Questions on care and storage of expressed breast milk

[suis]

I've been expressing most mornings at the same time as the first feed of the day. Both my breasts are like basketballs at that time and it seems to work well to express then and I am getting anything up to 230mls out of the one side.

Mostly I am putting this straight in the freezer but I like to keep a bottle in the fidge for when I need to leave him with someone one else or his Dad is taking a turn feeding.

However... I am getting all confused about how this should be kept and stored...

Q1. How long does EBM keep in the fridge ? I have heard widely varying reports from 24 hours to 5 days.

Q2. How would I know if it had gone off ? I know it separates out and that's ok, but what should I look for to be sure it's not gone off ?

Q3. If I am freezing does it have to be on the day I express it ? If not, how long can I leave it ?

Q4. Sometimes I take a bottle out with me in a cool bag with an ice block in the bag. It's still cold even after a few hours, but it should it be discarded after that, or can it go back to the fridge ?

Q5. When the milk is defrosted how long will it last before it must be discarded ?

Q6. Can I cook up baby food with the defrosted stuff ? And if so, what sort of uses can it be put to ?

Q7. Does my breast pump have to be fully sterilised every day ? It's the only thing I sterilise most of the time and it seems such a waste. Could I get away with just a really good hot wash, seeing as the milk doesn't get stored there ?

Sorry for the lots of questions, but I can't seem to find detailed answers to these things anywhere.

Thank you for any help.

[Sterny]

Hi,

I fed my son ebm exclusively for the first 4 months of his life and this is what I did, which may not be right!

1. I kept it for 48 hours. Probably would keep longer though.
2. I presume it smells sour and is fairly obvious if it has gone off. Never experienced gone off ebm though so not sure.
3. I always froze ebm asap not sure about this one.
4. would probably be ok if hasn't been heated up.
5. I was told use within 12 hours of being defrosted.
6. Yes. Cauliflower cheese, rice pudding etc, anywhere you would use milk really.
7. No. I just washed in hot soapy water and put in the fridge between uses.

Hope that helps.

[mears]

\link{http://www.expressyourselfmums.co.uk/article.asp?subcategory_id=16&case_id=14\this site may be helpful.

There is even newer information from LLL that breastmilk can be stored up to 8 days in the main fridge I am sure. Have a 'google'

If you are freezing milk then I think it is important to sterilised the containers. Since you can express so well have you considered hand expressing ie using your hand and not a pump? I found it much faster and less hassle - no pump to sterilise.

You can used defrosted milk for cooking if you want.

You will smell milk that has 'gone off'

I oersinally would just give baby EBM that had been out of the fridge and replace it with newly expressed milk - never let liquid gold go to waste

Have you considered donating to a milk bank? That is what I did.

[mears]

link

[hbbell]

Q6 you can use defrosted milk to thin out things like potato to make it thiner and better to swallow
or mixed in with any food to help the baby
you can also use it with the powdered foods like baby rice if you wish

Q7 Most people will tell you that yes sterilise before each use. but the older my baby got the lessi did. I put mine in the dishwasher that washes hoter than my hands can stand. Its those little knooks and crannys that are hard to clean properly anywhere thats why people like to sterilise

Q

[terramum]

Q1. How long does EBM keep in the fridge ? I have heard widely varying reports from 24 hours to 5 days.
Up to 8 days at 0-4 degrees according to LLL....mine used to last that long fine when I expressed exclusively for DS

Q2. How would I know if it had gone off ? I know it separates out and that's ok, but what should I look for to be sure it's not gone off ?
Taste & smell it fresh then you know what its supposed to be like

Q3. If I am freezing does it have to be on the day I express it ? If not, how long can I leave it ?
I wouldnt personally freeze anything older than a day old...same as any other fresh foods...

Q4. Sometimes I take a bottle out with me in a cool bag with an ice block in the bag. It's still cold even after a few hours, but it should it be discarded after that, or can it go back to the fridge ?
I would put it back in the fridge...you can re-chill a warmed bootle of bm for up to 4 hours so if its been kept cold it should be good for at least that

Q5. When the milk is defrosted how long will it last before it must be discarded ?
24 hours in the fridge

Q6. Can I cook up baby food with the defrosted stuff ? And if so, what sort of uses can it be put to ?
Dont see why not - as long as its used that day & no refrozen....

Q7. Does my breast pump have to be fully sterilised every day ? It's the only thing I sterilise most of the time and it seems such a waste. Could I get away with just a really good hot wash, seeing as the milk doesn't get stored there ?
I sterilised mine once a day when I was pumping exclusively....but have done some reading since that suggests that might not be necessary... as long as it gets a good wash to remove all milk from it I would have thought it would be fine.

These links might be useful to you:
LLL
Kellymom - scroll down to Milk handling & storage

[Judy1234]

I agree with terramum. 22 years ago when I returned to work whilst breastfeeding I bought a book on it and that was really helpful on all those types of questions I had at the time. In practice I found we virtually always just used fresh EBM from the day before. The frozen we mostly didn't have to use but I felt happier it was there as a back up.

I think smelling it like you would normal milk in the fridge is a good thing to do to check it out. I brought mine home from work in an insulated freeze bag with ice pack and I was always happy it remained fresh. The said 22 year old is very fit and healthy now so she must have survived okay.