Storing breast milk/Thawing frozen breast milk

Credit to: Toronto Public Health


P/s: I love this article for its cute and very useful graphics

Storing breast milk/Thawing frozen breast milk


Storing breast milk

* Freshly expressed breast milk can be stored at room temperature (less than 25C or 77F) for 6-8 hours. (tapi sebab malaysia ni panas...amek 4 jam max utk keselamatan, klu kat opis ber aircond...ok jer nak follow 6-8 jam)
* Freshly expressed breast milk must be cooled if not used within 6-8 hours of expressing.


Containers for storing breast milk
* Use glass or hard plastic containers with an air-tight lid (for example, small jars and bottles with lids).
* Special breast milk freezer bags can also be used.
* Do not use bottle liner bags. These are thinner plastic bags that may break when frozen.


Cleaning the containers
For healthy babies wash containers in hot soapy water and rinse well with hot water. Let the containers air dry on a dry clean surface away from where food is made.


Tips for storing breast milk
* Cool freshly expressed milk within 1 hour of expressing.
* Label containers with date and time.
* Store in smaller amounts to prevent wasting milk.
* Always cool freshly expressed milk before adding it to already cooled or frozen milk.
* Leave a 1 inch space at the top of the container when freezing.



*If your baby is premature (born too early) or in the hospital, speak to your nurse about storing breast milk and cleaning containers. Sterilized containers may be provided by the hospital.

Breast milk can be stored in the following ways:

Important:
Place containers at the back of the fridge and freezer where it is the coldest.
After the storage time has passed, throw out the breast milk.

Thawing frozen breast milk

Frozen breast milk that has been thawed can be kept in the fridge for 24 hours.
Do not refreeze breast milk once it is thawed.



Check the date on the stored breast milk. Use the container with the earliest date first.


Thaw frozen breast milk by leaving it in the fridge for 4 hours OR...

...place container under cool running water. Once it has begun to thaw, run warm water to finish thawing.


Never thaw at room temperature.

Warm breast milk by placing the container in a bowl of very warm water.



Do not thaw or heat breast milk on stove or in microwave. Do not refreeze breast milk once it is thawed.

Feeding tips:
* Shake warmed breast milk and test the temperature on your wrist before using it.
* Hold your baby when feeding expressed breast milk.
* Make feedings an enjoyable time for you and your baby. Talk to your baby and give lots of smiles.
* Burp your baby as needed.
* Use warmed breast milk within 1 hour. Throw away leftover milk.