US $5.01
Many new mothers want to breast feed their babies, but they need to work so they will not always be around at feeding time. There are many products on the market that claim that you can freeze your breast milk and then store it. The main question at hand is freezing and breast milk storage safe for the baby?
In a word, yes. It is completely safe to use this method. There are few things that you need to keep in mind before you go out and spend money on breast milk storage bags or breast milk storage containers. If you keep these few tips in mind, you will be able to store as much breast milk as you can pump.
The first thing to remember is to date the container you will storing the breast milk in. Most of the breast milk storage bags and containers have an area on them just for this purpose. This way you will use the oldest frozen breast milk first and the baby will not be getting milk that has gone off.
Breast milk will only last in the refrigerator for two days. It will last up to three months in the freezer. Any milk that is not used within three months should be thrown out and not given to the baby. You do not want to feed your baby milk that has turned bad.
You will also want to have your baby’s name on the container. This is especially true for those moms who are taking their baby to daycare where there will be other babies. While there may not be any ill effects, you do not want your baby getting the milk from another mother. It is best not to take any chances.
It is also extremely important that the container is sealed as tightly as possible. Many of the new breast milk storage bags come with zip locks. Just turn the bag upside down over the sink to make sure there are no leaks or pin holes before you freeze it. If the milk gets freezer burnt, it cannot be fed to the baby.
If you secure the container tightly, you will not have to worry about any type of freezer burn on the milk you have stored. It can be a hassle getting milk out of the freezer, thawing it and getting ready to feed the baby just to find out that the milk has turned. Avoid this at all costs by double checking the seal on the container.
So the answer to the question is it safe to freeze breast milk is yes, as long as you take care and make sure that you date the milk. You also want to make sure you have a good seal on your breast milk storage container and that your baby’s name is clearly marked on the container. If you follow these steps, your breast milk will last three months in the freezer. If you have a deep freeze that gets colder, you can store it up to six months.
