Ever wondered how to thaw frozen breast milk or how to store it? Then don’t go away…
I breastfed Cara for almost 7 months and for most of that time, a good part of the freezer was stocked with little plastic containers of milk.
I received an email this morning from Snookums introducing their brand new pre-sterilised Breast Milk Storage Bags (which look great by the way) and tips on how to thaw frozen breast milk. Can’t be that complicated, hey? But as I read through it, I realised that I was guilty of number 3 on quite a few occasions. It seems that I was not as clued up as I thought.
How to thaw frozen breast milk
- Always thaw/defrost the oldest breast milk first. Check the date and time written on each container.
- Thaw overnight in the fridge, or, for immediate use, immerse the container in warm (not hot) water until the milk is fully defrosted. Pour into a sterilised feeding bottle, feeding cup or spoon.
- Never thaw frozen milk at room temperature, as this will enable bacteria to multiply.
- Never thaw breast milk in a microwave oven or boiling water. This will reduce the milk’s nutrients.
- Only warm the milk after it has been thawed/defrosted.
- Thawed milk can be stored in a fridge for up to 24 hours.
- Discard any remaining milk. Don’t refreeze thawed or partially thawed breast milk.
I hope you found these tips useful.
xoxo
Image source: Google