7 tips to store your breast milk

When you have to return to the routine, one of the big concerns is knowing how to store your milk. Here we have some tips to keep in mind

If it is time to return to your work or you must be absent from home for some reason, you can always pump your breast milk for your baby to consume when you are not by his side. This milk retains most of his health benefits, so it will always be a better option than the formula.

Leer en español: 7 consejos para que almacenes la leche materna

However, extracting the milk, either manually or with the help of a breast pump, requires proper hygiene and an intimate and relaxed environment that encourages its exit. This is why we have gathered some points that you should keep in mind if you decide to keep and store your milk.

1. Wash your hands thoroughly and wash the containers you will use with hot soapy water. Place a label with the date of extraction of breast milk in each of the containers.

2. According to Healthy Children, it is advisable to store milk that will not be used in the next three days in the freezer. If for some reason you can not freeze the milk immediately, refrigerate it for a few hours.

If you are freezing milk in a refrigerator with temperatures of 0 ° F or -18 ° C, the milk can be kept frozen for up to 9 months. If it is a very low-temperature freezer, -4 ° F or -20 ° C, the milk can be kept frozen for up to 12 months.

The milk can be at room temperature for 4 hours or a couple more if it was extracted with great care, but it is better to refrigerate it as soon as possible.

3. Store milk in small quantities. The recommended is 2 to 4 ounces to thaw only what you need and avoid being wasted. If your baby leaves waste in your bottle you can use them within the next two hours or freeze it immediately for another feeding.

You may also be interested: What can I do if I can not breastfeed my baby?

4. Try to always use the oldest milk. It is best to use refrigerated breast milk within 4 days of extraction, but it can be refrigerated for up to 8 days.

5. Once the milk is defrosted, stir well. In the same bottle, you can mix milk extracted on different dates.

6. Heat breast milk in a container of warm water in a water bath and constantly test the temperature of the drink. It is not safe to use microwaves because there is a risk that your baby will burn.

7. Once the breastmilk is defrosted, it can be stored in a refrigerator and used within 24 hours.

This stored milk may be bluish, yellowish, or brownish. It is normal that the fat part of the breast milk tends to rise so you must shake the bottle or the sealed bag and the fat should return to the milk.

If you do not, according to the Family Doctor, then it can be bad. Smell the milk before giving it to your baby and if it has a sour aroma, throw it away immediately.

LatinAmerican Post | Luisa Fernanda Báez

Translated from: '7 consejos para almacenar tu leche materna'

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