Do you know: How long can breast milk be warmed?

How long expressed breastmilk can be warmed is a question or concern of many women, especially for first-time mothers. Let's refer to some basic knowledge about breast milk preservation so that women have enough information to prepare for a breastfeeding journey.

The importance of breast milk

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life and alternating breastfeeding with other foods until 24 months of age. Breast milk is a source of food to support the optimal physical as well as brain of the newborn.

Breast milk reduces the risk of asthma, obesity, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), gastrointestinal problems, ear infections and pneumonia. Breastfeeding contributes to stimulating the baby's digestive system, preventing the baby's body from becoming infected with bacteria and increasing the baby's resistance to allergies.

Breast milk contains many valuable nutrients including protein protein, lipid fats, carbohydrates, many vitamins and mineral salts.

Not only is it beneficial for the baby, but breastfeeding also has a positive effect on the mother's body, namely helping to restore the uterus, stop bleeding after giving birth, limit congestion, abscesses or breast cancer, and ovaries as well as type 2 diabetes.

For the reasons listed above, an infant should be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life. However, how hygienically and properly warm breastmilk is preserved and warmed is a problem for many mothers because if not done correctly, breastmilk can completely spoil and adversely affect. to baby.

How long can breast milk be left outside after expressing?

If the temperature is between 19 and 26 degrees C: up to 4 hours.

Temperatures above 26 degrees C: Milk can only be stored for 1 hour.

In the cooler compartment temperatures, milk can be used up to 2 days.

For fridge freezer temperatures, breastmilk can be stored for up to 4 months.

When using a dedicated freezer, milk storage time can be extended to 6 months.

How long can breast milk be warmed?

The ideal milk temperature to stimulate the baby's taste and digestive system is about 37 degrees Celsius. Once stored, breastmilk should be thawed and warmed at 40 degrees Celsius.

Many young mothers mistakenly believe that if the temperature is maintained at 40 degrees Celsius, the milk will not affect the quality. However, in reality, mothers can only warm milk 1 time to feed their babies within 1 hour after incubation. Absolutely do not continue to give milk after this time or put in the refrigerator after reheating.

Advice for young mothers is to estimate each meal of the baby and take the appropriate amount of milk (divided into small bags of about 60-120 ml of milk for each meal) to thaw, avoid wasting breast milk. .

The popular methods of warming breast milk

Hot incubation with thermos flask, incubation bag. These tools are not effective at keeping heat, so mothers should only store milk for a short time. Mother should not express milk directly into the thermos bottle, but use sterile hot water before adding milk and then cover tightly.

Heat by machine. The bottle warmer is designed quite simply to keep the milk warm for a certain period of time. This machine can also be used to heat milk that has been frozen in the refrigerator. Currently on the market there are many types of milk heaters of many brands with diverse models and prices, please refer to before choosing to buy.

The simplest way to heat breastmilk is to use hot water: the mother expresses the milk in a bottle, then closes it and places it in a bowl / cup / cup of warm water at a temperature of about 40 degrees Celsius. Although very simple, the drawback is limited The method of this method is that you have to change the warm water continuously if you want to keep a certain temperature.

Is breastmilk too hot or boiled too good?

Many women make the mistake of boiling or brewing milk too hot (over 70 degrees). Breast milk, if boiled, will evaporate many nutrients and vitamins. Hot incubation of 70 degrees C means that the milk will have no nutritional value .

Milk when incubated at 50 to below 70 degrees C, although not lost nutrition but can cause burns for children when used and completely unnecessary.

The ideal temperature to keep your baby warm is about 40 degrees.

How to recognize broken breast milk

In addition to knowing how long breastmilk can be heated to incubate, mothers also need to pay attention to signs of spoiled milk in order to prevent children from using it in time.

Normal breast milk will have a light sweet taste, not too salty or too sweet, with a characteristic aroma and fatty taste. It may be the case that the milk, after thawing, turns yellow and appears greasy. Do not use a scoop to remove the whey because this part contains many essential nutrients for your baby. This fat fraction, if dissolved when well shaken, can still be used. Conversely, if the fat floating on the surface is insoluble, the milk is likely spoiled, the mother should not let the baby drink.

In addition, breastmilk kept in the refrigerator can also develop a strange smell like the smell of soap. This is due to the action of lipase enzyme in milk that breaks down fatty acids in the scum layer. This is not a sign that breastmilk is spoiled and that it is completely safe to breastfeed.

In spoiled breast milk, the milk has a sour odor and is fermented with lumps and insoluble scum. You can also taste the taste of milk if you are more careful. Besides, if the milk has no signs of spoilage but it is over time to preserve, mothers should not regret it but let the baby use it.

Epilogue

The above article has partly answered the questions about how long breast milk can be brewed and warmed for many women, especially the first time mothers are surprised. Mother please read and save the necessary information. Wish moms have enough milk to feed their babies safely and healthy.

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