An important question: how long does breast milk last after pumping?

Breast milk is the main supplier of nutrients to the body of newborn babies. It is mother's milk that protects the baby from infections and harmful bacteria.

The best option is direct breastfeeding several times a day at regular intervals.

However, in some situations, mothers do not have the opportunity to be near their babies throughout the day, so the question arises about the safe content of expressed milk. Read on to learn how much breast milk is stored and how it should be stored correctly.

Storage time at different temperatures

There are 3 options for long-term detention expressed milk:

• at room temperature;
• in a refrigerator;
• in the freezer.

The product can be left indoors for up to 24 hours, depending on temperature:

• less than 15 °C – no more than 24 hours;
• below 20 °C – up to 10 hours;
• below 25 °C – up to 6 hours.

In case of longer absence, it is more convenient to place the product in the refrigerator. Under these conditions, you can preserve its beneficial properties for up to 48 hours. It is best to place the container as close as possible to the cooling wall of the refrigerator. After a 48-hour period from the moment of pumping, the substance will become unusable.

The third storage method is in the freezer. This option is suitable for long-term separation from a baby.The shelf life of the product in this case reaches 3 months. Deep freezing will help increase it to six months. Read about how long breast milk can be stored in the refrigerator. Here.

Factors affecting shelf life

For the shelf life of expressed milk The following factors may influence:

1. Compliance with pumping recommendations.
2. Temperature conditions.
3. Quality of packaging.
4. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
5. Compliance with product storage recommendations.

What can you store it in?

For each option for storing breast milk, there is a suitable type of container.

For storage at room temperature, it is enough to ensure the container is sealed. For this A baby feeding bottle made of borosilicate glass or polypropylene is suitable. The most environmentally friendly option is glass containers.

For the convenience of placing the product in the refrigerator, you can use reusable containers. When choosing this type of container, you should take into account the material of manufacture, as well as follow the operating rules so as not to endanger the child’s health. Feeding bottles are also suitable for this purpose.

Milk packaged in plastic bags can be quickly heated and then poured into a feeding bottle. How to store breast milk in a bottle, read Here.

General recommendations

To preserve the beneficial properties of the product and provide the baby with the necessary set of nutrients, it is important to properly express, store and heat breast milk.

To do this, you can use the following tips:

1. Do not mix milk at different temperatures.
2. The cooled product should be heated only in a water bath, in a special heater or under running hot water.

   If you heat a product in a microwave oven or in a saucepan, strong exposure to high temperature can destroy the beneficial substances.

3. The product should not be re-frozen.
4. Storage containers should be pre-sterilized.
5. If the product separates, shake the container several times until a homogeneous consistency appears.
6. Before freezing, place the container with the product in the refrigerator for several hours.

Video on the topic of the article

This video will show you how to store breast milk:

Conclusion

Breast milk is perfectly preserved at low temperatures, provided that the product is collected correctly, suitable containers are used, and recommendations for defrosting and heating are followed.

Procuring breast milk for future use is a forced step, because the feeding process itself helps to establish emotional contact between mother and baby, strengthens the child’s nervous system and has a beneficial effect on his mental state.