Mother's milk storage. How long can breast milk be stored at room temperature. In special bags for breast milk

03.07.2019

Breast milk is the best food for a baby. But not all mothers have the opportunity to constantly be with the baby during the day. You have to leave it to loved ones and nannies. And so that the health of the child is not affected, and lactation is preserved, milk is expressed into a bottle. Then leave for storage in a refrigerator or freezer. Pumping with lactostasis in a nursing mother is also acceptable. But in order not to harm the baby, because, as you know, pathogenic bacteria develop very quickly in dairy products, which can cause severe digestive upset, you need to know how much expressed breast milk is stored under certain temperature conditions, as well as how to properly express milk, so that it doesn't disappear quickly.

To maintain lactation, breast milk must be expressed at least once every 3-4 hours, while the night break should be no more than 6 hours. By the way, it is night pumping that contributes to the production of the hormone prolactin, a sufficient amount of which is the guarantor of a large amount of milk in a woman.

If mom is comfortable, you can express the breast with your hands. To do this, you need to wash your hands. Take any container, most importantly, it must be clean. Even a simple tea mug with a volume of 200-250 grams will do. Expressed breast milk in this way is not forbidden to store during the day right in the same mug in the refrigerator. After a day, it is desirable to pour it out. Hand pumping is much more convenient for women who do not have too much milk. However, this process can be very lengthy. In the first days, it takes up to an hour to draw the desired volume.

Expressing breast milk with a breast pump is faster and often more convenient. Convenience depends on the quality of this "device". Pear type breast pumps are only suitable for hyperlactation. The plastic part injures the areola of the nipple. From the plastic part of the breast pump where milk enters, it must be poured into a storage container. Properly expressed milk can be stored in a bottle or other clean, neutral container for 24 hours at 2-4 degrees above zero. There are pear-type breast pumps, to which the bottle is screwed, but they are also not very convenient, since when the breast pump is removed, a little milk is poured out. Not everything goes into a screwed bottle.

Expressing breast milk is more convenient for mom if you use modern, expensive breast pumps. There are even those that imitate the sucking of a baby, and therefore milk can be expressed even more. His flushes occur in the process of pumping. This is almost impossible to achieve with conventional breast pumps or hands. The bottle is also attached to the breast pumps of the well-known companies "Medela", "Avent".

But the type of breast pump does not affect how and how much breast milk can be stored after pumping. In order not to harm the baby, the milk storage bottle must be sterile - boiled or sterilized in a special device or microwave.

By the way, an interesting point is how to freeze expressed breast milk for long-term storage and what not to do. Do not add warm, only expressed milk to cold, stored in the refrigerator. You must first cool it in a separate container in the refrigerator and only then mix it. Naturally, you can mix only the milk that was expressed on the same day.

How long can milk be stored in the refrigerator after pumping and in what capacity is it convenient to do this? Here you can choose. For 1 day, you can leave the milk in a clean mug, covered with a lid, or a closed baby bottle. The shelf life of expressed breast milk in a freezer at a temperature of 18 degrees below zero is longer - it is 3-6 months, provided that it is not thawed. But for storage in the freezer, it will be more correct and more convenient to use sterile disposable bags that are sold in a pharmacy. On them, you can and should sign the dates when the milk was expressed.

If you have already warmed up the milk, but the child did not eat everything, you cannot cool or freeze it again.

Storing expressed breast milk is a great alternative to formula in situations where the mother does not have the opportunity to breastfeed her baby on time. If you learn how to properly store milk, the child will be able to receive the most healthy nutrition, designed specifically for him, even in the absence of his mother. About how much milk can be stored in different conditions and how to do it correctly, we will tell in this article.

What is breast milk and when does it need to be stored?

Breast milk is a unique product that contains about four hundred useful substances that a child needs for full growth, development and immunity. Milk is balanced in composition and has no full-fledged substitutes, even expensive infant formula cannot be compared in properties with mother's milk. Therefore, the best solution for mother and baby is breastfeeding with breastfeeding on demand.

However, there are situations when a mother cannot feed the baby at the right time. Most often this happens for the following reasons:

the mother's exit to work or study, business trips or sessions in another city;
hospitalization;
the need to take potent drugs that are incompatible with breastfeeding due to their effect on the child through milk;
refusal of the child from the breast;
the need to heal cracks or sores on the nipples;
important life circumstances that force you to leave the child with a nanny or loved ones.

The inability to constantly be near the child should not be a reason for not breastfeeding! Breast milk can be expressed regularly and stored, creating a "milk reserve" in case of mother's absence.

If a mother cannot be with the baby all the time, this does not mean that the child will not be able to receive her milk.

Doctor Komarovsky about expressed milk (video)

Storage in various conditions

You can store an indispensable product in different conditions: at room temperature, in a refrigerator, a thermal bag and in a freezer. The duration of storage for each method is different:

indoors, fresh milk is stored from 4 hours to a day, depending on the air temperature;
it is permissible to keep the product in the refrigerator for up to 8 days at a temperature of 0 to 4 ° C;
in the freezer, natural baby food can be stored from 2 weeks to 6 months, depending on the technical features of the device.

At room temperature

Milk can be stored without refrigeration in room conditions for no more than 24 hours.

24 hours milk is stored in a room with a temperature of up to 15 ° C;
10 hours - at 19–22 °C;
4-6 hours at 25°C.

American scientists in 1987 conducted research during which they studied the duration of storage of expressed milk at an average room temperature (22 degrees) without losing its quality. They found that due to the content of special substances in milk, after 10 hours the number of pathogenic microorganisms does not exceed the permissible level, regardless of where it was located - in a room or a refrigerator.

Storing milk in this way is possible in a situation where the mother can give milk at least twice a day.

Important! Keep milk containers away from sunlight.

Milk is kept fresh for a long time due to the content of special substances that prevent the development of microorganisms

Advantages of the storage method:

milk retains its smell and taste;
less stringent requirements for containers than for freezing;
the procedure for preparing milk for consumption is simple - just warm it up to body temperature;
in extreme cases, if it is not possible to warm the bottle, it is permissible to offer the child milk at room temperature.

Flaws:

short shelf life, after which the milk turns sour;
not suitable for long-term absence of mother.

In fridge

Keeping milk in a refrigerator is recommended in situations where the mother is forced to be absent for quite a long time. This method of storage is also suitable for women who cannot fully attach the baby to the breast due to painful cracked nipples.

Remember to mark the date and time on the bottle when the milk was collected.

In order for milk to be stored in the refrigerator for the prescribed period - from 4 to 8 days, you must strictly follow the storage rules:

Milk containers must be sterilized. Improperly prepared bottles can significantly reduce the shelf life of an invaluable product.
Each portion must be signed. Be sure to indicate the date and time of milk collection on the milk containers.
Place the milk container at the back of the refrigerator. Do not store bottles or jars on the refrigerator door or too close to it - temperature fluctuations in this case are contraindicated.

If you are going to store the milk in the refrigerator, then don't worry when you see that it has separated. This does not mean that it has deteriorated, to return a homogeneous consistency, you just need to shake the bottle.

The door of the refrigerator is the most inappropriate place to store milk.

A negative point that is sometimes observed when milk is cooled is the appearance of a “soapy” taste and smell. This is due to an excess of the lipase enzyme in the milk of some women, which is involved in the breakdown of milk fat. Most babies are not bothered by the new taste, but some babies don't like it and refuse offered milk.

How to eliminate the "soapy" taste and smell

If your child is refusing food because of an unfamiliar taste, food that has already been stored will most likely need to be discarded. But don't despair! Soapy taste is eliminated by heating in a water bath. Properly heat milk to the desired temperature, causing the destruction of lipase and stopping the process of splitting fats, as follows:

Place the next 50 to 150 ml portion of freshly expressed milk into a heat-resistant glass beaker. It is impossible to warm up a larger amount at one time.
Place a glass of milk in a saucepan and pour water into it in such an amount that the water level is 2 fingers higher than the milk level.
Light the strongest fire or turn on the high mode of the stove and wait for the water to boil, during which bubbles should appear in the milk.
Immediately after the water boils, remove the glass from the pan.
Place the glass in a container of ice water, cover it with a clean lid or plate, and wait for the milk to cool to room temperature.
After cooling, pour the nutrient liquid into a storage container and refrigerate.
Use only durable glass that does not burst from temperature changes.

Attention! Heating milk to high temperatures reduces the amount of nutrients, so the product processed according to this technology should not be the only source of nutrition for the child.

The advantage of storing milk in the refrigerator is the preservation of the product for several days without significant changes in its properties.

Disadvantages of the storage method:

the possibility of an unpleasant aftertaste;
sometimes it is necessary to warm the milk.

Freezer storage rules

Freezing milk may be necessary in case of prolonged absence or illness of a nursing woman. The duration of milk in the freezer without loss of useful qualities depends on the ability of the freezer to maintain a constant temperature without drops:

on a freezer shelf located inside the refrigerator and without a separate door, milk can be stored for 2 weeks;
in the freezer compartment, equipped with its own door - about 3-4 months;
in a separate deep freezer at -19 °C - 6 months.

Frozen milk is preserved without loss of its properties only with strict observance of the freezing rules.

After you have expressed milk, do not immediately put it in the freezer, but put it in the refrigerator to cool for 1.5–2 hours.
Use only sterile plastic containers or special disposable bags for freezing breast milk.
Do not store milk in the freezer in glass containers. They can burst under the influence of low temperatures.
Do not forget to sign the date of expression and freezing of milk.
Freeze milk in portions - 100-150 ml each. Thawed milk should not be stored for more than one day, the remaining product will have to be poured out.

Placing expressed milk in the freezer allows you to keep it for as long as possible.

Remember that it is not enough to freeze and store milk properly. So that it does not lose its beneficial properties, it must be properly defrosted.

When freezing and thawing milk, you must adhere to the main rule: avoid sudden changes in temperature. After you have taken out a serving of milk from the freezer, you need to follow these steps:

The container with milk should be placed in the refrigerator for at least 3-4 hours for slow defrosting.
After the liquid has thawed, it must be removed from the refrigerator and held for about an hour at room temperature.
Immediately before feeding, the milk is warmed up in gentle ways: in a container with warm water, under running tap water or in a baby food warmer.
Do not forget that after thawing, a nutritious product can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than a day. Milk that has already been warmed up for feeding cannot be stored. You can't freeze milk a second time.

An important advantage of storing milk in the freezer is the ability to preserve the most valuable product for a long time.

Flaws:

milk can acquire an unpleasant “soapy” smell and taste (the method for eliminating them is described above);
a product stored for a long time, in its composition, no longer meets the needs of a grown child.

One of the unique features of mother's milk is that its composition changes as the baby grows. Milk expressed while breastfeeding a two-month-old baby is no longer so ideal for a baby who is 6 months old. Therefore, it is necessary to feed the baby with milk that has undergone long-term freezing only if it is seriously necessary. In any case, such milk is better for the baby than infant formula.

Using a thermal bag

An insulated bag with cooling elements helps keep milk a little longer than at room temperature, but not as long as in the refrigerator. The storage time of milk in this device varies depending on the quality of the bag, the number of cooling elements and the outside temperature.

The thermal bag can be used for the following purposes:

saving expressed milk on the road, especially in hot weather;
transporting a portion of milk that the mother expressed while at work, for subsequent placement in the refrigerator or freezer;
transportation of frozen milk;
keeping heated milk warm (in this case, instead of the ice pack, you can put a bottle of boiling water in the bag).

Advantages of storing milk in a thermal bag:

mobility;
the ability to store not only chilled, but also heated milk for feeding.

Flaws:

short storage time;
the inability to maintain a constant temperature - it gradually changes.

How to store breast milk (video)

General rules

If you have a need to store milk for your baby, you need to know how to choose the right utensils for storing a nutritious product and prepare the milk for consumption.

Tare selection

You can store mother's milk in a variety of containers: bottles, jars, containers, cups, special bags. The material for containers can be glass, hard plastic, food grade plastic. The main requirements for milk storage containers are:

material safety;
sterility;
the presence of a measuring scale;
ease of use;
a tight-fitting lid.

It is most convenient to store milk in the room or in the refrigerator in bottles with a lid. It can be heated directly in them, without having to transfuse the nutrient fluid. The best solution for a freezer would be plastic bags for storing milk, which are sold in a pharmacy. They are sterile, compact and can be connected directly to some models of breast pumps. In addition, they have a place for notes where you can enter the date of collection of milk. Disposable polyethylene bottle liners are not suitable for freezing, as they have unreliable seams that can burst during freezing or thawing.

Milk storage bags are ideal for freezing

Preparation for use

Before feeding the baby, the milk must be warmed up. Milk from the freezer by this time should be defrosted in accordance with all the rules, it is advisable to keep the product from the refrigerator for at least half an hour at room temperature. Milk stored without refrigeration can be reheated immediately. You can do this in several ways:

In a container of warm water. It is enough to put the bottle in a saucepan with warm, but not hot water and shake it occasionally for even heating.
Under hot tap water. The bottle also needs to be shaken from time to time and check the degree of heating.
In a special bottle warmer. Suitable for those cases when an inexperienced person remains with the child, who finds it difficult to determine the correct heating temperature.

The ideal temperature for ready-to-drink milk is 36.6°C. It is not necessary to measure it with a thermometer, just a drop of milk on the wrist. If you feel neither cold nor warm, the product is at the optimum temperature for feeding.

Modern devices for warming bottles allow you not to worry that milk will overheat and lose its properties.

Even if you are sure that the storage conditions are strictly observed, check the quality of the milk before giving it to your baby. After warming up, hold the bottle up to the light. The milk should not look curdled. Smell it: if it has a pungent smell, then, most likely, it has begun to sour.

Attention! Do not use the microwave oven to heat the expressed milk, do not heat it on the stove in a saucepan, and do not boil it.

What not to do when storing mother's milk:

add fresh milk to a container with a frozen product;
freeze milk again;
mix milk that was collected on different days.

Different methods of storing breast milk have their own characteristics, pros and cons, which must be taken into account when choosing storage conditions. The main thing is to remember that the baby will receive all the necessary nutrients, vitamins and antibodies only if the rules for storing and preparing milk are strictly observed.

Depositphotos/gosphotodesign

The development of the baby depends on many factors, but the most valuable for him is breast milk. There is also an alternative - dry mixes for babies, which also have many useful properties, but unfortunately, they cannot compete with mother's milk and all parents know about it. But few people know how and how much breast milk is stored.

Due to circumstances, there may come a time when a mother can no longer breastfeed her baby, but this has nothing to do with stopping lactation.

The most common reasons are:

going to work;
the child has already cut teeth, and he bites hard on the chest;
refusal of the baby from breastfeeding;
urgent departure and other circumstances that force you to leave the baby with relatives or a nanny.

It is at such moments in life that the mother has to think about how to store breast milk after pumping, because it is absolutely impossible to break the usual nutrition for the baby, especially if the mother has the opportunity to continue to give the most nutritious and vitamin - breast milk.

Another question that worries a young mother is where to store breast milk, because all the useful qualities should be preserved as much as possible.

Breast milk should not be boiled. It is extremely important to adhere to the shelf life and in no case use the food after it expires.

How to store breast milk in the freezer

How to store milk after pumping? There are several types of storage containers:

from glass;
plastic;
plastics.

Containers are produced in the form of bags, containers, cups and bottles. The most important conditions they must meet are:

tight fixation of the lid or any other type of closure;
sterility;
withstand high temperatures or temperature fluctuations;
ease of use;
it is desirable, but not necessary, to indicate the measuring scale on the container.

Before you choose one of the types of containers, you need to decide where exactly it will be used.

If the milk storage temperature is minus, i.e. to be frozen, it is better to purchase special disposable bags. They have a lot of advantages:

they are sterile;
tight;
made of dense polyethylene;
there is a marking of a measured scale;
there is a place to sign the packaging date;
can be purchased at a pharmacy.

Some of the moms have found use for disposable plastic bottle liners, but it's not a very reliable method. They are not durable and do not withstand freezing, their seams can easily disperse. And when defrosted, the contents will simply pour out. If there is no other option, it is better to place the milk in a double bag and reduce the shelf life.

Glass, plastic and plastic containers are also very popular. It has been proven that the storage of breast milk after pumping in the refrigerator in these types of containers does not impair its useful qualities.

What kind of dishes you would not choose, remember that you must follow the rules for storing milk, because it depends on you how many useful properties will reach your baby. For convenience, freeze such an amount of milk that the little one eats in one feeding. And also be sure to date and write the time of pumping.

How to store expressed breast milk in a bottle while walking

When the weather is fine outside and a young mother wants her baby to be in the fresh air as long as possible, the question arises of how much breast milk is stored in a bottle for a walk and how to create the right conditions. In order to maintain the optimal temperature of the expressed feed, the market for baby products offers a large selection of thermal cases for bottles and even thermal bags, for larger volumes. They are designed to maintain the initial temperature of the placed vessel with liquid. Those. if you put a bottle of warm milk in such a case or bag, it will remain so until the moment of feeding, if it is cold, respectively, the coolness will be preserved.

Best ways to store expressed breast milk: how and how much

There are certain rules on how to properly store breast milk after pumping, they must be strictly adhered to.

If you plan to keep milk for as long as possible, then it is best to use freezing. You can only freeze fresh milk, which will be warm, so it must first be placed in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Be sure to include the date and time of pumping on the packaging. When mother's milk is frozen, there is a slight loss in the quantitative indicators of useful substances, but this method is definitely better than artificial mixtures.
The shelf life of breast milk in the refrigerator is 8 days, so if the mother plans to use during this period, in this case, there is no need to freeze. The cooling process practically does not affect the beneficial substances in milk. The main rule is not to place the container in the refrigerator door, because. the temperature is higher than in the refrigerator.
The shelf life of breast milk at room temperature is 10 hours. If the amount of expressed milk is enough to feed the baby during the day, it can be placed at room conditions. Dishes must be sterile and tightly closed.

How to defrost breast milk

To avoid sudden changes in temperature, after you have taken out the portioned container from the freezer, it must be placed in the refrigerator. After complete defrosting, the milk should be poured into the bottle from which you feed your baby and warmed up in a water bath. It will be more comfortable to use a special warmer for baby bottles. There are even 2in1 models where you can both heat up food for crumbs and sterilize bottles, which greatly simplifies the work of parents. It heats up to the desired temperature, and then automatically maintains it.

If there is no time for complete defrosting in the refrigerator, milk can be melted in the same water bath, but it should be borne in mind that such a process is not correct, as a result of which a large number of useful trace elements are lost.

Breast milk should not be heated in a microwave oven, in pans, and should not be boiled, it will lose almost all useful components. You can not freeze expressed milk twice, i.e. if you defrost too much, the second time, the milk cannot be frozen.

How long does breast milk last

When stocking up on breast milk, you need to be aware of how to do it correctly and what its shelf life is at different temperature conditions.

In the refrigerator, at temperatures from 0 to + 5 ° C, expressed breast milk retains all its qualities for 8 days. It is recommended to place containers with baby food as close as possible to the walls of the refrigerator. Freshly expressed milk must be cooled at room temperature for 1 hour, and then put in the refrigerator.
In the freezer, the temperature regime should range from -15 to -20 ° C. In special containers for freezing breast milk, it is usable for 6 months. Don't forget to chill it in the fridge first.
The shelf life of breast milk at room temperature from +20 to +22 ° C is 10 hours. If the temperature reaches +25 ° C, in this case up to 6 hours.

Specialists conducted many studies, the results of which proved that the substances that make up breast milk are able to restrain the reproduction of various kinds of microorganisms, as a result of which the milk will not be spoiled during the specified time.

Additional rules

Despite the fact that modern mothers have every opportunity to store breast milk for a sufficiently long time, do not forget about the rules that will help preserve all the most useful things that mother's milk gives the baby.

Do not mix portions of milk that have different packaging dates.
Preservation of colostrum. If, due to unforeseen circumstances, the mother cannot be with her baby in the first hours of life, there is a need to express colostrum, which is considered the most beneficial for the baby, even in comparison with breast milk. Colostrum is produced only the first couple of days after childbirth. It can also be frozen, but its shelf life should not exceed 12 hours.
It is not advisable to store more than 5 servings of milk in the refrigerator.
If there is a common door in the freezer where expressed breast milk is stored, then the period of its implementation is not more than 14 days.
If the freezer is kept at -20°C, the shelf life of the product is 1 year.
Prepared milk containers should be placed in a separate freezer drawer so that it is opened only when necessary. If expressed breast milk is stored in the common section, its shelf life is significantly reduced.

After defrosting, breast milk will become stratified: its fattest part (fat layer) will float on top, and under it there will be a transparent liquid. This process is absolutely normal and is not a reason to think that milk is not suitable for nutrition. There are also cases when frozen milk changes its color. This process depends on the amount of fatty acids. The smell emanating from the product also depends on them. Therefore, if all the storage rules have been met, you should not worry.

Keeping expressed breast milk is a great opportunity for mom and baby not to lose that coherent thread through which everything necessary for the development of the baby is transmitted. Even in the case when the mother had a need to be absent for some time, this will not affect the diet of her little one in any way. The main thing that a mother should do is to follow the indicated storage rules so as not to leave her baby without the most necessary - mother's breast milk.

Breastfeeding is not only an incredibly useful procedure for the baby, but also a very convenient process: the “goods” come to the “consumer” directly from the “manufacturer”, which in most cases eliminates the need to establish assembly, storage and transportation processes.

However, in some situations, there is still a need to express and store milk. Some mothers face this extremely rarely, others almost every day. By reading the information below, you will learn what expressed milk looks like, how to store it, how long it will remain usable and get a number of additional useful information about the process in question.

Women who have never expressed milk before are often very surprised by the appearance of the latter. A natural product is noticeably different from its packaged store counterpart. If the latter looks like a mixture of the same color with a uniform consistency, then the former, after standing for a while, is divided into layers, as a result of which the fattest component rises to the top. This is not evidence of spoilage of milk: just shake the container a little, and the product will again become homogeneous.

The type of milk received at different times will also be different, because. The composition and color of the product is influenced by many different factors.

In most cases, breast milk has a yellowish color, it can be yellow-orange. The processes of converting colostrum into "full" milk usually take about 2 weeks, during which the color of the product gradually approaches bluish-white.

In addition, the color of milk is affected by the diet of a nursing mother. For example, if a woman consumes various carbonated drinks, sweet jellies and other similar products, the color of milk may change under the influence of food coloring. Therefore, when you see greenish expressed milk in yourself, think about whether you drank Tarragon or anything else with a similar color the day before. For example, even fresh green vegetables or seaweed consumed by a woman in large quantities can give milk a green color. If none of these are in your diet, consult your doctor.

If the expressed milk is pinkish, there is blood in it. There are often cracks on the nipples of nursing mothers - through them the “coloring” process takes place. A small amount of blood in expressed milk will not harm the baby. If you continue to note the pinkish color of milk even 2 weeks after the birth of the baby, be sure to consult a doctor - this may indicate the presence of adverse processes in the body.

Where to store breast milk?

There are several basic requirements for the container. She must:

be absolutely clean;
close tightly;
be made of a material that does not affect the composition of milk.

Most often, plastic and glass containers are used to store expressed milk. Disputes regarding which material is preferable continue today. In accordance with the results of recent studies, both glass and plastic containers are suitable for storing the product in question - both materials have absolutely no harmful effect on the quality of milk.

glass takes the first place;
the second position of the rating is assigned to solid transparent plastic;
the top three is closed by containers made of opaque plastic (polypropylene).

In general, if the baby has to drink expressed milk from time to time, the choice of material for making the vessel can not be given such close attention: even if the container used will somehow change the composition of the product, in the total standings such changes will be extremely insignificant and harm the baby will not bring.

In addition, an important criterion for choosing containers for storing expressed milk is the convenience of its use. For example, plastic bags do not require much storage space and in most cases can be directly connected to breast pumps, which is very convenient.

It is better to refuse the use of disposable liners for baby bottles - they are not intended for storing milk. Such a package can simply burst during the freezing process, which will cause a lot of inconvenience in the future when the defrosted product spills out of the container. As a last resort, you can use a double-layer container by inserting a bag into a bag.

Freeze milk in separate small portions - up to 100-150 ml, so that in the future you do not have to dispose of the unused product.

Storing milk requires the implementation of a number of important rules - only in this way the product will remain useful and of high quality for the required time. You can find the key requirements in relation to the moment in question in the following table.

Table. How to store expressed milk

Requirements	Explanations
Do not put expressed breast milk directly in the freezer	The fresh product must first be allowed to cool sufficiently in the refrigerator, and only after that the container can be transferred to the freezer.
Freeze the product in portions	Usually mothers know how much milk their children eat at one meal. Focus on this value and freeze milk in portions.
Do not mix milk obtained at different times
Do not store milk on the refrigerator door	On the shelf attached to the door, the temperature indicators are not stable, which is highly undesirable in the case of milk storage.
Label containers	This will make it easier for you to navigate. It is enough to simply write the date of pumping on each container.
Choose the right place in the freezer	It is best to store the product at the farthest wall - here the temperature differences are the least significant.
Don't Overstock Unnecessarily	Creating a "bank" of milk is advisable if the mother is absent somewhere for a long time. If a woman is always near the child, it is not worth freezing more than 5-6 servings - it is better to feed the baby with a fresh product.
Do not refreeze breast milk	Unused product will have to be discarded. You can't freeze it again.

The best option for long-term storage of the product in question is to freeze it: put the container of milk in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, then transfer it to the freezer.

If the milk is consumed by the baby in the coming days, the product can be safely stored in the refrigerator. The advantage of this option is the fact that chilled milk without freezing practically does not lose its beneficial properties.

If the child consumes milk throughout the day, there is no point in cooling and freezing it: it is enough to close the storage container tightly and leave it at room temperature.

Permissible shelf life of milk

The shelf life of the product in question directly depends on the conditions of its storage: the lower the temperature, the longer the product can be stored. So, at room temperature from 22 degrees, milk will be stored no longer than 5-6 hours. At a lower temperature in the room, it can "hold out" up to 10 hours.

At a temperature within 10-15 degrees, the product in question can be stored for up to a day. In the refrigerator at 0-4 degrees, the shelf life of the product will be several days. In the freezer at a temperature of -13 - -18 degrees, milk will "live" the longest - up to 5-6 months, but it is better to avoid such long frosts - the useful properties of the product will significantly decrease.

After defrosting, milk should be used extremely quickly - within 1 hour at normal room temperature or within a day in the refrigerator. After the specified time, dispose of the product.

The defrosting process also needs to be approached with knowledge of a number of important nuances.

First, if milk has been stored in the freezer, never thaw it immediately at room temperature. Follow the sequence reverse to defrosting, i.e. First place the container for a couple of hours in the refrigerator.
Secondly, defrost the product in an amount not exceeding the one-time need of your baby. Surplus, as noted, will have to be disposed of.
Thirdly, it is best to use a bottle warmer to heat defrosted milk. It is not recommended to use a conventional stove for this, because. when the product is heated to a temperature of more than 37 degrees, it loses its useful qualities.
Fourth, be sure to smell the defrosted milk before giving it to your baby - a spoiled product has a characteristic smell.

Storing milk on the go

If you take milk with you for a walk, use a special thermos for baby bottles or an ordinary thermal bag to store it. Such devices are relatively inexpensive, but you will immediately feel the convenience of using them.

Thus, there is absolutely nothing complicated in freezing, storing and defrosting expressed milk. You have received all the information necessary for this and will be able to successfully cope with the conduct of the event considered.

Health to you and your baby!

The most valuable and useful for your crumbs, of course, is breast milk. And not one alternative food can compare with. 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:

the need to go to work;
the child has bitten through the chest;
the baby suddenly refuses to breastfeed;
need to leave urgently;
any other life circumstances when a child has to be left at home with a nanny, grandmother, with loved ones.

Proper storage of breast milk

And during these periods, in order to solve problems as accurately as possible, mothers try to express and leave milk so as not to disturb the child's diet (). And a natural question arises, in what way to store breast milk 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!

Containers for storing 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 how to use milk storage bags

The main criteria they must meet are:

sterility;
closing density;
ease of use;
it is desirable to have a measuring scale.

Before purchasing a container, you should decide 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 airtight and easy to seal, sterile, made of very dense polyethylene and ready to use. Also, they already have a measured scale and there is a place for inscription of the date and time. Such packages are sold in any pharmacy.

bag for storing expressed breast milk

Some mothers use disposable plastic bottle liners for freezing, but this is not reliable. They are not suitable for storage and when frozen, the seams may burst. When defrosting, all contents will simply flow out. But if you are forced to still use them, then for reliability, pour milk into a double bag. And don't keep it too long.

The 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 quality.

For convenience, choose a container that will only contain enough dose for one feeding. Be sure to indicate the date and time of pumping on the container.

How to store breast milk while walking

Young mothers may face another problem - how to store expressed milk during a walk. For these purposes, there are several options for thermal bags on the market, 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 the intervals between feedings and pumping, you need to adhere to certain conditions for the proper storage of breast milk.

If you plan to store milk for a long time, freezing is the best way. Freeze only freshly expressed milk, but before freezing it must be left in the refrigerator for a period of 1.5 to 2 hours. And don't 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 the expressed portion of milk will be used within a few days, then it is better to store it in the refrigerator. Chilled milk will retain almost all useful substances. The main rule is not to store on the door.
If fresh milk will be drunk during the day, then it is better 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 drop. Then pour the portion into a feeding bottle and heat it in a water bath. For the convenience of heating milk, you can purchase a bottle warmer.

Never heat nursing milk in the microwave, heat it in saucepans, or boil it - it will lose all its beneficial properties.

Never refreeze thawed breast milk again. In this case, too, all properties are lost.

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How long to store breast milk

When leaving stocks of breast milk, you need to know where, how long and at what temperature it can be stored.

In fridge:

In the refrigerator, expressed milk can be stored for up to 24 hours at a temperature of +4 + 6 degrees. At the same time, you need to place it as deep as possible. Fresh milk must be cooled before being placed in the refrigerator.

In the freezer:

In the freezer, expressed milk at a temperature of -13 to -18 degrees is stored for a month or even up to three months, and at a temperature of -18 to -20 degrees for no more than a year. Cool the milk in the refrigerator before freezing.

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 higher than + 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 spoil.

Shelf life of breast milk (illustrative table)

Storing expressed breast milk is a great solution to many of your baby's feeding problems. Even if you are forced to be away for a period of time, your baby will not stop receiving your love, protection and all the useful vitamins. The most important thing, of course, is to know the rules and conditions for storing this indispensable food for your crumbs.