This is an automatically translated article.
The article was consulted with Dr. Nguyen Hung Tien - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology, Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.
Breast milk is the best source of nutrition for babies during the first 6 months of life. Therefore, many mothers will store this valuable source of milk for their babies in the freezer for later use. How long breast milk can be kept in the freezer depends on the type of cabinet you are using and how you store it.
1. How long can breast milk be frozen?
Breastfeeding directly from the delicious milk flowing from the mother's breasts is always encouraged, but in some cases, such as when the mother is away or the baby does not finish, the mother is forced to express the milk into a bottle or bag to store it. Store breast milk in the freezer compartment. However, it is important that breast milk also has a shelf life, so how long expressed breast milk can be frozen is a concern for many mothers.
According to experts, breast milk stored in the refrigerator in the freezer will help avoid bacteria and last longer, we often call it frozen milk. When breast milk is refrigerated in the freezer, the shelf life is as follows:
For a mini refrigerator, there is only one common door for both the freezer and the cooler, because the opening and closing operation causes the temperature in the freezer to change continuously. Therefore, it can only be stored for 2-3 weeks. For 2-wing refrigerators, with separate wings for freezer and cooler, expressed breast milk can be kept for 3-6 months. Especially if a mother stores milk in an ice cream cabinet, a specialized freezer can keep milk for 6 months to 1 year. However, the sooner you use it, the better.
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2. Notes when expressing and storing breast milk in the freezer compartment
Although the issue of how long breast milk can be frozen has been answered, mothers still need to pay attention to the following things after expressing and storing milk for babies:
To limit the amount of bacteria entering the milk, mothers It is necessary to wash hands thoroughly as well as clean milking tools and milk containers before pumping out milk for storage. Mothers also need to clean the nipples before expressing and apply a warm towel to the breasts for about 2 minutes before expressing breast milk. You can store your milk in glass bottles with lids, BPA-free hard plastic bottles, or breastmilk freezer bags. Do not put a lot of milk in one bottle/bag, but leave a space of about 2.5cm on the bottle/bag when adding milk to allow room for the milk to expand when frozen. Breast milk does not need to go through any treatment before it is frozen. It is best to put the milk in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator immediately after expressing, do not wait a few hours before putting it in the refrigerator. Before putting milk in the refrigerator, check the refrigerator for odors and make sure the milk is stored in a clean area, away from uncooked foods. When storing milk, mothers should keep it on the inside, at the bottom of the refrigerator. This is the coldest place and maintains the most stable temperature. Milk should not be left on the edge of the cabinet or the door of the cabinet because it will spoil the milk faster. If storing frozen milk in the freezer, store it in small bags according to your baby's feeding. Mothers should note, should label and write the milking date on each bottle/bag to easily remember the shelf life of frozen milk. In case the milk is frozen in the freezer but there is a power outage for a long time, the mother needs to put the milk in a thermos bag filled with ice and then close it tightly for storage.
3. How to defrost breast milk to freeze in the refrigerator
Finally, in addition to noting how long breast milk can be stored in the refrigerator, how to express and store breast milk in the freezer compartment, mothers need to pay attention when defrosting stored milk as follows:
With milk in the freezer , when using, the mother must defrost first. First, the mother should move the package/bottle of milk that is about to be used to the refrigerator so that the milk gradually melts. When the milk has melted, put the milk in a warmer at 40 degrees Celsius before feeding, because this is the best temperature so that the milk is not affected by heat and loses its nutrients.
Milk after warming can be used within 24 hours, however, if the baby does not finish the milk, it must be discarded, not frozen or mixed with new milk.
Mother absolutely do not heat milk at too high a temperature or soak it in boiling water because it will lose nutrients from milk. Never reheat stored milk in a microwave because it will destroy the nutrients in the milk and create "hot particles" that cause burns to the baby's digestive tract.
Milk after being refrigerated, the fat layer will close to an opaque white color on the top of the bottle, so after warming up, remember to shake gently so that the fat dissolves into the milk.
Do not shake the bottle vigorously or heat it suddenly at high temperature because it will break the structure of some protective protein molecules, or antibodies in the milk, thereby losing the natural features of the milk. Because antibodies such as lysozyme, lactoferrin, ... in milk can only promote its protective function when in the correct original molecular structure.
Milk after thawing, milk often has a slightly pungent, fishy, strong smell, not as fragrant as freshly expressed milk, so many mothers feel that stored milk has problems and immediately pours it out. However, that is not an issue for mothers to worry about. In fact, it is due to the action of lipase enzymes that break down the fats in breast milk when stored at low temperatures. However, the nutrition has not changed, so mothers can rest assured that their children will use them if defrosted properly.
For more nutritional knowledge and child care for each age, parents should regularly visit the website vimec.com and make an appointment with the leading doctors, pediatric and nutrition experts of the National General Hospital. Vinmec when needing advice on children's health.
