Freezing breast milk is a practical solution for many mothers, enabling them to build up a reserve of breast milk, while ensuring that their baby receives a healthy diet even in their absence. Whether it’s for returning to work, anticipating absences or managing surplus production, this method offers the possibility of preserving the nutritional and immune-boosting properties of breast milk over a long period. However, there are a few points to bear in mind if you want to preserve the quality of breast milk by freezing it correctly.
Why freeze breast milk?
Preserves the nutritional quality of milk
Freezing breast milk is essential for preserving its nutritional quality. This is because breast milk is rich in essential nutrients, such as vitamins, proteins and antibodies, which help to develop and protect the baby. When milk is frozen quickly after extraction, it retains most of its nutritional and immune-boosting benefits. This enables the baby to benefit from a healthy diet adapted to his or her needs, even if the mother is not available to breastfeed directly.
Mom’s absence
This method is also an effective way of facilitating breastfeeding in the event of the mother’s absence. If the mother has to go away for personal or professional reasons, having frozen breast milk enables the person looking after the baby to feed him without interrupting his natural diet. The baby can thus continue to enjoy breast milk, even in the absence of his mother, guaranteeing continuity in his nutrition.
Finally, freezing breast milk is very practical in situations where the breastfeeding mother returns to work or has to travel. Going back to work or travelling can make it difficult to breastfeed directly. With a supply of frozen milk, the mother can continue to provide her baby with breast milk without disruption, while reconciling her professional and personal obligations with breastfeeding. This solution provides flexibility and peace of mind for the mother, knowing that her child’s nutritional needs are covered.
Surplus milk
Freezing milk is particularly useful when the mother is producing surplus milk. Rather than wasting this precious milk, freezing allows a stock to be built up for times when production might be lower, or in case of unforeseen need. This ensures a reserve of milk to guarantee that the baby never lacks his or her main source of nourishment.
How to prepare breast milk for freezing?
When preparing breast milk for freezing, it’s essential to pay close attention to hygiene to guarantee its quality and baby’s safety. Before any extraction, you need to wash your hands thoroughly and ensure that all equipment, such as the breast pump and containers, are sterilized.
Pumping milk
To stock up on breast milk, it’s essential to have the necessary equipment, including a suitable breast pump (manual or electric) and appropriate storage containers, such as sterile bags or bottles. To pump milk effectively, it’s advisable to relax, choose a time when the breast is full, and adopt a gentle stimulation technique to encourage the milk to rise. It’s also advisable to pump at your baby’s natural rhythm, generally 15 to 20 minutes per breast, and to ensure that the pump is correctly positioned and that the nipple shields are the right size to avoid any discomfort or pain. It’s also advisable to regularly re-measure each nipple to ensure that the nipple shields always fit.
Milk storage
When using a breast pump, storing breast milk is a crucial step in preserving its quality. Recommended storage containers include specific breast-milk pouches, as well as BPA-free glass or plastic containers.
It is important to always indicate the date and time of extraction, as well as the quantity of milk stored. This makes it possible to follow the order of use, using the oldest milk first and adjusting portions according to baby’s needs. It also means that milk drawn off in the morning can be used in the morning, and milk drawn off in the evening can be used in the evening. Milk should then be placed in the freezer, at a temperature of -18°C or below, to preserve its nutritional properties.
Proper organization and storage guarantee the safety and freshness of breast milk for future feedings.
Freezing breast milk
Frozen breast milk can be safely stored for up to 12 months in a freezer at -18°C, according to LLL. For optimum management, it is advisable to store milk in small portions, generally from 30 to 120ml, so that only the quantity needed can be defrosted, thus avoiding wastage. We say to allow 30ml per hour of absence.
My milk smells bad and tastes like soap
Sometimes, breast milk can take on a slight to strong odor and flavor after freezing due to a natural enzyme called lipase. Although this does not affect the safety of the milk, some babies may refuse to drink it because of the change in taste. If the milk tastes or smells too strong, breast milk can be heated to 60° before freezing to slow down or even neutralize the effect of lipase, without losing the milk’s nutritional properties.
Thawing breast milk
Breast milk must be thawed using safe methods to preserve its nutritional qualities and avoid any risk to the baby. The most recommended methods are thawing :
- in the refrigerator, which takes about 12 to 24 hours;
- by placing in a container of lukewarm water (bain-marie), never exceeding 37°C.
It is important to avoid :
- the microwave, as it can destroy nutrients and create dangerous hot spots for the baby;
- Thawing at room temperature is also not recommended due to the risk of bacterial proliferation.
Once defrosted, milk should be consumed within 24 hours if stored in the refrigerator from the time of total defrosting, i.e. with no crystals left.
What to do with surplus milk?
If you have surplus breast milk, there are many creative and practical ways to use it. For example, you can use it to :
- By sublimating it in skincare products and in sweet and savoury breast milk recipes for the whole family, thanks to the book “100 façons de sublimer ton lait maternel” (100 ways to sublimate your breast milk).
- Using breast milk in daily care with the ice cream scoop
- As a soap for the whole family, to benefit from its virtues over the long term, easily made with the newborn soap set.
- As a balm, to pamper your skin with the Mother’s Milk Face & Body Balm Set
- Turn breast milk into everyday jewelry or beautiful family jewelry at http://www.doucesymbiose.fr
And of course, to offer it to premature babies in need, thanks to the donations of breast milk, a magnificent milky adventure that saves lives.
Find out more in this article: Donating breast milk
