Is it possible to mix breast milk expressed at 2 different times?

This is an automatically translated article.

Some women who are breastfeeding often wonder if it is possible to mix breast milk expressed at different times. In fact, you can do this if you follow the instructions of health care professionals to help ensure the safety and quality of breast milk.

1. When can you mix breast milk expressed at 2 different times?

When taking care of babies, breast milk is the safest choice to provide the best nutrition for your baby. However, many mothers wonder whether it is advisable to mix breast milk expressed at two different times and is this safe for the baby.
In fact, you can safely combine freshly expressed breast milk with previously expressed milk in the following cases:
Ensure good hygiene: Before expressing milk, you should wash your hands with soap and water. to remove harmful bacteria on hands, and at the same time clean the milk bottle to keep breast milk quality assured. Full-term babies: You should only use this mixing method when your baby is full-term and healthy. Collect breast milk during the day: You should combine all breast milk collected on the same day.

2. When should not mix breast milk expressed at 2 different times?

Here are some specific situations where you should not mix breast milk that has been expressed at two different times, including:
Mixing breast milk with the previous day's milk: It is not safe if you add breast milk expressed today to the container of breast milk expressed yesterday, or even last week. Unhygienic: Being in a polluted, dusty environment, or not being able to wash your hands thoroughly before collecting breast milk, can make expressed breast milk highly contaminated. At this point, it's best to throw away this milk instead of giving it to your baby. Premature babies: Your baby who was born prematurely or has a compromised immune system will need extra care and attention, even breastfeeding. When you collect breast milk, you should store and store it immediately. Once sealed, you should not reopen the breast milk container until it is time to use it. Also, keep bottles covered to avoid contaminating breast milk. Sharing breast milk: If you are sharing breast milk with a sick or premature baby, you should follow your healthcare professional's instructions on how to collect and store breast milk.

3. Mix freshly expressed breast milk with room temperature breast milk

You can add freshly expressed breast milk directly to a breast milk bottle at room temperature (above 26 degrees Celsius), as long as the previously expressed breast milk has not expired. In general, freshly expressed breast milk can be left at room temperature for up to 4 hours. In case you have expressed your milk a few times in that time period, you can mix them together. You can then choose to store the milk or use it to feed your baby.
When you add breast milk from different expressions to the breast milk bottle at room temperature, all of the last expressed milk is also considered the oldest milk after mixing. For example, if you mix freshly expressed breast milk with milk you expressed about 3 hours ago and leave it at room temperature, all the milk will be 3 hours old now.

4. Mix freshly expressed breast milk with breast milk stored in the refrigerator

You can add breast milk to the container of breast milk that has been stored in the refrigerator, but do not put freshly expressed breast milk that is still warm to body temperature. It's best to cool the milk before mixing your most recently expressed breast milk with milk that has been refrigerated on the same day. First, put expressed breast milk in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour. Then, when the milk cools, you can put it in the pre-cooled container.

5. Mix freshly expressed breast milk with thawed breast milk

You can mix freshly expressed breast milk with thawed milk as long as they are at the same temperature. However, freshly expressed breast milk often offers more health benefits than previously frozen breast milk, so it's always better to feed your baby with freshly expressed milk.
In case you want to store milk, you should not add freshly expressed breast milk to defrosted breast milk bottles. Besides, once you've thawed breast milk, you won't be able to freeze it again. Instead, you should use the milk within 24 hours or throw it away.
If you want to store freshly expressed breast milk, you should keep it separate from the milk you have defrosted.

6. Mix freshly expressed breast milk with frozen breast milk

You should not add warm freshly expressed breast milk to frozen breast milk because warm milk can cause the frozen milk to thaw. However, if you have cooled freshly expressed breast milk before, you can completely add them to frozen milk, as long as the milk is expressed on the same day.
You can put freshly expressed milk in the refrigerator until it cools. Then, mix them in the frozen milk jug. This process is called classification.

7. Some other notes when mixing breast milk

Combining different types of breast milk from different expressions on the same day can bring a lot of convenience, especially for mothers with young children who are only getting a small amount of breast milk at each feeding . It's better to store your milk in the same bottle instead of splitting it up into different bottles. This will make it easier to store, transport and use breast milk. Plus, when you don't need a lot of containers, you'll save a lot of space in your fridge or freezer.
As long as you follow the instructions and tips above, you can safely mix freshly expressed breast milk with breast milk that has been expressed during the day.
Newborns in general are prone to respiratory diseases, respiratory infections and gastrointestinal infections if they are introduced to solid foods early or the storage and preparation of milk is not guaranteed. To protect children's health, parents should do well to exclusively breastfeed their babies for the first 6 months (if possible) and vaccinate on schedule. As soon as the child shows symptoms such as anorexia, fatigue, crying, it is necessary to take the child to the hospital to be consulted by a specialist for monitoring and treatment. The pediatric department at Vinmec International General Hospital is the address for receiving and examining diseases that infants and young children are susceptible to: viral fever, bacterial fever, otitis media, pneumonia in children. ,...
For children to be healthy and develop well, it is necessary to have a nutritious diet in terms of quantity and quality balance. If children are not provided with adequate and balanced nutrients, it will lead to diseases of excess or lack of nutrients, which adversely affect the comprehensive development of children in terms of physical, mental and motor skills.
Parents should supplement their children with supportive products containing lysine, essential micro-minerals and vitamins such as zinc, chromium, selenium, and B vitamins to help fully meet their child's nutritional needs. At the same time, these essential vitamins also support digestion, enhance nutrient absorption, help improve anorexia, and help children eat well.
Parents can learn more:
Signs of zinc deficiency in children
Micronutrient deficiency and failure to gain weight in children
Please regularly visit Vinmec.com website and update useful information to take care of your child. Take care of the baby and the whole family.

References: verywellfamily.com, babycenter.com