Pediatricians advise: how long can breast milk be stored after defrosting?

Breast milk is the only source of nutrition for the baby. He must receive it regularly, so there are often situations when the product has to be expressed and frozen.

There is nothing critical about this if you follow all the rules for storing and using the product. Read the article about how long breast milk can be stored after defrosting to prevent it from spoiling.

How long does a thawed product last?

The shelf life of breast milk after defrosting is short. It is largely determined by where exactly the product will be located: in the refrigerator or outside it.

At room temperature

If we are talking about room temperature, then it is assumed that its values ​​are in the range from 16 to 29 degrees.

Under such conditions, after complete defrosting, milk can be used to feed the baby for 3-4 hours. The maximum permissible storage period is 6 hours.

The higher the air temperature, the faster the milk will spoil. If the deadline has passed, you cannot take risks and offer food to your child!

In a refrigerator

If a frozen product is transferred to the upper sections of the refrigerator for thawing, it is assumed that it is at a temperature of 4 degrees or lower. In such conditions food will remain edible for up to 24 hours.

To prevent it from deteriorating during storage, it should be placed at the back wall of the refrigerator. Before offering thawed breast milk to your baby, you need to independently assess its temperature.

How to extend the shelf life?

To extend the shelf life of breast milk, The following recommendations must be followed:

• do not expose it to heat after the freezer;
• in the refrigerator, place the container closer to the back wall;
• do not put the bottle on the shelf on the refrigerator door;
• The product must be sent to the freezer immediately after expressing;
• until the product is completely thawed and consumed, it is better to leave it in the container in which it was frozen;
• Do not mix cooled and warm milk;
• You need to store milk in the freezer in small portions; if necessary, mix them after thawing.

It will tell you how long breast milk can be stored in the refrigerator. this article about the shelf life of the product after pumping - this, in a bottle - this.

Can it be re-frozen?

Breast milk should not be re-frozen. If it has been defrosted and reheated once, it cannot be placed in the freezer again..

This product produces a lot of lactate - lactic acid. In addition, the likelihood of microbial flora multiplying increases, which can lead to serious poisoning.

After re-freezing, the taste of milk changes. Because of this, the child will simply refuse to use it. Numerous temperature changes are harmful to the product, as they lead to the destruction of protein and the death of part of the beneficial microflora.

Helpful information

Tips for storing and defrosting breast milk:

1. To ensure that milk retains maximum benefits, it is better to defrost it at room temperature.
2. If it is necessary to speed up the process, the baby food product is removed from the freezer 60 minutes before feeding, and then placed in a pan of warm water.
3. When you have time to defrost, the milk can be left in the refrigerator for a day.
4. To prevent breast milk from losing its nutritional properties and its molecules changing their structure, it should not be heated in a microwave oven or in a water bath in boiling water.

Video on the topic of the article

This video will show you how to properly defrost breast milk:

Conclusion

Frozen breast milk is just as nutritious and beneficial for the baby as fresh. The main thing is not to violate the temperature regime and the shelf life.