The return to work does not have to imply the end of breastfeeding. Extending breastfeeding is possible thanks to the extraction and preservation of milk so that the baby can benefit from it even if the mother is not with him. For this, it is necessary to know how to store, refrigerate and thaw breast milk correctly.
Having reserve food available for any occasion, whether for work or for another circumstance in which the mother is absent, can solve many problems.
TO priori It may seem a bit tedious, but with practice you can pump your milk and store it easily so that your little one continues to receive the best food you can give him.
Extraction
Some time ago we published a very explanatory video about how to express the milk manually and how to keep the extracted milk. Take a look that will come in handy, especially those who are reluctant to extractor sections. For many, pumping milk with their own hands is more comfortable and also reduces the risk of bacteria.
Before starting the extraction it is essential that the mother wash her hands very well and the utensils to be used both for the extraction (breast pump) and for the storage of milk. The process can be done manually or using a breast pump.
Store breast milk
It is necessary to use containers suitable for food use, of glass or hard plastic, always with a lid, or special bags for storing breast milk that can be obtained at the pharmacy or in childcare stores. It is recommended to store about 100 ml and place the date on each container.
Refrigerate breast milk
The time that breast milk can be stored will depend on the temperature reached by the refrigerator or freezer. Human milk can be stored for a few days in the fridge and up to several months in the freezer.
It can remain at 15º, 24 hours, between 19º-22º, 19 hours and at 25º from 4 to 8 hours. Refrigerated between 0º and 4º, it can remain for 5 to 8 days.
On the other hand, in the freezer, if it is inside the refrigerator, 2 weeks, in a separate one (combi type) 3-4 months, while in a separate freezer, commercial type with constant temperature of -19º, 6 months or plus.
Thaw breast milk
The best method to defrost it is to place the bowl under cold water stream and go letting the water run out progressively hotter until defrosting the milk and it reaches room temperature.
Do not defrost breast milk in the microwave or boil it, just take it to room temperature, warm, which is how it leaves our body.
As it is not possible to know how much the baby is going to take, it is more convenient to leave the thawed milk in a mother container and offer the baby small amounts in another container (glass, spoon, syringe, bottle). This is how to refill the container that has been thawed. As long as you have not been in contact with the baby's saliva, thawed milk can be kept refrigerated for 24 hours.
If the milk has been frozen and thawed, it can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours for later use, but it should never freeze again.
Photos | alberth2 and shingleback on Flickr More information | La Leche League In Babies and more | Extracting milk by hand, How to extract and store breast milk (video)
