: at room temperature, in the refrigerator or in the freezer.
Boiling expressed milk is prohibited! Under the influence of high temperature, beneficial substances are destroyed: enzymes, vitamins, trace elements, immunoglobulins, prebiotics.

How to store breast milk at room temperature

The composition of mother's milk allows you to feed your baby with it, even if after pumping it was not in the refrigerator for several hours. This means that you can leave a bottle of milk in the room for a short time without worrying that it will go bad. It is important to remember that milk, while in the room, should not be exposed to direct sunlight, because. this will lead to an uncontrolled increase in its temperature. So, it will no longer be possible to count on its suitability for use.

Approximate storage times at room temperature are as follows:
up to +15 degrees - 24 hours
from +16 to +20 degrees - 12 hours
from +21 to + 25 degrees - 5 hours
above +25 degrees about - 3 hours

We take milk with us for a walk

It is much easier for a modern nursing mother to remain mobile thanks to various accessories and devices. So, for going on a long walk, it is convenient to carry milk in a thermal bag or a thermos for bottles. They keep the original temperature of the milk. And you can feed your baby without resorting to heating the contents of the bottle.

Storing milk in the refrigerator

The refrigerator allows you to keep food fresh for a longer time due to the temperature, which is significantly lower than room temperature, on average it ranges from 0 to +4 degrees. Storing breast milk in this way also does not affect the composition of the nutrient fluid. It is important to know the following points here:

the maximum storage period is one week;
milk must be placed closer to the far wall of the refrigerator, and in no case in the door.

Freezer - a place of long-term stocks

Many nursing mothers, especially in the first months, are characterized by excessive milk production, which the baby cannot fully consume. In such cases, the most suitable option, in order to preserve an indispensable product for the child, is to express and freeze. After expressing milk, special containers designed for this purpose are filled and placed in the freezer.

Frozen milk can be stored for about a year, given that this is a separate chamber. If the freezer used is located in the refrigerator itself, and for it in this case the temperature regime is about -6 degrees, then this period is halved - about six months.

Where to store milk

When deciding how to store expressed breast milk correctly, you need to pay special attention to storage containers.

To preserve the freshness of milk at room temperature at home or on a walk, it will be enough to pour it into a plastic or glass sterilized bottle.

When stored in the refrigerator, given that you use the product within a week, you can also use regular sterilized bottles. Aluminum containers are not recommended.

To freeze milk, you can purchase special bags or plastic containers (cups), with airtight locks and lids. Both those and others have a measuring scale and the ability to put down the date of freezing on them. They are made from certain materials that do not tend to tear and burst from low temperatures.

How to freeze and thaw breast milk

There are a few key points to consider if you want to preserve milk after pumping by freezing it.

breast milk should not be drastically cooled to sub-zero temperatures. You must first bring it to room temperature. Then place in the refrigerator for a while, and after that - shift to freeze. Thanks to gradual cooling, everything that is useful and nutritious in milk will be preserved as much as possible.
breast milk should be frozen in portions designed for one use. This is due to the fact that re-freezing of expressed milk is not allowed.
it is impossible to mix portions of milk that differ in pumping time before freezing. This will prevent damage to it.
when defrosting, the milk must go through the reverse processes of freezing - the package of milk taken out of the freezer must be placed in the refrigerator for some time, and after bringing it to room temperature, warm it up to +37 degrees.
when heating, the use of microwave ovens and stoves is not recommended, since under their action the main amount of useful components is destroyed.
even if all the freezing conditions have been met, breast milk can still spoil, so always smell and taste it before feeding. The sour smell speaks of its depravity.

Do not forget that mother's milk is of the greatest value and benefit right after pumping, when it has not been stored for a day under certain conditions. Breastfeeding your baby directly should always be a priority. And the stored reserves must be used as a last resort, as well as with the gradual introduction of complementary foods, adding it to cereals, vegetable purees, scrambled eggs.

Convenience is one of the many benefits of breastfeeding: in most cases, milk comes directly from the "producer" to the "consumer", and there is no need to worry about the collection, storage, preparation and freshness of the "product".

However, for one reason or another, many mothers pump and save milk for their babies: some occasionally, others day in and day out. This article contains useful information about what your expressed milk looks like and how to store it. All of the following recommendations apply to milk storage for healthy full-term babies. . If your baby is in the hospital, or if you are wondering how to properly store donor milk, the list of recommendations may be different.

What does expressed milk look like?

Those who have never pumped before are surprised to see that expressed breast milk looks very different from the usual milk from a bag. Unlike homogenized commercial cow's milk, breast milk separates into layers when allowed to stand. The fatter part floats up and forms the top layer. This does not mean that the milk has gone bad: if you shake the bottle slightly, it will again become homogeneous.

Milk expressed at different times can also look different, as many factors affect its content and even color. The fat content of milk can change both from day to day and during one pumping session. Milk expressed at the beginning of a feed may look "fat-free" compared to milk expressed at the end of a feed, when more fat milk begins to flow to the nipple due to the milk ejection reflex.

The color of human milk can also vary. Colostrum is most often yellow or yellowish-orange. The process of transition of colostrum into "mature" milk can last about two weeks. During this period, the color gradually changes and becomes bluish white. Even the color of "mature" milk can change depending on what the mother is eating and whether she is taking any medications. If the mother's diet contains carbonated or fruit drinks, dessert jellies, then food coloring additives can change the color of milk to pink or pinkish-orange. Greenish milk may mean that mom drank drinks with green dyes, ate seaweed or green vegetables in large quantities. Frozen milk may be yellowish in color.

Pinkish milk can also mean that blood has seeped into it. Cracked nipples are often the cause of pink milk, but blood may appear in the milk even if there are no cracks. If it seems to you that there is blood in the milk, cracks in the nipples should be healed. The blood in the milk will not harm the baby and you can continue to feed. If there is still blood in the milk two weeks after birth, the mother should see a doctor.

The smell of expressed milk

Usually, fresh breast milk has a delicate, slightly sweet smell. Occasionally, thawed milk may taste like soap, and the child does not want to drink it. In Breastfeeding: A Healthcare Professional's Handbook, Dr. Ruth Lawrence states that if milk is stored in refrigerator freezers that do not require defrosting ("self-defrosting" freezers), the fat composition of the milk can change due to the freeze and thaw cycles that constantly alternate in such freezers.

Some mothers report that their milk smells of soap as soon as it is chilled, whether it has been frozen or not. Dr. Lawrence writes: “When mothers heated their milk to a very hot (but not boiling) state, and then quickly cooled and frozen it, the soapy smell was not so noticeable, and the children agreed to drink heated milk treated in this way. The above process killed lipase (an enzyme that breaks down fat) and stops the process of breaking down fat.”

However, heating milk to such high temperatures can adversely affect the levels of nutrients, one of which is ascorbic acid (vitamin C).

If, judging by the smell, the milk is sour, heating will not affect the taste or smell in any way. If by smell it seems to you that the milk has gone bad - most likely it is, and such milk needs to be poured out.

How to choose a convenient container for storing milk

Milk must be expressed into a clean container. The container for long-term storage of milk must be tightly closed. The container can be either glass or plastic - there is disagreement as to what material the dishes for storing milk should be made of, so that the beneficial substances and immune factors contained in it are best preserved. According to recent studies, milk can be stored in both plastic and glass containers without compromising its quality composition. The Breastfeeding Answer Book recommends the following procedure for selecting containers for storing breast milk.

In the first place are vessels made of glass, in the second place are vessels made of transparent hard plastic (polycarbonate), and in the third place are opaque plastic (polypropylene) vessels. If the baby drinks expressed milk only occasionally, the material from which the milk storage container is made does not matter so much, because in this case, even if the type of container does have a negative effect on the composition of the milk, in total it is negligible.

Ease of use is one of the important factors when choosing a container for storing expressed milk. Plastic bags, for example, take up little space and are directly connected to some breast pumps. The packages intended directly for storage of milk are made of dense material. They are easily sealed and sold already sterilized. These bags usually have a special place where you can enter the date of pumping and the name of the child. Disposable plastic liners for bottles are not recommended - they are not suitable for storing milk. The seams on these bags may burst when frozen, and the contents of the bag may leak when thawed. If you are forced to use these bags, pour the milk into two bags, one inside the other, to form a double layer of polyethylene for strength. Long-term storage of milk in disposable plastic bags is not recommended.

Chilled milk can be combined with another portion of cold or frozen milk, provided that the amount of milk added is small enough not to thaw the previously frozen portion. It is better to freeze small quantities (2 to 4 ounces - 60 to 120 ml) so that you do not have to pour out unused defrosted milk - it is a pity to transfer such a valuable product.

If your milk will be stored in the refrigerator or freezer with milk for other babies, label the container with the date of pumping and baby's name.

If you don't have a fridge

If a nursing mother is at work and wants to continue breastfeeding, even if there is no refrigerator at work, there are ways to save the milk expressed during the day. Research has shown that human milk has the amazing ability to inhibit bacterial growth and can go up to 10 hours from pumping at room temperature.

One notable study on the subject was published in 1987 in the International Journal of Childbirth Education. Mature milk was expressed into clean, but not sterile, vessels. The milk was divided into two portions: one portion was left at room temperature (19-22 C, or 66-72 F) and the other was placed in the refrigerator for 10 hours. After 10 hours, a bacterial analysis of both portions was carried out. No statistically significant difference was observed in the levels of bacteria in milk from different portions stored at different temperatures.

If there is no electric refrigerator nearby, you can get out of the situation by using small cooler bags with freezers (there are even refrigerators designed specifically for storing expressed milk) or ordinary thermoses. The thermos can be filled with ice before leaving the house to cool the inner chamber, and then pour the ice out just before pouring the expressed milk into the thermos. (Translator's note: If you don't use tap water for drinking, consider using boiled water to make ice for safety's sake.)

How long can expressed milk be stored? The "Breast Milk Storage Recommendations" table at the end of this article is based on the latest research on this topic. If not you yourself, but someone else will feed the baby with your expressed milk, it makes sense to acquaint this person with this table.

Milk that you are going to give your baby within 8 days of pumping should be stored in the refrigerator instead of the freezer. Firstly, it does not have to be thawed, and secondly, the immune factors contained in milk are better preserved chilled rather than frozen. If milk has to be stored for more than 8 days, it is better to freeze it.

Remember that the composition of mother's milk is ideally suited to the needs of the child and his stage of development at the time the milk was expressed, and try to use the most "fresh" portion.

Storing milk outside the home

A breastfeeding mother should have the right to store milk outside the home, for example, at work, or in the refrigerator of a child in a nursery. There is no need to take any special precautions that are usually associated with the storage of bodily fluids in public areas. In a 1997 article in The Journal of Human Lactation, Laurie Nommsen-Rivers advises that if employees complain about storing breast milk in a communal refrigerator, you can avoid unnecessary talk by placing a container of expressed milk in an additional opaque dish.

Information on storing breast milk:

Whose children are born full-term
- who will feed expressed milk at home rather than in the hospital
- who wash their hands before pumping
- who wash vessels and containers with hot soapy water and then rinse them thoroughly

Breast milk containers intended for long-term storage must be labeled with the pumping date.

Colostrum (expressed within 6 days of delivery):

12 hours at room temperature 27-32 C (80.6-89.6 F)

Mature milk:

at 15 C (59-60F) - 24 hours
at 19-22 C (66-72 F) - 10 hours
at 25 C (79 F) - 4-6 hours
refrigerated at 0-4 C (32-39 F) - 8 days

Frozen milk:

Freezer shelf inside refrigerator, no separate door - 2 weeks
Freezer compartment with separate door - 3-4 months (temperature varies due to frequent opening of the door)
Stationary (separate) deep-freezer with a constant temperature of -19 C (0 F) - 6 months and longer.

How to store breast milk:

in tight plastic or glass containers
in special bags for storing frozen milk
It is not recommended to freeze milk in disposable bottle bags
before adding a new portion to already frozen milk, it must be cooled

How to heat milk

In order to defrost or heat milk, you need to put the container under a warm stream of water from the tap. Do not heat milk to a boil; shake the container before checking the temperature of warmed milk; never heat breast milk in the microwave.

thawed milk

Frozen milk that has been reheated can be left in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Such milk cannot be re-frozen.