Alternative Ways To Store Breast Milk

In our current situation where the national government has imposed a nationwide Enhanced Community Quarantine, a mother has to be prepared should the lockdown be extended for a few weeks or months.

The safety and quality of breast milk is paramount to your newborn’s health and well-being. If you cannot directly latch your infant to breastfeed for whatever choice or reason, handling and storing breast milk properly is very important. There are several guidelines available online and in different resources, but you have to take several factors into consideration to ensure that milk is not spoiled or contaminated when you store it. Some of the factors that will affect the milk’s shelf-life are temperature (both during expression, and storage), milk volume, the type of container you use, and even the cleanliness of the environment. In our current situation where the national government has imposed a nationwide Enhanced Community Quarantine, movement is limited to essential food runs, health emergencies, or humanitarian purposes. There is also scarcity of supplies due to panic buying, hoarding, and logistic restrictions. A mother has to be prepared should the lockdown be extended for a few weeks or months.

How to Store Different Types of Breast Milk

In storing breast milk, one material that is out of the question is any storage container that contains bisphenol A or better-known as BPA (How to find out? Look for the recycle symbol # 7). BPA is an industrial chemical that has been used since the 1960s to produce plastic and resin. It has been used to manufacture several household items like food containers, water bottles, and canned goods. Some research studies found that there may be a risk that BPA contaminates food and beverages, and it may also have a link to increased blood pressure, brain and development issues in children, and other possible health effects. Also, do not use plastic bags, commercial baby bottle bags, or zip-lock bags. Look at your infant feeding materials and make sure it does not have the above mentioned symbol, or it indicates that it is BPA-free.

Below are some of the ways to store different types of breast milk:

Freshly expressed or pumped breast milk At room temperature, freshly expressed or pumped breast milk is only safe up to 4 hours. If refrigerated, it can last up to 4 days. The best way to store fresh breast milk is in the freezer, where it can be stored and used for as long as 6 to 12 months. Follow the first in, first out rule when handling your frozen breast milk.
Thawed, previously frozen breast milk If you have thawed previously frozen breast milk in excess, you can keep it in room temperature for 1-2 hours only. When you place it back in the refrigerator, it can last up to 24 hours, after which it is best not to be consumed by your baby. Remember: NEVER refreeze human breast milk after it has been thawed, as it may be contaminated, and have a different consistency when refrozen and re-thawed.
Leftover breast milk from feeding When you have leftover breast milk, you can use it only up to 2 hours after feeding. Since it has come in contact with your baby’s saliva when they were feeding, it is best not to keep it for more than this prescribed time frame.

I’ve Ran Out of Breast Milk Bags! What Do I Do?

Baby and infant essentials are scarce in our current situation. If you’ve run out of breast milk storage bags, you can store breast milk in a sterilized baby bottle, breast milk storage bottles, or a sterile hospital cup. This will maintain the integrity and safety of the milk, while ensuring prolonged shelf-life if handled properly.

Another container you can use is a breast milk storage tray. It’s like your regular ice tray, but with a cover, and made from food-grade material that prevents freezer burn (thus preventing damage to your breast milk). It allows you to store your milk in smaller amounts, which also minimizes wastage, as you don’t have to worry about excess milk that your baby can’t drink. This container is versatile as you can use it for storing baby food, and you can still use it as an ice cube tray once you no longer have to use it for this purpose.

If a refrigerator or a freezer is not readily available to store your breast milk (when you are at work, or when you have to pump or be outside), it is best to have an ice cooler or insulated bag with you that has ice packs in it. This will help extend the freshness of your milk and keep it from going stale, until you get home and refrigerate or freeze them. Some diaper bags have small insulated pockets you can put your ice packs in, and there are even smaller, compact pouches with insulated lining that can fit in your regular backpack or shoulder bag. To make sure your stashed breast milk stays colder, longer, just place 1 or 2 gel ice packs. You can improvise with ice tubes, or zip-locked frozen water, but make sure there is no leakage that comes in contact with your breast milk.

Your breast milk is called liquid gold for a reason. It is the most precious nourishment you can give to your child, and handling it properly is very important. That is why you must follow health guidelines in proper storage and handling of it to avoid contamination and illness. As a mother, you must also be ready in times of crisis or emergencies, so knowing these alternative ways to store your milk will help you continue your breastfeeding journey despite the challenges.

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Alternative Ways To Store Breast Milk

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