Everyone knows the fact that there is no better food for the baby than the breast milk of his mother. It contains a lot of nutritious and useful substances and trace elements, antibodies to various diseases and viruses. When breastfeeding, every woman should know the basic rules of milk storage. This is necessary in case the mother must be absent (for example, a doctor) and may not have time to return to the next feeding. It is important to note that these rules are applicable only if the child is healthy and full. In another situation, if the baby is in hospital or if donor milk is needed, the recommendations differ.
Let us dwell in detail on the first case - the baby is healthy and is breast-feeding. First of all, it is necessary to prepare a breast pump and utensils for storing milk, they must be sterile. Expressing should be done with clean hands and immediately in clean dishes. Do not be surprised at the appearance of expressed milk:
- it can separate (the greasy part separates), but with stirring it becomes homogeneous again;
- The fat content and color may vary depending on the products that the mother ate.
Storage in the refrigerator of expressed milk
Keep expressed breast milk better in the refrigerator at a temperature of about 5 degrees. About how much time the refrigerator can store breast milk, there is no unified opinion. Some sources claim that 1 day, others - that it does not spoil 8 days. It is believed that the composition, as well as the immune properties are preserved only 10 hours. After this time, milk can satisfy the hunger, but the main properties are lost.
It is important to pay attention to the correct selection of dishes for storing expressed milk. It should be hermetically sealed, so that the milk does not acquire foreign smells and flavors. If a woman decanted several times, then it should be done in different dishes, and do not put in one container expressed at different times portions.
Before feeding, milk must be heated. Do this, as a rule, putting the bottle in warm water or using a bottle warmer. At the same time, a portion of milk is counted, relying on the child's appetite, and does not warm up "in reserve". Keep already heated milk and use it is not necessary.
Milk storage in the freezer
Storage of expressed milk is possible and in the freezer (if you need to save for a long time). When freezing, of course, some useful properties are lost, but such milk can be used, for example, for cooking porridge. An important property of breast milk - it does not curdle when boiling. The shelf life of milk in the freezer may also differ depending on the model of the refrigerator. If this is a single-chamber refrigerator, the storage period is two weeks, if the freezer compartment of a two-compartment refrigerator is three months. The longest storage (up to six months) is possible in the deep freezer. Before you place the milk
Keep the milk in the depths of the freezer and on the jar or bag, you must specify the date of decantation. It is important to remember - the composition of breast milk varies with the age of the child and depending on his needs, therefore it is better to use for feeding more fresh. Before the milk is heated, it is thawed, putting it in the refrigerator.
Whether to make milk supplies, mom decides for herself, but the fact that frozen milk can be used when mother's absence, during lactation crises or for cooking porridges is an indisputable advantage.