How to store breastmilk to keep it fresh and durable when consumed

Breast milk is a baby's best food until he is able to eat other foods. However, don't worry if you work and still want to exclusively breastfeed your baby. Breast milk can be stored at home as long as you understand how to store and prepare it properly. So, how to store expressed breast milk, warm it, and thaw the right frozen breast milk?

How to store expressed milk properly?

Source: Very Well Family

Being busy working or doing a lot of activities outside the home is actually not an obstacle to keep giving exclusive breastfeeding.

In fact, when there are challenges of breastfeeding and problems of breastfeeding mothers, it is still possible to give breast milk.

This depends on your condition, including mastitis or breast infection.

After all, there are many benefits of breast milk that can be obtained by babies and mothers.

Before leaving the house, when you are free, or on the sidelines of a busy day at the office, you can express breastmilk using a breast pump.

This includes when you do not have time to breastfeed the baby directly in a comfortable breastfeeding position.

However, do not underestimate how to store or store breast milk after pumping. Breastmilk is clean and sterile food if it is given immediately by breastfeeding a baby.

That is why if a baby's milk is put into a bottle for storage, of course the cleanliness of the storage container must be considered.

The following are recommendations for how to store milk properly:

Bottles as a way to store breast milk

How to store breast milk in a bottle can be divided into several types, namely:

Plastic breast milk bottles

Source: Baby Center

Even though it is made of plastic, you don't need to worry about its safety when used.

Plastic bottles have usually been designed in such a way that they are safe for babies. If you don't want to buy a plastic breast milk bottle that contains certain chemicals, try choosing a bottle that is free of BPA (bisphenol-A).

BPA is a type of chemical that is usually used in the manufacture of various products, such as food or beverage containers or hygiene products.

Alternatively, you can look for bottles with a recycling number “5”, as they are made of polypropylene (PP or polypropylene).

The PP label or recycling number 5 located on the bottom of the bottle is a good plastic choice.

Not only applies to storing breast milk, this bottle can also be used later when breastfeeding a baby. As a container for storing breast milk, plastic bottles have several advantages and disadvantages.

Here are the advantages and disadvantages of plastic breast milk bottles:

The advantages of plastic breast milk bottles

Light
Strong
Not easy to break
The price is relatively cheap
Available in a variety of different sizes

Lack of plastic breast milk bottles

Cannot be used for a long period of time
Cannot be boiled or immersed in water that is too hot

Glass breast milk bottle

If you want to make sure the bottle of breast milk you use is safe and free from BPA, you can use a glass material.

Compared to plastic bottles, glass breast milk bottles are much heavier which may make it difficult for the baby to hold them while feeding.

Even so, don't worry, this glass breast milk bottle will break easily. As a solution, you can choose a glass bottle that is equipped with a silicone bottle cap.

This silicone comes in a shape that fits and fits perfectly into the bottle which will help protect it from breaking easily.

Here are the advantages and disadvantages of glass breast milk bottles:

The advantages of a glass breast milk bottle

More durable for long time use compared to plastic bottles
Free from BPA ingredients
Bottles can be boiled or soaked in hot water

Lack of glass breast milk bottles

The price is relatively more expensive
It breaks easily if dropped
Heavier
Only available in certain sizes

Plastic breast milk bottle with disposable liner

Source: Lovely Lucky Life

Plastic withdisposable liner is a plastic bottle, but is equipped with a disposable plastic that has been sterilized.

Sterile disposable plastic (disposable sterilized liner) This is in the bottle, and serves as a place to hold the milk milk.

However, as the name implies,disposable sterilized linercan only be used once and then discarded.

Here are the advantages and disadvantages of plastic breast milk bottlesdisposable liner:

Excess plastic withdisposable liner

Plastic bottles are reusable, as they only need to be replaceddisposable linerinside it.
Plastic bottles are easy to clean and don't take long afterdisposable linerthrown away.
Free from BPA ingredients.
Very practical to carry on the go.

Lack of plastic withdisposable liner

The price is relatively more expensive because it is only disposable.

Breastmilk storage bag as a way of storing breast milk

Apart from being stored in a bottle, expressed breast milk can also be stored in a bag. The breastmilk bag is sterile so it doesn't need to be sterilized or cleaned before use.

However, make sure you choose a bag of breast milk that is tightly sealed and of good quality. That way, the milk that is stored in it is not easily leaked or spilled.

When compared to bottles, the use of bags takes up less space in the storage space.

However, breast milk that is stored in a bag must still be transferred to a bottle when it is about to be given to the baby.

Overall, here is a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of using a bag in how to store expressed breast milk:

Excess bag of breast milk

The price is relatively cheap.
Easy to use.
Only single use, so it won't take long to clean it.
It is small in size and takes up little space, so it can be stored in large quantities insidecooler bag, refrigerator, orfreezer.
Stored breast milk in a bag is quicker and easier to thaw than glass or plastic bottles.

Lack of bags of breast milk

There is a risk of breast milk leaking, spilling, or breaking.
Some breast pumps do not let the milk pass directly into the bag, but it has to go through the bottle first.
It can only be used once, so over time it can cost more than buying glass or plastic bottles.

Various containers for storing breast milk, both plastic bottles, glass bottles, plastic bottles disposable linereven pockets, have their respective advantages and disadvantages.

Make sure the use of storage containers in the form of bottles or bags is according to your needs and tastes.

Pay attention to the proper way to store expressed breast milk

Here are some important things in how to store expressed breast milk that you should pay attention to:

Use a bottle or container of breast milk that is clean and sterile. Choose a plastic bottle with a lid or a special plastic breast milk (BPA free).
Label each breastmilk bag or bottle. Write down the date and time when you pumped and stored the milk. Use a pen or marker with water-resistant ink so you don't lose it quickly.
Labeling each breastmilk bag or bottle is useful for knowing which breastmilk should be used first. We recommend that you use breast milk according to the date and time in the order it was stored first.
Expressed breast milk is stored insidefreezeror refrigerator (refrigerator).
Avoid storing breast milk by placing it at the door of the refrigerator because it is easily exposed to outside air.
Routinely check the refrigerator temperature at least 3 times a day.
If breastmilk is pumped while traveling, at work, or outside the home, it should always be cold. Make sure the temperature of the milk is maintained until later stored infreezer or the refrigerator at home.
Apart from the bottle, your breast pump must also be clean. When finished, clean the pump with warm water and soap.
Then rinse and dry first and then store again.
Don't forget to always wash your hands with soap before pumping and storing breast milk.
Keep all objects that come in contact with breast milk clean to minimize the possibility of bacteria developing in the stored milk.

How long does breast milk store?

Source: Flo Health

Another storage rule that should not escape your attention is the length of time it is stored.

The length of time the milk is stored depends on the place where you store the milk and the schedule for breastfeeding the baby.

The faster the milk is used, the more often you pump the milk. That way, milk production will usually be more abundant and smoother.

Broadly speaking, here are the rules for the length of time to store or how to store expressed breastmilk according to its place:

1. Long storage of breast milk at room temperature

The temperature or room temperature recommended for breast milk storage should be around 25 degrees Celsius.

At this temperature, freshly pumped breast milk can be used for up to 4 hours. Meanwhile, frozen breast milk stored at room temperature should be used for 1-2 hours.

2. Cooler box as a way to store breast milk

If you use cooler box, the most appropriate storage method is to put a lot of ice cubes in it.

This method will make the milk inside cooler box can last for several hours, but not too long for example in just 1 day.

3. Refrigerator (refrigerator) as a way to store breast milk

The ideal temperature in the refrigerator to store breast milk is four degrees Celsius or less, but preferably no more than 10 degrees Celsius.

Freshly expressed breastmilk stored in the refrigerator has a storage limit of 5-8 days.

However, to ensure the quality is maintained properly, you should use it within a period of no more than three days.

Meanwhile, frozen breast milk storage (thawing) in the refrigerator which is about 24 hours or 1 day.

4. Freezerwith refrigerator

How to store expressed breastmilk insidefreezer equipped with a refrigerator preferably at a temperature of -10 degrees Celsius. If freezerWith this 2-door refrigerator, freshly expressed breastmilk can be stored for a period of 3-4 months.

However, iffreezerwith the refrigerator only has 1 door, the length of time to store fresh breast milk is only about 2 weeks.

Another thing, breast milk is frozen inside freezerwith the refrigerator that has been removed should not be re-frozen.

5. Long storage of breast milk in freezer

How to store or store breast milk in freezer divided into two.

In the freezerupright typefreezer With the door opened forward, breast milk can last for 6 months with a minimum temperature of -18 degrees Celsius.

As long as you keep it in freezer with the right way, fresh milk milk will last up to a period of 6-12 months.

While on chest freezer or also known as freezer box which is opened upwards, the storage time of breast milk can be even longer.

Breast milk storage resistance atchest freezer can last for 6-12 months with a minimum temperature of -20 degrees Celsius.

In addition, the method of storing expressed milk that must also be considered is to avoid re-freezing the frozen breast milk that has just been released from freezer.

How to warm expressed breast milk?

In addition to paying close attention to how to store expressed breast milk, don't forget to also understand the rules for its presentation.

Breastmilk stored in freezer cannot be given to the baby immediately because it is still frozen.

That is why you need to apply the method of warming breast milk or thawing frozen milk before giving it to the baby.

How to serve and warm frozen expressed breastmilk from storage

To be more concise, here are the rules for serving and warming expressed breast milk after carrying out the proper way of storing:

Use milk that is stored according to the order of storage time (first in first out).
How to thaw or warm frozen milk after storing it in freezer can be done in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours or put in a bowl of warm water.
You can also moisten a container of frozen milk using cold running water followed by warm water.
Avoid thawing expressed breastmilk at room temperature directly.
Shake the thawed breast milk so that it is fat handmilkandforemilk inside it blends well.
Breast milk that has thawed should be soaked in hot water with a temperature of not more than 70 degrees Celsius, while shaking it slowly.
Avoid thawing frozen breastmilk inside microwave or in very hot water after you have previously stored it in freezer.
Thawing book milk at a temperature that is too hot actually risks damaging the nutritional content in expressed breast milk.
Before breastfeeding is given to a baby, you should check the temperature first by dropping it on the inner wrist.
Make sure the temperature of the breast milk from the storage area is warm, or around 32-37 degrees Celsius.
Avoid re-freezing breastmilk that has thawed.
Breastmilk that has been previously stored and cannot be used by the baby or is left over should not be given to the baby again and must be discarded.

Make it a habit to choose breast milk with an earlier storage date for serving. In some cases, babies may refuse to give breast milk that has been stored or frozen for a long time.

The best way, consider shortening the time to store breast milk according to the baby's taste.

Can I mix expressed breastmilk at a different time?

Mixing expressed breast milk is fine. However, not all fresh milk can be mixed directly with previously stored breast milk.

Although both are pumped from the breast, you not only have to know how to store breast milk, but also combine expressed breast milk at different times.

Here are some important rules that you should know first before mixing different times of expressed breast milk:

1. Mixing expressed breast milk with room temperature breast milk

Room temperature breastmilk here means breastmilk that is kept at room temperature without refrigerating or freezer after being milked.

In this case, you can mix the fresh milk immediately into a room temperature bottle.

With a note, breast milk stored at room temperature has not gone bad and is still within 24 hours.

Once combined, you can immediately give it to the baby or store it in the refrigerator.

2. Mixing expressed breastmilk with breastmilk from the refrigerator

It is not recommended that you combine fresh expressed breast milk and breastmilk from the refrigerator directly.

Breastmilk that has just been expressed must be cooled in the refrigerator first.

Then mix the freshly expressed breast milk with the one that was stored in the refrigerator earlier on the same day.

3. Mixing fresh milk with frozen breast milk

Breastmilk that has just been expressed should not be mixed directly into breast milk that has been frozen onfreezer.

This is because both have different temperatures, so it is feared that they can damage the natural composition of breast milk.

As a solution, put fresh, freshly expressed breast milk in the refrigerator.

When it is cold, you can just add it to the milk bottle filled with frozen breast milk that is pumped on the same day. This process is called "layering".

4. Mixing expressed breastmilk with thawed frozen breastmilk, then stored again

Please note that frozen breast milk that has been thawed should not be stored back in the refrigerator orfreezer.

This breastmilk must be given to the baby immediately, and must not be frozen or re-stored.

How to store fresh milk breastmilk should be put in a different bottle from breastmilk that has been stored and thawed.

What are the characteristics or signs that the expressed breast milk is stale?

When you find signs or signs that the milk has gone stale, you should no longer warm it and give this breast milk to the baby.

The characteristics or signs of stale expressed breast milk, namely:

The layers of expressed breast milk are not mixed well. Usually because the top layer which is the layer of fat is usually difficult to mix and looks lumpy.
The smell of expressed breastmilk is no longer fresh
The taste of expressed breastmilk is no longer fresh

Basically, milk is the same as other cow's milk which must be stored properly to maintain its quality.

If you do not pay attention to the rules for storing or storing breast milk that is good and correct, of course the quality of breast milk can decline over time.

This condition in turn can make the quality of milk milk show signs or signs of spoilage and is not suitable for drinking.