With busy schedules and work pressures, most of the mothers are opting for formula feeding. Mothers milk is the best food for the baby. If put little efforts, it is not difficult to express the breast milk and store.
Who should express breast milk?
- Baby is unable to latch to breast due to either illness or prematurity.
- Mother returning to work
- Breast engorgement: when breasts are unusually heavy
- If mother wants to boost the milk supply. Breast milk output depends on demand. More you express more milk would be produced.
Massaging
It could be done either manually by hand or manual pump. However, less time consuming and easier option is an electric breast pump.
Before expressing the milk, hand should be thoroughly washed and pump sterilised and dried properly.
Storage
Use presterilized milk storage bags, which are easily available in the market or online. Any air tight container with food grade plastic or stainless steel would be fine. But storing in the milk bag is more convenient as it can be stored in small aliquots and in multiple bags.
- Label milk with the date and time when it was expressed.
- Store milk in the back of the refrigerator or freezer, not the door.
- Freeze milk in small amount in 60 ml – 120 ml in a bag so as to avoid milk wastage.
- Human milk expands as it freezes, leave a space of an inch at the top of the container.
- Milk can be stored in an insulated bag with frozen ice packs for up to 24 hrs when traveling.
- If no intention of using freshy expressed milk within 4 days, freeze it immediately.
Thawing the milk
Always thaw the oldest milk first.
- Milk can be thawed under lukewarm running water, in a container of lukewarm water or overnight in the refrigerator.
- Never thaw or heat milk in microwave. Heat destroys nutrition and microwave can create hot spots, which can burn a baby’s mouth.
- Use milk withing 24 hrs of thawing, from the time it is completely thawed not from the time when you took it out of the freezer.
- Use thawed milk within 2 hrs of bringing to room temperature or warming.
- Never refreeze thawed milk.
Feeding
- Milk can be served warm, at a room temperature or cold.
- Once thawed, test the temperature before feeding to the baby by putting a few drops on your wrist. It should feel warm, not hot.
- Mix the milk thoroughly to emulsify the fat, which may separate after thawing.
- Left over milk should be used within 2 hrs of thawing.