How to go about storing and defrosting breastmilk?

[arabella2]

Hi, I have just got the bottles that attach to my breastpump and would like to store some milk so that dh can feed dd (3 months) if I go to the dentist or something like that... Can anybody tell me how long you can keep the milk in the freezer, how long in the fridge, and how you go about warming it up?
Thanks a lot .

The recommendation in the UK is that milk keeps in the freezer for 3 months, but apparently in other countries they say 6 months! In the fridge ... not sure, I guess a couple of days, maybe longer.

With frozen milk I tried to let it thaw overnight in the fridge and then heated it by putting the bottle in some hot water. Or if I was disorganised I just put the frozen milk which I had in those Avent plastic bag things, straight into hot water and it defrosts in a jiffy.

Great Ormond Street handbook says six months. Mears says you can keep your own milk in your own fridge for four days or so. Quite honestly, I'm sure I've broken ALL the rules...fished some very old stuff out of the freeze the other day

The Avent plastic bags are quite good because you don't end up leaving all your bottles in the freezer. Defrosting in a jug of hot water also good but I think it is better to let it defrost naturally (apparently). For heating it up I'd put it in a bottle in a jug of hot water. I tried to warm BM in the microwave but it didn't seem to work!

I decanted milk into those Boots milk freezing bags. Our freezer was packed with them at one point, in fact there are still a few there even though dd2 has moved on to cow's milk when she's not with me. Childminder always defrosts in microwave, I have to say. But she does a lot of things much better than me, like change a very very wriggly baby's nappy with firmness and decision

The booklet I was given in the (Scottish) maternity hospital said 6 months in the freezer and quite a while in the fridge (can't remember how long). It did make the point about keeping it deep in the body of the frdige, so as not to be affected by fluctuations in temperature.

I always just defrosted it either in the fridge or on the counter, depending on how soon I was needing it. I never warmed it up - got ds used to having it at whatever temperature it came out - room OR fridge!

do you have to heat it up? mine have always had it cold, straight from the fridge cos they're that hard

I defrost in the microwave, it's not hard, you just practice how many seconds for how many ounces and be sure to shake well and check before you feed.

mine started taking it at body temperature and we gradually got them used to having it at room and then fridge temperature.

Breastmilk has its own antibacterial properties so can be stored at room temp for around 5-6 hours, in the fridge for 5 days or so in the icebox for 1 month, the freezer for 3 months and the deep freeze for 6 months.

You shouldn't microwave breastmilk as it destroys some of the nutrients, instead stand it in a dish of boiling water.

Don't worry if it starts to separate, its just the fore and hind milk, a quick shake soon mixes it back up.

just following on from last message. When it seperates which one is which. Ie is the fore milk the one that seperates to the top or bottom.

The fore milk is the lighter watery milk, therefore it rises to the top.

Actually its all the same milk but it does the same inside your breast. The milk separates and the fore milk acumulates in the resevoirs at the front so that is what comes out first when you feed your baby until they reach the fattier hind milk.

I've probably explained it badly but I have just had 2 glasses of wine!

Doh!! I was never very good at science.

The creamier hindmilk rises to the top with the watery foremilk at the bottom.

Blame the wine!