What You Need to Know About Storing Breastmilk
Top 5 Things All New Moms NEED to Know About Storing Breastmilk
When it comes to learning about motherhood and all it entails, the internet can be a confusing place because of the large volume of information. It can be so hard and confusing to know where to look and who to trust… but don’t worry, we’ve got you!
You might already know that there are SO many reasons for some mothers to choose to pump milk for their baby. Perhaps you are returning to work, hoping to increase your milk supply, or maybe you want to pump at night to maintain your supply because your baby sleeps longer stretches at night.
Regardless of your reason, with pumping comes the important topic of storing breastmilk. Breastfeeding mothers know that every drop of breastmilk is liquid gold, so it is important to be educated on how to properly store milk so that it can be used to its full potential.
Keep reading below as we go over the top five things ALL new mums need to know about storing breastmilk!
1) Pumping can be challenging
It is important to mentally prepare for the time commitment of pumping, cleaning bottles, storing, and organizing your milk stash. I don’t say this to scare you, but to help you prepare as productively as possible. These things will take some time to get the hang of, but you will become increasingly efficient with practice. If you go into it knowing that it might take time to do things properly, it will be a lot easier to keep yourself from feeling overwhelmed.
2) There can be multiple letdowns during a pumping session, similar to breastfeeding.
Sometimes letdowns happen naturally before pumping or one to two minutes after you pump. Here are a few ways to better help with your letdowns during pumping:
Relax! Sit back in your rocking chair and close your eyes.
Think about your baby.
Hold an item that smells like your baby. For example, their teddy bear or blanket.
Look at pictures or videos of your baby.
Massage your breasts and nipples
Sometimes a warm compress can help stimulate a letdown
3) When it comes to pumping, you have options!
Your first option is hand expression, which means you do not need any equipment to express your milk. This is great for on the go, or when you find yourself caught in a situation where your pump is inaccessible, has a low battery, has no electrical point, or just decided to break down. This option takes practice, but is a great skill to have in your toolbox!
This is a great video to learn the steps to express your milk by hand.
Your second option is either a manual or an electric pump. These machines are great for efficiency! Some come with a single pump and most come with a double pump to save time for the busy mothers. Pumping duration ranges for “at least 10 minutes, but no more than 20-30 minutes per session”.
4) At this point, you’ve got your milk!
But where do you store it? Again, you have several options that are largely based on what type of pump you used to express your milk. Most pumps do come with their own bottles to store expressed milk. Many mothers also find it easier to store in breast milk storage bags.
5) Breastmilk storage guideline.
Your milk needs to be stored within specific time frames, based on whether the milk is fresh, frozen, or thawed.
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There you have it: the top five most crucial things to know about storing breastmilk. With this knowledge, you can trust that the expressed breastmilk your baby consumes from your storage will be safe and in perfect condition for them.
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