How to properly store breast milk?

Storing breast milk for babies to use gradually is becoming more and more popular today thanks to more tools to preserve breast milk such as refrigerators and freezers. However, not all mothers know how to properly and safely store breast milk for their babies. The following article will show you how to properly, safely and hygienically store breast milk for your baby that you need to pay attention to.

Breast milk is always the best and most abundant source of nutrition for babies and babies, although the amount of breast milk varies from person to person, in general, during the first period after birth, breast milk can be abundant. and more than the baby needs to drink. When the amount of milk is so much that the baby does not use it all, many mothers have to express it and can throw it away if it is not stored properly. Scientific studies have shown that, if breast milk is stored properly and hygienically, those milk bags can be stored for up to 12 months and optimally used within 6 months after storage.
For milk storage, the first thing a mother needs to pay attention to before expressing or pumping milk is to wash her hands thoroughly by washing them thoroughly with antibacterial soap. This helps minimize milk contamination from the mother's hands during milking, ensuring safety and hygiene.
Next, the items intended to be used to store milk must be washed and dried clean, if it is a bottle or jar, it can be boiled in hot water before use. If mothers use bags to store milk, they should buy specialized bags for milk storage rather than using regular bags.

How to properly and safely store breast milk for babies is always something that mothers care about and learn. In the past, information was limited, and many first-time mothers had difficulties in learning how to properly store breast milk. However, nowadays, with the development of the internet, it is easier and more convenient to learn and learn from the experience of raising children in general and how to properly store breast milk for babies. Here are the best ways to store breast milk for your baby that you should know:
How to store breast milk for your baby at room temperature: If the room temperature is less than 26 degrees Celsius, freshly expressed breast milk can be used within 4-6 hours. If the room temperature is higher than 26 degrees Celsius, the maximum time to use breast milk is within 4 hours. In general, if expressed breast milk should be used immediately and should be used within 4 hours, if the amount of excess milk is too much, the mother should switch to storing it in the refrigerator.
How to store breast milk for babies in the refrigerator: The time to store milk in the refrigerator depends on the type of refrigerator your family is using, for a refrigerator with a temperature of -15 degrees Celsius, breast milk can can be stored for up to 2 weeks, for refrigerators with a temperature of - 18 degrees Celsius, breast milk can be preserved for up to 3 months. Mothers should remember to store stored milk in the deepest area inside the refrigerator.
How to store breast milk for babies in the freezer: Freezers are an option that mothers want to store milk for a long time for babies. Normally, the freezer can store breast milk for up to 12 months, but the optimal time to store and use milk is within six months.

In order to properly and hygienically store breast milk, mothers need to pay attention to the following issues:
Should divide milk into many bags of suitable capacity to use, this makes it more convenient for mothers during the process. defrost milk to use for children
If there is a power outage during the milk storage period, put the milk in an insulated container and place ice cubes around it
Should label the milking time on the milk bags for use rationally and avoid storing milk for too long without knowing, using frozen milk according to the principle of first store, first use.
Although stored breast milk is very convenient for babies to use, mothers should note that the longer the milk is stored, the amount of vitamin C in the milk will gradually lose over time, so the milk reserve should be moderate, when it is almost empty. then you can add more, should not accumulate too much milk in a short period of time.
If you want to use milk in the freezer, you should put it in the refrigerator first to thaw gradually, in addition, mothers should note thawing milk by soaking in warm water, limit heating or defrosting in the microwave. Because the high temperature can destroy the necessary antibodies for the baby in breast milk.
Milk that is not used after defrosting must be discarded, must not be stored, and should be gently shaken before use to mix the whey and milk.
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