Best way to store breastmilk in freezer: The Do’s and don’ts

For working mothers or some who are looking for more flexibility around their baby, storing their breastmilk will be something that they need to be familiarised with. However, this process can be quite difficult as improper handling of the milk can easily cause the milk to go bad or worst, jeopardize the safety of your baby by unsafe consumption. Thus, there are a few things to go over for all mothers before proceeding with the storing of their breast milk. In this article, we will go over the essentials of a proper way of storing breastmilk. 

 

Finding a Container for your Milk

After washing your hands, the handling of the milk must be done meticulously to avoid spillage and stored in a capped container that is not made of BPA chemical, which stands for Bisphenol A. Any special plastic bags that aren’t made of the same chemical and designed for storing milk can also be used so far that it is not disposable or left for general storing in your household. Evidently, it is important to first educate yourself with the right information about milk storage to make an informed choice. 

 

Putting Away the Milk for StoringWhat is colostrum?

 

It is best to label the milk before putting it in the freezer to avoid it being mistaken for regular milk, together with your baby’s name. This will ease up the process of retrieving the milk later, especially for some mothers who send their babies away to a daycare centre when they are off to work. The milk must be placed at the very end as it is the best way to store breastmilk in freezer to retain the cold temperature that is optimum to keep it from going bad. In the case where a freezer or fridge is not available, you can also store the milk in an insulated container together with ice packs. It is important to note that frozen breastmilk will expand as it is being stored so do not fill it to the brim of the container to spare space.

 

Adding Regular Milk to the Breast Milk

Regular milk can be added to the breastmilk as long as it is not being added warm. Both the regular milk and breast milk must be frozen so it will not cause one to be thawed by the other. 

 

Thawing the Frozen Breast Milk

Always thaw the oldest ones first, take them out of the freezer and leave them overnight in the fridge. Other options also include putting the bottle in warm water or placing it under running water to thaw it. Rapid heating must be avoided since some research suggested how doing so will compromise the milk’s antibodies.  Any thawed breastmilk that hasn’t been used must be discarded within 24 hours. 

 

Spotting a Fresh Breast Milk to a Thawed Ones

Although the color may vary from one person to another, thawed milk always has a different odor than fresh ones, and some even suggest different consistency. If your baby seems to reject the thawed ones, storing the milk for a  shorter duration might just do the trick.