| |
 Dr.
Ruth Lawrence, professor, author and researcher, serves on
Breastfeeding.com's medical advisory board. Dr. Lawrence is
a professor of pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology at the
University of Rochester. She is also director of the
university's Breastfeeding and Human Lactation Study Center.
Dr. Lawrence has answered many of your questions on pumping and
storing breastmilk. Look for more of Dr. Lawrence's answers
to your questions next week!
Dr. Lawrence is the author of
"Breastfeeding: A Guide
for the Medical Profession," the standard medical reference
book for breastfeeding. She was one of eight doctors who
helped the American Academy of Pediatrics draft its
1997 policy
statement supporting breastfeeding.
Can I freeze refrigerated
breastmilk?
| NAME: |
Michelle |
| BABY'S NAME: |
Kieran |
| BABY'S AGE: |
14 Weeks |
Can I freeze breastmilk after it's been put in the fridge?
The
answer is modified. We recommend that you chill the milk for an
hour or two before putting it into the freezer. However, if the milk has been in the refrigerator for a day or two
and then you freeze it, this is a problem. I suggest limiting
the amount of time that the milk is in the refrigerator before
putting it in the freezer to about six hours maximum.
Refrigeration slows down the enzyme activity, but it doesn't
halt it. Milk also tends to separate in the fridge, so you have
a fat layer and a milk layer. Therefore, when you put milk in
the freezer earlier, it is of better quality. When it is in the
refrigerator too long, bacteria can grow. Freezing the milk
halts the growth of bacteria, but it doesn't kill them.
Can breastmilk be frozen in
plastic bottles?
| NAME: |
Jamee |
| BABY'S NAME: |
Brannon |
| BABY'S AGE: |
6 weeks |
Can
I freeze breastmilk in a plastic bottle?
If
plastic is used, you want something that you can fill without
difficulty, and that you can store upright and open easily
without spilling and risking bacteria getting in the milk.
We
are more concerned about the container when the baby is
exclusively fed pumped and stored milk. In this scenario, we
prefer glass or special plastic containers that are made
precisely to collect milk. Baggies shouldn't be used.
They don't
stand upright in the freezer, and when they are thawed it is
more difficult to pour the milk in the bottle, thus increasing
the risk of contamination. Also, sometimes those bags split in
the freezer.
Not all plastics are the same. But if you are freezing milk in a
plastic nursing bottle, it is probably a safe plastic. I wouldn't
worry, especially if your baby only gets breastmilk from a
bottle occasionally.
How long does breastmilk stay
good?
| NAME: |
Nancy |
| BABY'S NAME: |
Lindsey |
| BABY'S AGE: |
1 month |
Once
breastmilk has been frozen and thawed, how long does it last in
the fridge and how long does it last at room temperature? Also,
if thawed milk has been used (tube feeding at the breast), can
what is left over be used for the next feeding?
Once
you have frozen and thawed breastmilk and put it in the
refrigerator, we usually say that 24 hours is the limit. Once it
is frozen and thawed, you really shouldn't leave it at room
temperature except for as long as it takes to feed the baby.
The process of freezing and thawing diminishes some of the
protective effects of milk in terms of bacterial contamination.
One example is that freezing and thawing destroys the living
cells in human milk, which are part of the protective mechanism.
Fresh-pumped milk in a clean, covered container, however, will
stay OK for six to eight hours. So, someone who has no
refrigerator at work can take the milk home at the end of the
day and feed the baby immediately, or put it in the freezer.
It
is fine to put this milk into the freezer as long as it is in a
clean container. Part of this has to do with the fat enzymes.
At room temperature the fat is broken down to triglycerides
which change the PH and can make the milk sour if it sits around
longer. This is different from the problem of bacteria
contamination. Actually, the bacteria will be less in number at
eight hours than they were at the time of pumping because of the
protective qualities in the milk. They suppress bacterial
growth. On the other hand, the enzymes get going and six to
eight hours is about the limit of how much activity you want to
let loose. At this time, bacterial counts also start to rise.
Can I 're-use' pumped
breastmilk?
| NAME: |
Sherri |
| BABY'S NAME: |
Kelsey |
| BABY'S AGE: |
3 weeks |
I
am pumping now because the baby will not latch on. My question
is if she acts like she's hungry I warm up about 2 ounces, she
may drink .5 oz then fall asleep. Can I save the remaining
breast milk or is it considered "no good" and must be
dumped. In addition, if the milk has been warmed up but not used
and the baby goes to sleep can it be put back in the
refrigerator to be reheated and used later?
Thank you.
Whether
you can use the remaining milk really depends on how long it
sits around. Once the baby takes the bottle, there is a certain
amount of saliva that gets in the bottle that creates bacteria
and gets saliva enzymes in the milk. This is why it isn't good
to give milk that has been sitting around. But, if it sits for
only a half hour or so, this is fine.
If the milk is warmed up but not used, it is OK to reheat the
milk once. But the more you reheat the more you decrease some of
the valuable immunologic properties of the milk. Human milk is
liquid gold, so we don't want to throw any more away than we
absolutely have to. You may try making smaller bottles (say 1
ounce rather than 2 ounces) if your baby consistently seems to
drink less. You can always give a second bottle at one feeding
if she still seems hungry.
Can I reheat defrosted
breastmilk?
| NAME: |
Julie |
| BABY'S NAME: |
Connor |
| BABY'S AGE: |
8 months |
My
question deals with using frozen breastmilk.
While at daycare, there are many times when my baby doesn't
finish his whole bottle of defrosted breastmilk. Is it possible
to reheat then reoffer the defrosted breastmilk? If so within
what time frame? Or must the unused portion be discarded?
This
baby is 8 months old so I would say that if he doesn't finish
a bottle of defrosted milk it could be put in the refrigerator
and be reused during that day at daycare. I wouldn't hold it
until the next day, however. If it is a consistent pattern that
he doesn't take the whole bottle, then I suggest that you thaw
less at one time or package in smaller amounts.
Important Disclaimer
This Breastfeeding.com service is designed to help
visitors obtain advice and guidance. You are solely responsible for the
outcome of any services and/or advice you are given.
Breastfeeding.com is not responsible for any services and/or advice
given by the consultants, and shall not be liable or responsible to any
person or entity for any loss or damage caused, or alleged to be have
been caused, directly or indirectly by the information or ideas
contained, suggested, or referenced. Your participation in this service
is solely at your own risk |
|
|
|
