Breastfeeding provides benefits to both baby and mom, and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that babies be exclusively fed breast milk for their first six months of life. However, it can be difficult to breastfeed when you need to return to work, or even just on days when you have to get out of the house and run some errands without your baby. Many moms choose to pump their breast milk and store it.
Pumping for Storage
Lactating mothers can pump their breast milk using a commercially available pump or by hand expressing their milk. Commercial pumps are available in manual and electric varieties. Hand expression involves rhythmic compressions of the breast tissue to express the milk contained in the milk ducts.
Storage Containers
Some mothers store their milk in glass or plastic bottles. If storing a lot of milk, sterile plastic bags are an option. Milk storage bags made of plastics free of chemicals such as BPA are also available. An advantage of milk storage bags is that they are easily stackable in a freezer or refrigerator. Don't use bags made for food storage use.
Storage Amounts
Breast milk should be stored in amounts that the baby will eat in one sitting, since it isn't advisable to reheat milk multiple times. This generally amounts to about four ounces of milk per serving, but individual babies vary.
Refrigerator Storage
Expressed milk can be stored in a refrigerator at 39 degrees F for 5 days. Only refrigerate breast milk that you plan to feed your baby within a few days, since refrigerating and then freezing the milk can decrease the nutritional quality as enzymes and other components degrade over time.
Freezer Storage
Breast milk can be stored in a freezer at 0 degrees F for up to six months. At below -4 degrees F, breast milk is safe in the freezer for up to a year. Store the milk in the back of the freezer, since storing it near the door can expose it to varying temperatures.
Thawing and Reheating
Frozen breast milk should be thawed in the fridge overnight or thawed in warm water. Be careful not to use boiling water or heat in a microwave, since this can overheat the milk, destroying nutrients and making it too hot for the baby to drink.
Bottle Feeding Breast Milk
When the mother is away and another caretaker must feed the expressed milk using a bottle, the experience should be made as close to breastfeeding as possible to avoid confusing the baby and damaging the breastfeeding relationship. This can be done by choosing bottles with nipples that mimic the human nipple, allowing the baby to start and stop the feeding instead of forcing it, and incorporating natural pauses during a feeding.
