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How to use frozen breast milk in bags?

Understanding Frozen Breast Milk Storage
Using frozen breast milk is a practical solution for breastfeeding mothers who need to manage their time effectively while ensuring their babies receive the best nutrition. Proper storage and handling of breast milk are crucial to maintain its quality and safety. Here’s a detailed guide on how to use frozen breast milk stored in bags.
Choosing the Right Storage Bags
When it comes to storing breast milk, specialized breast milk storage bags are essential. Unlike regular plastic bags, these bags are designed to withstand freezing temperatures and are made from materials that are safe for food storage. They typically feature a double zipper seal to prevent leaks and are often pre-sterilized, making them a convenient choice for mothers.
Freezing Breast Milk
To freeze breast milk effectively, follow these steps:
1. Cool the Milk: After expressing milk, cool it in the refrigerator before transferring it to the freezer. This helps maintain the milk’s quality.

2. Label the Bags: Always label each bag with the date of expression. This practice ensures that you use the oldest milk first, minimizing waste.
3. Lay Flat for Freezing: When placing the bags in the freezer, lay them flat. This not only saves space but also allows for quicker thawing later on.
4. Storage Duration: Frozen breast milk can be stored for up to six months in a standard freezer, and up to 12 months in a deep freezer, without significant loss of nutrients.
Thawing Frozen Breast Milk
When it’s time to use the frozen milk, proper thawing is key:
1. Thaw in the Refrigerator: The safest method is to transfer the bag from the freezer to the refrigerator and allow it to thaw overnight. This method preserves the milk’s nutrients.
2. Warm Water Bath: If you need the milk more quickly, place the sealed bag in a bowl of warm water. Avoid using boiling water, as it can damage the milk.
3. Do Not Microwave: Never microwave breast milk, as it can create hot spots that may burn your baby and can also destroy some of the beneficial properties of the milk.
Using Thawed Breast Milk
Once thawed, breast milk should be used within 24 hours if kept in the refrigerator. If your baby does not finish the milk, it should be discarded and not refrozen.
Feeding Your Baby
Thawed breast milk can be served cool or warmed to body temperature. To warm the milk, gently swirl the bag to mix any separated fat, and test the temperature on your wrist before feeding it to your baby.
Conclusion
Using frozen breast milk stored in bags is a convenient and effective way to ensure your baby receives the nutrition they need, even when you’re not available to breastfeed. By following proper storage and thawing techniques, you can maintain the quality of the milk and provide your little one with the best possible start in life.

What is the best way to use frozen breast milk?

If you don’t plan to use freshly expressed milk within 4 days, freeze it right away. Always thaw the oldest milk first. Thaw milk under lukewarm running water, in a container of lukewarm water, or overnight in the refrigerator. Never thaw or heat milk in a microwave.

How to keep breastmilk frozen in a checked bag?

Ziploc bags are a girl’s best friend while you travel with frozen breast milk in your checked luggage. I used gallon-size bags to store multiple frozen breast milk bags in the cooler so that the individual bags stayed together and helped keep them frozen.

How do you thaw frozen breast milk in a bag?

I put a glass measuring cup of water in the microwave for 2 minutes and then set the bag in there. It usually defrosts within a few minutes if the bag was laid flat to freeze.

How to use breast milk freezer bags?

In general, place storage bags upright in another container or the milk may leak. But if the double zipper seal on the breastmilk storage bag is reliable, laying the bag flat in the freezer will help the milk thaw faster later. You may combine milk pumped from both breasts into a single container.

Natasha Lunn

Tash is an IBCLC and Business Coach helping fellow IBCLCs create fun, profitable businesses that are more than just an expensive hobby. Before becoming an IBCLC and starting her private practice - The Boobala, Tash graduated as an Osteopath in 2008 and has been in Private Practice in South West Sydney. She was also a volunteer Breastfeeding Counsellor and Community Educator with the Australian Breastfeeding Association for 6 years. Through her business, Your Lactation Biz, Tash coaches and creates products to help new and seasoned IBCLCs build businesses that suit their personality and lifestyle.

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