Breastmilk is best for your precious newborn baby, there is no question about that. Not all mothers however have the time to breastfeed their children regularly. Many mothers of today are working women who are out of the home the whole day. So what they do is invest in a breast pump so they can use it to prepare breast milk for their babies.
What you need to know is that your pumped breast milk needs to be properly stored in order to maximize its nutritional and health properties. Preferably, human milk should be refrigerated or chilled right after it is expressed if it’s not used immediately. Acceptable guidelines for storing breast milk and freezing breast milk are as follows.
The following guidelines apply to mothers who have healthy, full-term babies and are storing breast milk for home use. Always wash your hands before pumping, and only use containers that have been washed in hot water with soap and thoroughly rinsed.
What are the guidelines for storing my pumped milk?
Every time you put your milk into refrigerator or freezer, put a date on it when it was pumped. Keep in mind that refrigerated milk has more anti-infective properties than frozen milk. Cool fresh milk in the refrigerator before adding it to previously frozen milk.
Although you may choose to pump large volumes to be frozen, it’s a good idea to freeze the breast milk in small portions to reduce the waste. Label the bottles, cups, or bags 2 oz. or 4 oz. (59.1 or 118.2 milliliters), then put them in the freezer. You could also pour the milk into ice cube trays that have been thoroughly cleaned in hot water, let them freeze until hard, store them in freezer bags, then count up the amount of cubes needed to make a full bottle.
How long, exactly, can I store my breast milk?
• at room temperature (66-78°F, 19-26°C) for 4 hours (ideal), up to 6 hours (acceptable) (some sources use 8 hours) How long can breastmilk be left at room temperature? To be safe, it’s best to not to leave breastmilk at room temperature for more than four hours. Breastmilk varies from mother to mother, and room temperature is often a subjective measure that varies over time.
• in refrigerator: for up to 2 to 3 days at 32°-39° Fahrenheit (0°-3.9° Celsius)
• in a freezer (-0.4 to -4°F, -18 to -20°C) for 6 months (ideal) up to 12 months (acceptable)
- for up to 2 weeks in a freezer compartment located inside the refrigerator
- for 3 to 4 months in a freezer that’s self-contained and connected on top of or on the side of the refrigerator and is kept at 0° Fahrenheit (-18° Celsius).
- for 6 to 12 months in a deep freezer that’s always 4° Fahrenheit (-20° Celsius)
What Type of Container Can I Use for Storing Breast Milk?
You can store breast milk in a plastic or glass bottle with a sealable top, or in a sterile, sealable bag. Store your breast milk in amounts that you use every day to avoid wasting it.
The best options for storing human milk:
• glass or hard-sided plastic containers with well-fitting tops
• containers not made with the controversial chemical bisphenol A (BPA)
• containers which have been washed in hot, soapy, water, rinsed well, and allowed to air-dry before use
• containers should not be filled to the top – leave an inch of space to allow the milk to expand as it freezes
• freezer milk bags that are designed for storing human milk
• put only 60 to 120 ml (two to four ounces) of milk in the container (the amount your baby is likely to eat in a single feeding) to avoid wasteDisposable bottle liners or plastic bags are not recommended. With these, the risk of contamination is greater. Bags are less durable and tend to leak, and some types of plastic may destroy nutrients in milk. Mark the date on the storage container. Include your baby’s name on the label if your baby is in a day care setting.
Reheating breast milk : How to Warm the Milk
Frozen milk: thaw in the refrigerator overnight or under cool running water. Gradually increase the temperature of the water to heat the milk to feeding temperature.
Refrigerated milk: Warm the milk under warm running water for several minutes. Or immerse the container in a pan of water that has been heated on the stove. Do not heat the milk directly on the stove. Some babies accept milk right from the refrigerator.
Do not bring temperature of milk to boiling point.
Human milk may separate into a milk layer and a cream layer when it is stored. This is normal. Swirl it gently to redistribute the cream before giving it to baby.
Do not use a microwave oven to heat human milk. It may cause the loss of some of the beneficial properties of the milk. Microwaves do not heat liquids evenly and may leave hot spots in the container of milk. This could be dangerous for infants.
Sometimes thawed milk may smell or taste soapy. This is due to the breakdown of milk fats. The milk is safe and most babies wil still drink it. If there is a rancid smell from high lipase (enzyme that breaks down milk fats) activity when the milk has been chilled or frozen, the milk can be heated to scalding (bubbles around the edges, not boiling) after expression, then quickly cooled and frozen. This deactivates the lipase enzyme. Scalded milk is still a healthier choice than commercial infant formula. Source: LLLI
If you thaw frozen milk, you can refrigerate it and use it within 24 hours, but do not refreeze it. And don’t save milk from a bottle that your baby already drank out of.
What to do with strange colored breastmilk?
Breast milk can vary in color. It can be bluish, yellowish or brownish. It is also normal for breast milk to separate (the fatty part of the milk goes to the top). Shake the bottle or sealed bag, and the fat will go back into the milk.
Storing breast milk
References:
Barger, J. and Bull, P.A., Comparison of the bacterial composition of breast milk stored at room temperature and stored in the refrigerator. Intl Journal of Childbirth Ed 2: pages 29 and 30 1987.
Hamosh, M. et al., Breastfeeding and the working mother effect of time and temperature of short term storage on proteolysis, lipolysis, and bacterial growth in milk. Pediatrics 97 (4) 492 to 498, 1996
Mohrbacher, N. and Stock, J., The Breastfeeding Answer Book, La Leche League International, 1997, pp 30 to 31.
Pardou, A. et al., Human milk banking: influence of storage processes and of bacterial contamination on some milk constituents. Biol Neonate 65:302 to 309, 1994
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