One of the advantages of breastfeeding,except for its unquestionable utility, is the lack of the need to prepare and store food for the child! "Product" is always with you, always has the right temperature and consistency, and its freshness can not be said. But often enough for breast-feeding moms for some reason or another there is a need to express and store breast milk. And at the same time with this need a lot of questions arise about how to store it, how much breast milk is stored, etc.
Those who have never expressed or seenexpressed breast milk, its appearance may seem strange. The thing is that the milk of women differs from the cow's milk, which is customary for us, not only with its composition and properties, but also with its appearance. After some time after decantation, the breast milk is divided into separate layers, the fatty part emerges, forming the top layer, and it may seem that the milk is gone. However, if it is mixed, it becomes homogeneous again. If the storage of breast milk is made continuously, therefore, it is expressed at different times, and also can differ in appearance, since it has different fat content. Milk, expressed before feeding or at its very beginning, looks more "fat-free" in comparison with milk, which is expressed after feeding.
Storage of breast milk in the refrigerator shouldproduced in a sterile, tightly closed container, it is better if it is glass, but it is allowed to store breast milk in plastic food containers. An important quality of the container in which breast milk is stored is the ease and convenience of its use. For example, glass containers are suitable for boiling and steaming, but it quickly breaks and takes up a lot of space in the refrigerator. Plastic containers are difficult to break, they are lighter, but they can not be boiled.
There are a number of rules that must be followed when storing breast milk:
1. At a temperature of up to +22 о С, expressed milk can be stored for ten hours, avoiding direct sunlight.
2. In the refrigerator expressed breast milk can be stored for up to two days, in the freezer - up to three weeks, in a freezer with a temperature below - 18-20 ° C - up to 3 months.
3. In order to avoid the absorption of foreign smells of milk, it is recommended to store breast milk in a special sealed container or in a tightly closed container.
4. When freezing, the milk increases in volume, so do not fill the packages to freeze completely to avoid their rupture.
5. Each container must necessarily be signed, indicating the date and time of decantation in order to avoid confusion.
6.Thaw breast milk is recommended in a water bath to maintain the integrity of its components, or before leaving it in the refrigerator for several hours, and then warming in a container with warm water (max 37 ° C).
Proper storage of breast milk personalhygiene and compliance with the rules - a pledge of the health of your child, so the milk that you plan to give the child in the next two days is better not to freeze, in order to preserve the immune factors of milk. Thawed female breast milk can not be re-frozen and stored. Before pumping the milk, be sure to process the breast pump and wash your hands with soap and water. Before using, all components of the breast pump, milk collection containers and containers for its storage should be washed and sterilized. Remember that a breast pump is intended for individual use; it should not be passed on to other mothers for temporary use.
Women's milk is the ideal food forbabies and no artificial mixtures can replace it. Only it contains all the necessary substances for ripening the nervous system and brain of the child, only it helps the formation of all functional systems, protects the baby from diseases and guarantees the formation of strong immunity, so it is necessary to exert maximum efforts to preserve lactation.
