Answer the question: Should breast milk be frozen?

Follow the shares in this article to find the answer to whether to freeze breast milk!

How to freeze breast milk to ensure the best nutrition is not lost. Should breast milk be frozen? Here are the shares about freezing breast milk, stay tuned!

Should breast milk be frozen?

Freezing breast milk is a lifesaving method for mothers when the maternity leave is over and there is no time to breastfeed directly.

In addition to facilitating breastfeeding when the mother is not around, expressing frozen breast milk can also help stimulate lactation and help increase milk supply. Besides the advantages, freezing breast milk can be harmful to the health of the baby if the mother does not know how to store expressed breast milk.

Should breast milk be frozen is a question of many nursing mothers?

How to freeze breast milk

Should do:

• Label each container with the date the milk was expressed. If you are in a child care facility, add the child's name on the label. Store milk in the coolest place in the refrigerator or freezer. In addition, mothers can temporarily store breast milk in insulated items if a refrigerator or freezer is not available when traveling.
• Each bottle holds only the amount of breast milk needed for one feeding, starting from 50 - 118ml and adjusting as needed to avoid waste. You should also consider stocking up on smaller portions (30 - 50ml) for contingencies, such as a later feeding time than usual.
• You can add freshly expressed breast milk to breast milk that has been cooled or frozen previously on the same day. However, freshly expressed breast milk should be chilled with an ice pack in the refrigerator or freezer before adding it.

Should not do:

• Breast milk expands when frozen, so do not fill the container with milk.
• Do not freeze breast milk in the refrigerator door, as the temperature of the door changes as it opens and closes.
• Do not add freshly expressed warm breast milk to frozen breast milk, as this will cause the milk to partially thaw.

Breast milk storage time

The safe storage time of breast milk will depend on the method of storage, the amount of breast milk, the outside temperature, the temperature regulation of the refrigerator/freezer, and the cleanliness of the environment. Specific instructions for storing breast milk are as follows:

• Room temperature: Freshly expressed breast milk can be kept at room temperature for up to 6 hours. But it's best to use or store within 4 hours, especially if the room is warm.
• Insulation for cooling: Freshly expressed breast milk can be kept for 1 day in an insulated container with an ice pack.
• Refrigerator: Freshly expressed breast milk can be stored in clean conditions in the back of the refrigerator for up to 5 days. However, it is best to use within 3 days.
• Deep freezer: Freshly expressed breast milk can be stored in the back of the refrigerator for up to 9 months. However, it is best to use up all frozen milk within 6 months.

Studies have shown that the longer breast milk is refrigerated or frozen, the more vitamin C is lost in the milk. In addition, breast milk that is stored from infancy will not fully meet the needs of the baby after several months. Breast milk freezing requirements can change for babies born prematurely, sick, or hospitalized, so parents should consult a doctor if a baby is unwell.

The safe storage time of breast milk will depend on the storage method, the amount of breast milk, the outside temperature, etc.

Methods of defrosting and reheating breast milk

Once you know how to freeze breast milk, you need to know the proper defrosting rules:

• Depending on when you pump, you will warm the expressed milk before feeding your baby and use it afterwards.
• Milk should not be thawed at room temperature as doing so will increase bacteria in the milk. To defrost breast milk, you can steam or warm the container of breast milk in a bowl of hot water to about 40°C. Do not heat breast milk or heat breast milk in a microwave oven as this may damage the milk.
• Gently shake the bottle to mix the whey and milk. Do not shake vigorously, as this can destroy some of the precious nutrients in the milk. Check the temperature before feeding your baby. If the baby does not finish the milk after defrosting, it must be thrown away, not stored.

To defrost breast milk, you can steam or warm the breast milk container in a bowl of hot water about 40 .C

Does breast milk change in taste after storage?

You already know how to store breast milk in the refrigerator, but in many cases, the taste of milk can change quickly. Causes may be due to the mother's diet, medications, milk exposure to inappropriate temperatures or the mother's smoking.

Normally, storing breast milk in the refrigerator will often have a soapy smell. The enzyme lipase in breast milk breaks down fats into fatty acids. When a baby suckles directly, this process usually happens after the milk has entered the baby's digestive system, the purpose is to help the baby digest breast milk well. So absolutely no harm to the baby but some babies will not drink this milk.

Taste the milk before putting it in the fridge. Try storing 1-2 bags of frozen milk and storing it for about 5 days, then taste it and see if your baby can drink it. If the milk has an unpleasant odor before defrosting, discard the milk.

If the milk has a slight odor and your baby still refuses to drink it, deodorize the milk before freezing. After milking, boil the milk on low heat, when the milk is a bit boiling, turn off the heat and let it cool before freezing. This method helps to reduce the smell significantly but causes the milk to lose some antibodies.

Above are the signs of SignsSymptomsList about whether to freeze breast milk. Hopefully with the above sharing, mothers will "pocket" more methods to store breast milk when away, helping mothers to comfortably work time while ensuring enough milk for their babies.