It is always recommended to adhere to guidelines set by center for disease control and prevention, before putting innovative ideas of storing breast milk into practice. Adhering to these guidelines safeguard the nutrients in your breast milk and keep it safe for the consumption of the baby. It is an accepted fact that freshly pumped breast milk can be safely stored and used for healthy-term babies.
Guidelines by Centers for disease control and prevention
• Store at room temperature of 60-70 degrees up to 4 hours
• Stores in a refrigerator at 39 degrees Fahrenheit or cooler up to 3 days
• Store in a freezer at 0 degrees Fahrenheit or colder up to 6 months.
Frozen breast milk should be thawed at room temperature up to 2 hours or in the fridge for 24 hours. Thawed milk should be never be refrozen to avoid adulteration or ruination of all the best proteins, nutrients and other components in your breast milk.
Use Medela Pump & Save storage bags to save time, minimise pouring and build up a reserve of breast milk.
Hints on freezing and storing breast milk
Storing breast milk require more space in the refrigerator or freezer especially if bottles are used for feeding and storing. Using breast milk storage bags or pump and save breast milk bags is recommended to overcome the space-saving solution. Further, it is important to have an organized system in place that indicates the period the milk was pumped and how soon it should be used.
Successful Storage Solutions
Storing in an empty soda or diaper box
Milk could be pumped directly into breast milk storage bag or poured into a breast milk storage bag. Seal the bags carefully and use a marker to label each bag with the date, time and volume of milk pumped.
If it is being frozen, the storage bags could be placed flat in the freezer. Once it is frozen, place the bags vertically in an open empty soda box according to the volume and date the milk has been pumped. This method makes feeding easy for self as well as others who may assist in the feeding process
If it is to be refrigerated, place the stored milk bags in an empty soda box according to the volume and date the milk has been pumped for easy access.
An empty diaper box with the top removed could also be used instead of an empty soda box. Compact storage containers that could be fitted in a refrigerator or freezer are also ideal.
Reserve a cold storage drawer
Reserving a special drawer in the fridge or freezer only for your breast milk will make it easy to use. Dividing the drawer according to the date or volume or using an empty box to neatly store the storage bags.
Exerting to the best effective breast milk storage method safe for your baby
Innovative solutions for breast milk storage can improve your general pumping and feeding experience by expanding the space limit and keeping your baby’s food organized and ready to use. Anyhow, most importantly, storage, freezing and feeding process are the ones that work well for you and keeps your baby healthy, happy and well fed.
As time passes, you may on your own work out some new trick or hack for storing and freezing your milk efficiently. Feel free to share your tips with other Medela mothers in our facebook or Instagram sites or furnish your breast milk feeding accessories and supplies here. Regardless of how long or short your breastfeeding journey has been, be aware that you are doing an excellent job and every small job done goes a long way.
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