Conservation of Maternal Milk by I.Randi

Generality

Proper storage of breast milk is of fundamental importance to maintain the characteristics of the food and to ensure the safety of the child who will take it.

Clearly, the preservation of breast milk is necessary when it is extracted (or pulled, if you prefer) from the breasts of the mother who cannot breastfeed her baby. In order to guarantee the integrity and safety of use of this precious food, it must be placed in special containers and stored in the right conditions immediately after the draw operation.

In the course of the article, therefore, the general rules to follow and the useful suggestions for the correct conservation of the breast milk will be listed.

Why Store Milk

Why is it important to preserve Breast Milk?

Notwithstanding the importance of breastfeeding, there are conditions in which this natural and fundamental gesture for the newborn cannot be carried out.

The causes that can lead to preventing breastfeeding are manifold, from post-natal pathologies that require special treatments, up to the disorders that can affect the mother's breast (fissures, breast engorgement, mastitis, etc.) hindering the attachment of the child, or even the need to have to leave for more or less long periods of time (for example, to resume work).

However, if the mother is able to produce breast milk, it is good to supply it to the newborn even when breastfeeding is not physically possible. In fact, this precious food contains all the nutrients the baby needs (proteins, vitamins, lipids, mineral salts, sugars), plus antibodies, defense cells, enzymes and growth factors that are absolutely necessary for the proper development of the new born . In light of what has just been said, it is clear that the preservation of breast milk after its extraction from the breast is essential to guarantee the maintenance of all its nutritional characteristics.

How to do

General Rules for the Conservation of Breast Milk

To ensure the proper storage of breast milk - therefore the integrity and nutritional characteristics of the food - it is of fundamental importance to adopt some tricks and follow a set of general rules.

Where to Store Milk

First of all, for the storage of breast milk, it is necessary to use containers specifically designed for this type of use that must be sterilized before each use . Sterilization can take place by boiling, or even better by using special sterilizers that can be purchased in pharmacies, parapharmacy or specialized shops (for example, microwave sterilizers).

Containers can be:

• Glass containers with a cap;
• Containers made of material for foodstuffs with corks and suitable for storing and storing the milk itself;
• Disposable bags in material for food specially made for the storage of breast milk.

Most of the aforementioned containers can be attached directly to the breast pump, so that the food - as it is extracted - is immediately collected in the container or storage bag. In the same way, the glass containers and those in food material offer the possibility of screwing on them - in addition to the cap and the breast pump - also the teat, so as to directly administer the food without having to transfer it.

Please note

It is good to remember that - to ensure the right hygiene - all the components of the breast pump that come into contact with the mother's breast and milk (cup, collection container, etc.) must be washed and sterilized according to the instructions on the package of the instrument used (for more in-depth information on this, read the dedicated articles: Electric Breast Pump and Manual Breast Pump).

Time and Mode of Preservation of Breast Milk

Once the food has been extracted and transferred to the appropriate containers, breast milk can be stored in different ways depending on when it is intended to be used. In fact, if the milk is to be given to the child within a few hours, it can be stored at room temperature (provided it is below 25 ° C); while if the milk extracted serves to constitute a stock to be used in the long term, then it is possible to proceed with refrigeration or with freezing.

However, the times, methods and storage temperatures of breast milk are shown in the following table:

Before putting the container or the bag containing the breast milk in the refrigerator or in the freezer, it is good to put on the latter a label on which to note the date of extraction . In this way, it is possible to know when the storage of the breast milk in question began, even after some time.

Please note

Clearly, those listed above are indicative times, for more information on this or in case of doubt, it is useful to contact the doctor, the pediatrician or possibly the hospital staff if the child is hospitalized.

Use of Preserved Milk

Administration of Preserved Breast Milk

If stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator, breast milk is ready to use and can be given to the baby, if necessary, after a short heating in a bain-marie or, if possible, using the bottle warmer.

Naturally, if necessary, the food must be previously poured out of the bag or from the container to the bottle.

Thaw Conserved Breast Milk

Thawing of breast milk is as important as its proper preservation.

In fact, thawing should take place in the refrigerator within 12-24 hours. Eventually, the thawing phase can be accelerated by placing the containers or bags under a jet of cold or lukewarm water (maximum 35-37 ° C). In no case should the containers be thawed in the microwave or on the fire (not even in a bain-marie), as there is a risk of degrading various components of the food.

Once thawed, the breast milk must be consumed immediately, or stored in the refrigerator and consumed within 24 hours if the container has not been opened, or within 12 hours if the container has been opened.

Please note

After thawing, breast milk CANNOT be refrozen . Therefore, the food not consumed within 12 or 24 hours, depending on the case, must be thrown away.

Useful Tips

Useful Tips for Preserving Breast Milk

Below are some tricks and tips that may be useful in order to properly store the milk extracted from the breast.

• In order to avoid wasting such a precious food, it is advisable to fill each container with a maximum of 50-100 ml of milk .
• Do not store milk in the refrigerator door, but in the coldest area of ​​the latter.
• When breastmilk is stored in the refrigerator, it would be good to avoid opening it too often - especially during the hottest months - so as not to alter the internal temperature of the appliance, therefore the proper storage of breast milk.
• Avoid adding the freshly drawn milk to the milk already stored in the refrigerator in order not to cause the temperature to rise. If it is necessary to add freshly drawn milk to the milk already stored in the refrigerator, the first must be previously cooled.
• Do not completely fill the containers : in fact, during freezing, the volume of the contents may increase.
• In the event of phase separation (separation of the aqueous phase from the solid phase), do not shake the container vigorously, but shake gently making a rotary movement . In this way, it should be avoided that the fat part remains adhered to the walls of the container. If this were to happen, in fact, this portion of the food would not be available for the newborn.

Please note

When the preservation of breast milk must be carried out to feed a baby born prematurely and / or suffering from post-natal diseases, the rules and hygiene rules to be followed could be more restrictive. In such situations, it is essential to follow the instructions provided by doctors and hospital staff.