To store breastmilk, either manually or with a pump, it should be placed in a separate container, which can be bought at pharmacies or in bottles and bags that can be sterilized at home and which must be placed in the refrigerator, freezer or freezer.
Breast milk is the most complete food for the baby, helping it to grow and avoid diseases such as allergies and even frozen is healthier than any artificial milk and therefore should not be wasted. Learn more at: Benefits of Breast Milk for Your Baby.
How to get breast milk
To take breast milk, the woman should:
- To be comfortable, locking the hair and removing the blouse and bra;
- Wash hands with soap and water;
- Massage the breast with the tips of the fingers, making circular movements around the areola;
- Remove the milk by hand or with the pump. If it is manually, you should put the bottle under the breast and make some pressure on the breast, waiting for drops of milk. If you use the pump, simply place it on the breast and turn it on, waiting for the milk to come out.
After taking the milk, it is essential to put in the container the date and time it was taken, so that the woman can know if the milk is good to give the baby.
When to take the breast milk
When a woman produces enough milk, she should store it because her milk is the best food for the baby. In this way, it is important to always take the milk after the baby has finished breastfeeding and at least 1 month before the mother returns to work, since it is used for the body to gradually produce more milk than the baby used to breastfeed.
How long the milk can be stored
Breast milk can be stored in the refrigerator for 48 hours, however, it can be kept in a freezer with separate door for up to 3 months. In the refrigerator, the milk should ideally be on the first shelf and never in the door.
Opening the refrigerator or freezer door can lower the temperature of the freezer and may impair the quality of the milk, so it is advisable to avoid opening the refrigerator or freezer frequently. Learn more at: Breastfeeding.
How to store
The milk withdrawn should be placed in its own container, which can be bought at pharmacies, which are tightly closed, sealed and sterilized.
However, milk can also be stored in a plastic-capped household glass jar, such as Nescafé flasks or in appropriate freezer bags and placed in refrigeration rooms such as a refrigerator, freezer or freezer. Learn how to sterilize in: how to sterilize baby bottle and pacifier.
These containers should be filled, leaving 2 cm per fill at the closing edge and, in the same container, milk from different feedings until the volume of the container is complete, but the date of the first withdrawal of the milk must be recorded.
How to defrost breast milk
To defrost breast milk, you must:
- Use the milk that has been stored for a longer time and must be used within 24 hours;
- Remove the milk from the freezer a few hours before use, allowing to defrost at room temperature or in the refrigerator;
- Heat the milk in a water bath, placing the bottle with milk, which the baby will drink in a pot with warm water and let it warm.
If the storage container has more milk than the baby will drink, you should only heat the amount to be consumed and then store what is left in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. If this milk that has been left in the refrigerator is not used within that period of time, it should be discarded because it can no longer be frozen.
Frozen milk should not be heated on the stove or microwave because the heating is not uniform and can cause burns in the baby's mouth and destroy milk proteins.
How to transport frozen milk
If the woman has taken milk and needs to transport her from work to home, for example or during a trip, she should use a thermal bag and refresh the ice every 24 hours.
