How you could be wasting breast milk

During the height of my breast pumping and milk storing days, i had too much milk in the ref. This left my housemates complaining  that they don't have enough space to  store food! Now that my pumping output has dwindled to a meager half of what i used to bring home from work, i needed to adapt system that lessens milk wastage. To a pumping mama, every ounce of breast milk counts, so it calls for a wiser way to manage milk supply. Here are ways you could be wasting this liquid gold:

Storing too much in one container

• Keep breast milk in small amounts, just enough per baby feeding session.  This way, you'll thaw or heat just enough breast milk, since it's divided in "single serves".  The rest of your milk stash will be kept safe frozen or refrigerated. 

Transferring in too many containers 

• Minimize transferring milk from one container to the next. Use storage bottles that can double as feeding bottles, so you can just snap off the sealing disc and replace with synthetic nipple before serving. I've seen brands like Avent and Evenflo have such caps that can hold sealing discs and nipples. This way, you won't need to transfer in different containers.

[caption id="attachment_1649" align="aligncenter" width="300"] When you transfer to and from containers, you'll leave behind specks and drops of breast milk.[/caption]

Freezing right after pumping

• Suggestions on how long you can keep milk in the fridge varies. The US Center for Disease Prevention and Control says three days.  Mayoclinic says five to eight days. In the the Breastfeeding Answer Book of La Leche League International, eight days in the ref is still acceptable. Keep breast milk at the back, away from the door. I maximize milk shelf life by keeping mine for five days in the fridge, then freezing if it's not used up. Remember that thawed breast milk will be safe to consume up to 24 hours when stored in the fridge.  

Thawing too much too soon

•  If you won't be able to use milk in 24 hours, then avoid thawing breast milk. Thawed breast milk have shorter shelf life than cold refrigerated milk.  Put numbers your milk bottles so your baby sitter will know which one of the milk should be consumed first.

Not putting expressed breast milk in the ref right away

• I don't know about you, but as a working mom, i forget everything else when i get home from the office. This includes tucking that precious milk you pumped in the  fridge, so sometimes i wake up the next day to discover that the ebm is still in the cooler and the ice packs have melted already!!! Darn... such a waste of milk! But don't throw it out just yet!  If it's still cold to touch, then it's still good. Consider how long you left it like that, most ice packs keep milk cold up to 12 hours. If you're still in doubt, room temperature breast milk lasts until four hours.  So if it's within that period, then the milk is still good.  To avoid this predicament, make refrigerating your ebm and freezing the ice packs the second thing you do when you come home. The first thing, of course, is to hug that child who has been waiting for you all day long!   

Throwing away leftover breast milk

• Some moms just throw out milk that baby failed to consume in one feeding. I, however, reuse breast milk, but only until baby's next feeding. After that and there's still leftover, that's when i discard. It's better to refrigerate leftover milk than leaving it at room temperature to slow down the growth of bacteria.


• If you're concerned about reusing breast milk, read this post from Kellymom on reusing breast milk.   Whether you decide to reuse breast milk may or not may depend on your baby's sensitivity to bacteria.  I guess reusing breast milk may not be advisable for a newborn, since her immune system is still developing.  You may also hold off on reusing when baby is sick, since his immune system may be down at this point.

A nursing working mommy will always doubt if she'll be able to make enough milk for her little  one.  One way to cast the doubt is by making sure every drop of milk is well spent! Also worth reading:

• A working mom's guide on thawing and serving breast milk


• Breastmilk storage tips from a working mommy


• Coming to terms with low milk supply

***

A Working Mom's Guide on Thawing and Serving Breast Milk

Most of the thawing and the bottle feeding is actually done by my MIL, my trusted caregiver. I'm away for about 8 hours daily for work, so i make it a point that i personally thaw and prepare his breast milk for the day.

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!!

***