How to thaw breastmilk
- Heat in warm (not boiling) water in pan. To speed up thawing put milk container in pan with warm water, gradually add hot water to speed up melting.
- To slowly defrost milk transfer it to the ref the night before you need it. Milk usually thaws in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
- When thawing don’t submerge the container in water. This prevents water from seeping into the container
- Never leave frozen milk to thaw at room temperature because this will promote rapid growth of bacteria
- The US FDA warns against using the microwave to thaw milk. The agency says microwaves can cause dangerous hot spots that could burn you or baby.
- Don't boil breast milk. This will destroy the antibodies and other nutrients present in human milk.
Note: You can also serve breast milk cold. I have given baby cold breast milk on several occasions.
Time limits of thawed breast milk
- La Leche League says breast milk at room temperature stays good for 4 to 6 hours. During summer in a tropical country like the Philippines, this period is should be shortened. High temperature increases risk of spoilage. I follow a three hour-rule for breast milk at room temp. The key here is to follow a lower limit, especially for preemies and newborn.
- Thawed breast milk should be as consumed within 24 hours.
- Breast milk that has completely melted should not be refrozen.
Reusing breast milk
- There are times when baby doesn't finish the entire contents of the bottle. So moms ask, can i reuse breastmilk? Actually there are conflicting recommendations on reusing breast milk. Read Kellymom's discussion here.
- As for me, i reuse leftover breast milk. It will be a total waste if i don't! I refrigerate it as soon as baby refuses the milk. Then i just warm it for the next feeding. If he does not finish this, then that's when i throw out the milk.
Preparing baby bottles
- Number your child's breast milk bottles. This is useful if you serve both thawed and cold milk. If you're serving thawed and frozen breast milk during the day, you have to serve the thawed milk first. Thawed fresh milk has shorter shelf life than refrigerated milk.
- Double wrap the milk in the refrigerator so it won't absorb odors from other stuff in your ref.
[caption id="attachment_3263" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
Here's how i put labels on my ebm containers. This is a must so your helper knows which bottles to serve first.[/caption]On BM containers
- Choose breast milk storage that can double as feeding bottles.
- To lessen milk wastage, store in containers that double as feeding bottles. Transferring milk from one container to another encourage milk wastage. I use Avent storage bottles, when serving i just snap off the sealing disc then replace with nipples.
Serving breast milk
- More often, your caretaker will be the one serving the BM so you should leave clear instructions. Let them know about the proper handling milk. Examine EBM before serving.Breast milk could sometimes smell slightly sweet or soapy, depending on mom's diet. Discard milk that smells foul or sour.
[caption id="attachment_3264" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
My breast milk: the creamy stuff rises to the bottle's edge. Color and consistency of breast milk varies depending on your diet.[/caption]- Breast milk is not processed like cow's milk. Some cream can separate from the rest of the milk after days of refrigeration. The cream rises near the rim of the container. Just swirl the container to mix the cream and the rest of the milk.
- Always check the milk's temperature. It should not be too hot for risk of burning.
So, that's how i'm thawing and serving expressed milk to our baby! Hope you find the tips useful!!
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