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Breastmilk should be stored the right way so that your baby can consume quality milk whenever they need to. It is essential for mothers to pump milk to avoid the breasts from swelling and especially for working mothers who are forced to work away from their babies. Therefore, what are the best ways to store breast milk and how do you warm it up properly so your baby can consume healthy breast milk? Read more to find out the best way to store breastmilk in freezer for your babies.
Breastmilk Storage
When stored in a proper place, breast milk is able to retain its quality. Hence, store it in a sealed, sterilized airtight container and kept in a place with a consistent temperature. As a working mother, especially, you may need to keep this in mind all the time. Here is the duration of how long can milk lasts based on the place you store it:
- Room temperature: 4 hours
- Refrigerator: 5 days at 4 degrees celsius or lower
- Freezer: 6 months
Remember to use a sealed container, like breast milk storage, to properly keep the breastmilk in so that the nutrient is secure.
Worry not if you’re going to them all mixed up and confused – remember to label the containers with the date of the day it is pumped. Note to use the oldest milk first so it won’t go to waste. Always remember to store the milk as soon as possible to avoid it from spoiling and retain its healthy components.
How to Serve
We’ve covered how to store breast milk properly, let’s find out how to serve it.
Keep the milk at room temperature and body temperature when serving it. Some infants also prefer it chilled. It’s not recommended to warm the milk in a microwave because doing that might burn your baby’s mouth. To get the milk bottle to warm up, either uses a baby bottle warmer or put it in lukewarm water. Remember to tip the bottle and feel the droplets on your wrist to check the temperature as well.
If you’ve stored your breast milk in a sealed container in the freezer, then these are the ways to thaw them:
- Place the container in the refrigerator
- Run lukewarm water on the container
- Place the container in warm water
Once the milk is thawed, do not refreeze the milk again, that would kill all the nutrients in the breast milk. If your baby doesn’t want the milk anymore and cannot finish it, throw the milk away. After an hour, it’s served its purpose.