Travelling with Breast Milk
Posted by Babycarejunction.com on December 27th, 2019
STORAGE OF BREASTMILK
EMM (Expressed Mother's Milk)
How should I store my milk?
Store milk in sealed, sterilized containers. Containers should be labeled with the date and time that it was expressed. Place the container in ice water to cool it quickly. If the expressed milk is to be used for the baby within 24 to 48 hours, keep it refrigerated until just before use. If she will be freezing her milk, containers of breastmilk should be placed in the back of the freezer. Never store breastmilk in the freezer door. Breastmilk will keep in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours; in the refrigerator freezer, for about three months; in a chest freezer, or deep freeze, breastmilk will keep for about one year at O° F. However, because breastmilk is constantly changing to meet the baby's needs at a given age, it is best to use breastmilk within a week or two of expression. Breastmilk should not be stored for long periods.
I found out some article on the best coolers for traveling with breast milk here
It is best to freeze milk in small amounts (2 oz.) to avoid waste and decrease defrost time. Baby bottles are not ideal for freezer storage because there can be a large air space at the top, and the bottle may not be airtight. Special bags are available (Ameda/Egnell ® and Medela ® ) that protect the breastmilk from freezer burn much better than plastic nurser bags. However, if the mother is using plastic nurser bags, she should use one nurser bag slipped inside another and with a twist tie to hold it shut. Placing the nurser bags in an air-tight zip type freezer bag will further protect the milk from freezer burn. Allow for expansion by leaving a small air space at the top. Keep the bags upright, in a cup, until frozen.
How should I defrost breastmilk?
If the milk will be used within the next 24 hours, defrost it in the refrigerator overnight.
Frozen milk can be quickly defrosted placing it in tepid (warm, not hot) tap water, and gradually adding warm water. Never heat breastmilk on a stove or in a microwave oven! High heat alters the proteins in the breastmilk. Shake or rotate the container gently to mix the contents while it is defrosting Be sure to discard any milk left in the bottle after a feeding. Reuse can cause serious illness.
Why does my milk have a yellow layer at the top?
A yellow or white layer at the top of cooled or frozen breastmilk is simply the cream layer of the milk that separates as the milk is cooled. to remix, gently tip the bottle up and down. Don't shake breastmilk or formula.
Can I mix my milk and formula in the same bottle?
Formula may inactivate some of the components of breastmilk. It is best not to mix breastmilk and formula in the same bottle. Give the breastmilk first and makeup the rest of the feeding, if needed, with formula added to the empty bottle.
What type of nipple should be used for bottle feedings?
Actually, there is no one, "best" type of bottle nipple, except the one the baby will take.
The best type nipple has a small hole, rather than a large hole in the tip, has no odor, isn't too hard, too soft, too short, or too long. A small hole keeps the flow from becoming too fast for the breastfed infant to control. The baby's mouth should be open wide around the base of the nipple, not closed around the narrower neck of the nipple. Short, stubby nipples can interfere with proper latch-on, by encouraging the baby to feed at the tip. Standard bottle nipples should not have too large of a hole. (Test by holding the bottle upside down. Milk should drip slowly from the top, not run out.). There always seems to be one or two "best " nipples/bottles on the market and what people recommend changes frequently. I have never seen a nipple that looks like or works like mom.
