Lots of women look for frozen breast milk tips that address storage, defrosting and other matters. Many women juggle multiple tasks at once while being breastfeeding moms, and sometimes they find it necessary to pump or hand express milk to prepare in advance for times they’ll be apart from their babies. When such a time is only for a day or two, milk can be easily stored in the fridge, but if a longer absence is planned and a mom will need to generate enough milk for several feedings, or several days worth of feedings, generating a supply of frozen breast milk is the best way to go. It just needs to be done with care.
The first tip toward creating a healthy frozen breast milk supply is to take care of one's health. Moms will need plenty of liquids and good nutrition because they not only must pump, but must satisfy the present demands of the nursing baby. It may make sense to start pumping for a week in advance because increased demand elevates supply. With increased supply and continued self-care, there should be enough for storage and to feed baby.
Whether using a pump or hand expression, anything to catch milk and store milk ought to be very clean. For storage, some moms use plastic bags, but plastic bottles that can hold about 4 ounces (.12 liters) or twice that for older babies are a good choice. The bottle should not be completely filled, as milk will expand when freezing, and it should feature a secure lid.
There is debate on the safest amount of time to store frozen breast milk. Most suggest one to two months is the longest time it can be safely stored in a refrigerator freezer. In a deep freezer, milk is usually safe to store for three to six months.
Milk should be dated and discarded past deadline, and when people use the milk, they should use the oldest milk first. Due to the fact that a mother’s milk tends to change through year one, especially after the six-month point, it makes sense to keep supply fairly recent.
Defrosting frozen breast milk is another point of interest, and two methods are advocated. One is to defrost the milk in hot water as close as possible to use. Alternately, people can defrost the milk in the fridge about a day in advance of use. Stovetop hot water defrosting or microwave defrosting is not recommended. Microwaving makes milk less nutritious, and in any case, milk should be heated to warm, and not hot; microwaving can heat unevenly, risking burns.
Once milk has been fully defrosted and especially if some of it is used, it shouldn’t be refrozen. It’s also worth noting that frozen breast milk has a separated appearance, which will change by shaking the bottle. Lastly, if a bottle doesn’t appear right, has a strange odor, or raises concerns in other ways, it’s best to simply throw it out.
