It’s official, your milk supply is coming in full swing, and you have to start freezing your breast milk. Freezing the milk is the simple part. However, you also need to know how to thaw breast milk before giving it to your baby.
Knowing the best way to defrost your breast milk can help save you time and headaches later. We all know how demanding a hungry baby can be, and you want to keep as much of your sanity as possible!
We all want what’s best for our baby, and feeding them is one of the essential parts of taking care of them. Knowing the do’s and don’t’s will make this an easy process.
You always want to use up the oldest milk first. It’s just like food at a grocery store, first in, first out. A great tip to help with this, make sure you label each bottle or storage container with a date.
The temperature of the water you are using to thaw your frozen breast milk is essential. If the water is too cold, it won’t defrost. If the water is too hot, it can spoil the milk. Worse, it can cause it to be too hot for the baby to drink.
Just like anything you feed to your baby that you have warmed, you are going to want to test the milk. You don’t want to hand over a bottle that you have heated and potentially burn your precious baby’s mouth.
If you choose to warm the milk this way, it can take around 20 minutes to liquify completely.
Using the fridge is going to take the longest. It could take up to 12 hours to fully thaw out the breast milk.
Defrosting under running water is the fastest way to turn that frozen milk into drinkable milk. If your baby is ready to eat, this could be one of the quickest ways to get them what they want.
Bottle warmers can be a lifesaver for a mom that needs to multitask. You can put the milk in the warmer and let it do the work while you are busy changing a diaper.
If you need to store your breast milk in the freezer, you must know how long you can allow it to stay frozen. It’s best to use frozen milk within six months. However, your milk can be safe in the freezer for up to 12 months.
After you have defrosted your milk, you can use it right away. Thawed breast milk can sit out for up to four hours or place it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. You are going to want to toss previously frozen milk instead of re-freezing.
You never want to use the microwave or stovetop to heat frozen breast milk. The milk could become too hot and cause the milk to spoil. No one wants to give their baby spoiled milk to drink.
Not to mention, the milk could be scalding, and your baby would have to wait to drink it. We all know how demanding a hungry baby can be.
When freezing your breast milk, freeze it in batches of 2-4 ounces or single feeding amounts. It will vary depending on how much your baby eats in one sitting. If you are freezing your breast milk in too large of quantities, it could go to waste if the baby doesn't drink it all.
Also, make sure you chill the breast milk before you place it in the freezer. The liquid will expand when it freezes, so leaving some space in your bottle or freezing bag, will help give it some much-needed room to grow.
Store your frozen milk in the back of the freezer where the temperature is the most consistent and never store your milk in the door of the freezer. When you open and close your freezer door, it can fluctuate the core temperature in the freezer. Keeping the frozen milk in the back of the freezer keeps it in the coldest area.
It’s time to tell us what you think! Did you already know how to thaw breast milk? Do you have any other tips that you used?
Image source: freepik
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