How do you take breast milk to daycare?

Preparing Breast Milk for Daycare: A Comprehensive Guide
As a new parent, the transition to returning to work while ensuring your baby continues to receive the benefits of breast milk can be daunting. Sending breast milk to daycare requires careful preparation and storage to maintain its quality and meet your baby’s nutritional needs. Here’s how to navigate this process effectively.
Understanding the Basics of Breast Milk Storage
Breast milk is a precious resource, and knowing how to store it properly is crucial. Freshly expressed breast milk can be stored at room temperature for up to four hours, in the refrigerator for up to four days, and in the freezer for about six months, although it can last up to a year in a deep freezer. When preparing to send milk to daycare, it’s essential to consider how long it will be stored before your baby consumes it.
Pumping and Collecting Milk
If you are exclusively breastfeeding, you may need to pump milk to create a stash for daycare. It’s advisable to start pumping a few weeks before your return to work. This allows you to build a sufficient supply while also getting accustomed to the pumping process. Aim to pump enough milk to cover your baby’s needs for the day, typically about 1 to 1.5 ounces per hour of separation.
Packaging the Milk
When it comes to sending breast milk to daycare, packaging is key. Use clean, BPA-free bottles or breast milk storage bags specifically designed for freezing. Each container should be labeled with the date and time of expression to ensure that the oldest milk is used first. This practice helps maintain freshness and prevents waste.
Transporting the Milk
To keep the milk at a safe temperature during transport, use an insulated cooler bag with ice packs. This will help maintain the milk’s quality until it reaches the daycare. Ensure that the daycare provider is aware of the proper storage methods and can keep the milk refrigerated or frozen until it’s time for feeding.
Communicating with Daycare Providers
Before your baby starts daycare, have a conversation with the staff about your breastfeeding plan. Discuss how they will handle the milk, including warming it up for feedings. It’s important to ensure that they understand the guidelines for thawing and warming breast milk, as it should never be microwaved, which can create hot spots and destroy some of the milk’s beneficial properties.
Monitoring Your Baby’s Intake
Once your baby starts daycare, keep track of how much milk is being consumed. This can help you adjust your pumping schedule and ensure that your baby is getting enough nutrition while you’re away. Many parents find it helpful to maintain a log of feedings and any leftover milk to better understand their baby’s needs.
Conclusion
Sending breast milk to daycare is a manageable task with the right preparation and communication. By understanding storage guidelines, properly packaging the milk, and collaborating with daycare staff, you can ensure that your baby continues to receive the benefits of breast milk even when you’re apart. This thoughtful approach not only supports your baby’s health but also provides peace of mind as you transition back to work.

How do you not waste breast milk at daycare?

Keep a few extra 1oz bags of breastmilk in the freezer or fridge. That way, if your baby’s caregiver really needs to offer your baby a little bit more, it is a small amount and won’t go to waste. Use the milk calculator to figure out how much your baby will need per bottle.

How should I send breast milk to daycare?

Logistics of sending pumped milk with LO to daycare

• Send chilled breastmilk bottles portioned out per feed (I will most likely send milk pumped from day before so no need to freeze I guess?)
• Pack bottles in cooler bag with ice packs
• Ask daycare if I can store frozen milk in their freezer as a back up

What is the 5 5 5 rule for breast milk?

Something I recommend to moms is the 5-5-5 rule. Try and use milk within five hours at room temperature, five days in the fridge, and by five months in the freezer.

How to take breast milk on the go?

Transporting your breast milk. Take expressed milk home or to a childcare setting in bottles or bags, inside a cooler bag with a freezer pack. If your ice packs are defrosting then ask for a bag of crushed ice from a fast food outlet or cafe.

What is the 3-3-3 rule for breast milk?

The ‘Rule of Three’ guideline suggests allowing the baby to nurse for at least three minutes on each breast to ensure they receive a balance of foremilk (initial, thirst-quenching milk) and hindmilk (higher-fat, calorie-rich milk).

Can babies drink cold breast milk?

Breast milk does not need to be warmed. It can be served room temperature or cold.

How do you store breast milk in childcare?

Expressed breastmilk needs to be labelled and kept refrigerated (below 5 °C) or frozen. Hands should always be washed with soap and warm water and dried before handling food, including breastmilk.

How do daycares handle breastmilk?

Most daycares will want you bring in prepped bottles that are ready to feed. Some may ask you to bring in clean bottles and bags of frozen milk. Other daycares may want you to bring in one clean bottle for feeding and Thermos-type container of milk that they will pour into the bottle.

How much breastmilk should I leave for babysitter?

Don’t leave more than 3-4 ounces of milk in bottles or storage bags. Babies are unlikely to eat more than that per feeding, according to O’Brien. Feed the baby every two to three hours. Parents should nurse right before leaving, says O’Brien.

How long is breast milk good for after thawing?

Using thawed breastmilk
Milk thawed in the refrigerator must be used within 24 hours. Milk thawed to room temperature or warmer should ideally be used in 1 to 2 hours. If your baby didn’t finish the bottle, the leftover breastmilk can still be used within 2 hours after the baby is done feeding.