Are you breastfeeding and expressing your milk, but you don’t know how long or how you can keep it before giving it to your baby? In the fridge, at room temperature, in the freezer… Oriane Emmanuel-Emile, IBCLC lactation consultant, explains how to properly store breast milk after expressing it.
A breastfeeding mother is not always available for breastfeed her baby. In this case, she can express milk upstream and store it for several hours, days or months, depending on the method of storage selected. Once stored, expressed breast milk can be given to the infant at any time. But the breast milk storage asks many questions. How to keep it well? Can we freeze it? How to heat it and at what temperature? Advice from Oriane Emmanuel-Emile, IBCLC lactation consultant (certification from the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners).
After being fired, breast milk can be stored:
- In a room at room temperatureif you plan to give it to baby on the same day.
- In the fridgebut not more than 6 days.
- In the freezer for a period of 6 months.
- In an insulated bag.
- In a freezer.
How long can breast milk be kept at room temperature?
It is possible to keep breast milk at room temperaturebut it can only be used for a short time. “By ‘ambient temperature’ we mean between 19 and 21°C maximum. In these conditions, it can be stored for up to 8 hours“, specifies the lactation consultant. Convenient for mothers who have drawn their milk when their child was not yet hungry.
Storing breast milk in the refrigeratorit can be used for a slightly longer period of time. “Ideally, you should consume breast milk stored in the fridge within 5 days of the draw, but not more”says the specialist.
“Place the bottle of milk in the coldest part of the fridge, at 4°C maximum and avoid putting it in the door or on the front”
Can breast milk be frozen?
Freeze your breast milk is the method that keeps it the longest. “In a chest freezer, it can be stored for 6 monthsand in a freezer combined with a refrigerator, the shelf life is 4 months”recommends the expert. The temperature in the freezer should be -18°C. Namely that the chest freezer more guarantees the maintenance of a stable temperature. When the container of milk is well placed at the bottom of the chest freezer, there is no risk of the temperature shifting, unlike a freezer combined with a refrigerator, because the door opens more regularly and temperature variations can occur. place.
Can you store breast milk in the freezer?
Once expressed, breast milk can also be stored in a freezer, the refrigerator compartment, the temperature of which generally fluctuates between -6 and -12°C, depending on the model. “The shelf life is two weeks.”
Can breast milk be stored in an insulated bag?
If a mother expresses her milk at her place of work, she can absolutely store in an insulated bag for a few hours. “We will be able to keep it like this until 3 p.m., with freezing blocks of ice”explains Oriane Emmanuel-Emile.
Where to store breast milk?
There is no obligation regarding the container chosen to store breast milk. The mother can therefore choose what she prefers. “She can store it at room temperature in the container of the breast pump, in small glass jars, plastic storage jars for babies, in a bottle… There are also storage bags specially designed for breast milk (single-use and pre-sterilized, editor’s note)”, specifies the specialist. The only condition is that the container chosen is spotlessly clean, sterilized and hermetically sealed.
We can heat stored breast milk different ways. To do this, it must be warmed up so that it finds the body temperature, i.e. 36-37°C.
In the bottle warmer
“You can use a bottle warmer using the lowest temperature so it doesn’t get too hot”explains the lactation consultant.
Water bath
It is also possible to reheat it in a bain-marieby placing the bottle in a pan of water that is gently heated.
With hot water
“We can heat the stored milk with hot water. Rather than running tap water, you can avoid the mess by putting lukewarm water in a small bowl and dipping the bottle into it. It must not be too hot so that the baby does not burn himself. If it’s too hot to touch, wait for it to cool”. If the child does not finish his bottle and the milk has not been frozen, it can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated a second time.
Can you reheat frozen breast milk?
For using breast milk that has been frozen, There are two possibilities. The first is to take it out the day before for the next day and put it in the fridge, then reheat it using one of the methods described above.
The other option is to defrost the milk directly in the bottle warmer or in a bain-marie. “Once it has been completely thawed, you have a maximum of 24 hours to give it to the baby and you cannot reheat it a second time”, recalls Oriane Emmanuel-Emile. Beyond this period, it can no longer be consumed. We also point out thatnever refreeze breast milklike any food, that has been thawed.
“Once the breast milk has been completely thawed, you have a maximum of 24 hours to give it to the baby.”
What should I do if my breast milk is biphasic, colored or odorous?
During storage, breast milk may become biphasic, the color of the milk may change, or a strange smell may be felt.
Biphasic breast milk
When we store breast milk, we can observe that‘it splits in two. This is completely normal, reassures Oriane Emmanuel-Emile. It is simply the fat that separates from the water to rise to the surface. When this happens, there is no problem giving it to baby.
Breast milk has a bad smell
Milk expressed by the mother and stored can sometimes have a slightly rancid smell. Again, there is nothing to worry about. “The milk can sometimes take on a slightly unpleasant smell, some mothers even say that it smells like vomit. It is the small organisms present in the milk that can give it that smell, which varies greatly from one mother to another. “, reassures the specialist. In this case, the baby can still drink it without fear. “Some toddlers will refuse it because they won’t like the smell or the taste, but there is no problem from a health point of view”.
Breast milk has a strange color
Finally, the color of breast milk can sometimes surprise the mother when she pulls it! “The color can vary and even take surprising shades: pink, blue, green… This can be surprising because we only realize it whenwhen using a breast pump. It’s completely normal and there’s no problem giving it to the child either.”explains Oriane Emmanuel-Emile.
Can we store breast milk if we are sick?
A nursing mother who is sick can also save her breast milk. “It is quite possible to shoot and store when you are sick. The only contraindication to storage is in the event of candidiasis“specifies the lactation consultant.
What to do with unused stored breast milk?
If you realize that you ultimately cannot use the breast milk you have expressed, as it has many benefits, rather than throwing it away, know that you can use it other than for food. How ? In the bath water for example, for the care of the baby seat, to massage cradle cap or infant eczema, or even make your own soap!