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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Is this really true???

20 replies

boolean · 20/01/2009 23:28

I do hope not...

The baby book I am reading (which, to be fair, has been pretty spot on about most things) says that once you freeze EBM it loses loads of its nutrients and there isn't much difference between that and formula.

Does anyone know if it's true?

OP posts:
DrWilfSellAndNotJustAnHonorary · 20/01/2009 23:30

It is utter, utter, total bollocks. Which book is it, please?

madmouse · 20/01/2009 23:31

huh?

so peas keep their nutrients but bm does not?

where do they go?

SenoraPostrophe · 20/01/2009 23:32

I'm fairly sure it's not true. freezing doesn't damage nutrients as much as people think - frozen peas, for example, often have more vit c than the "fresh" ones you buy in the supermarket because being kept in air is more damaging to vit c than the freezing process.

moondog · 20/01/2009 23:32

Christ on an effing bike.
Is it a poorly disguised pamphlet for SMA?????

bubbleymummy · 21/01/2009 07:48

Actually, frozen bm does lose some of its nutrients and antibodies etc BUT it does not become the equivalent of formula!!! It's why it's recommended to keep bm in the fridge if you are planning on using it within a few days.

tiktok · 21/01/2009 09:41

boolean - utter tripe, of course, but which book is it???

Original poster
boolean · 21/01/2009 16:18

It's this book

I've just had another look at exactly what it says - it is in the context of a paragraph about building up a store of EBM if you intend to go back to work and want your baby to continue having breast milk. The quote is "If you decide that expressing is not worth the bother, then don't feel guilty because breast milk actually loses a lot of its nutritional value once it has been frozen. So there's little difference between formula and frozen breast milk."

I think it's trying to stop mums feeling guilty if they don't want to carry on BFing when they return to work. Put down the pitchforks, I think I made it sound worse than it is!!

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ilovemydogandMrObama · 21/01/2009 16:23

Perhaps if it's been in the deep freeze for a year or two, then maybe, but that statement, '... breastmilk actually loses a lot of its nutritional value once it has been frozen...' needs to be backed up.

mrsgboring · 21/01/2009 16:24

Ah so it's okay to talk nonsense if it will stop women feeling guilty. Okay, right you are.

LackaDAISYcal · 21/01/2009 16:31

It's still implying that there is no difference between formula and frozen BM, which is, as others have said, utter tosh. It should be saying that frozen BM, even if it loses a little nutritional value (which it doesn't) is better for baby than formula milk.

Original poster
boolean · 21/01/2009 16:39

Well I'm not hearing any scientific arguments either way - just one lot of people (the book) saying it's true and another (this forum) saying it's not.

Personally I am mixed feeding - one bottle of formula a day but also express to keep my milk production up and so that I can have the odd few hours away. If it were true about freezing EBM I would like to know but it wouldn't stop me doing it as I need to keep my milk production up for the 90% of breastfeeding I am doing.

OP posts:
AbricotsSecs · 21/01/2009 16:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

fuckitgoblin · 21/01/2009 16:42

total bollocks
i think they have confused freezing breastmilk with boiling cabbage or something
milk banks use frozen milk for preemie and sick babies. they'd not bother with teh expensive collection process if it was nutritionally worthless

Grendle · 21/01/2009 16:43

Breast milk does lose some of its immunological properties when freezing, but some remain intact and formula has none! I'm not aware that the nutritional components change much (eg proteins, carbs, fats etc).

Jacksmama · 21/01/2009 16:43

Sounds like complete bullshit to me.
How can other frozen foods be nutritionally ok but not EBM? I do see how it could be less nutritious if you freeze it for years, but a few months... garbage.

cmotdibbler · 21/01/2009 16:58

this study for a start shows that the antibodies aren't affected by freezing.

Will search Pubmed more later, but the fact that hospitals bank frozen milk for preemies in preference to formula, would indicate that there is a marked difference between the two

LackaDAISYcal · 21/01/2009 17:09

This article by the BBC is quite informative and the comments about defrosted frozen BM being having higher antioxidant properties than formula is a salient point.

Obviously this is just an article and not the research paper itself, but the Beeb are usually OK about how they report things like this.

taliac · 21/01/2009 17:20

"i think they have confused freezing breastmilk with boiling cabbage or something"

Jacksmama · 21/01/2009 17:34

LOL at boiling cabbage too

Original poster
boolean · 21/01/2009 18:16

Thanks for the links - feel much better now, I was gutted, thought I'd been doing it all for nowt! Good point about the milk banks and antibodies too

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