Tips for Sorting and Thawing Your Breast Milk

The other day, I did a brief review of Honeysuckle Breastmilk Storage Bags and as promised, I am sharing some tips for sorting and thawing your breast milk on the blog today. These tips are lifted from the Honeysuckle brochure sent over to me.

 

Here then are some tips for sorting and thawing your breast milk:

1. Do not fill bags 3/4 full to allow the milk to expand as it freezes.
2. Keep milk expressed on diffrent days in separate bags. Lay bags flat during storage.
3. Place the containers in the back of the refrigerator or freezer, where the temparature is the coolest. If you don’t have access to a refrigerator freezer, store the milk in a cooler or insulated bag until you can transfer the milk to the refrigerator or freezer.
4. Never thaw frozen milk at a room temparature, which can cause bacteria to multiply in the milk.
5. Thaw the oldest milk first. Place the frozen bag in the refrigerator the night before you intent to use it. You can also gently warm the milk by placing it under warm running water or in a bowl of running water.
6. Before offering the milk, gently swirl it to mix any fat that has separated during storage. Do not vigorously shake the container or stir the milk.
7. Never heat a frozen bottle in the microwave or very quikly on the stove. Some parts of the milk might be too hot, and others too cold. Rapid heating can affect the milk’s antibodies.
8. Use thawed breast milk within 24 hours. Discard any remaining milk. Do not freeze thawed or partially thawed breast milk.

And for your breastmilk to stay fresher, longer, store milk:

• at room temperature (66-78°F, 19-26°C) for 4 hours (ideal), up to 6 hours (acceptable) (some sources use 8 hours)
• in a refrigerator (<39°F, <4°C) for 72 hours (ideal), up to 8 days (acceptable if  collected in a very clean, careful way)
• in a freezer (-0.4 to -4°F, -18 to -20°C) for 6 months (ideal) up to 12 months (acceptable)

Have a great day ahead, moms! Dont forget to join our Honeysuckle Breastmilk Storage Bags Giveaway!

 Resource: Honeysuckle Brochure