Hi everybody! A mom called Vanessa wrote into my website with some really great
questions about pumping and storing milk and then I had another question so I'm
doing a little like two-part series about breastmilk storage. It's a very
technical thing, you have to pay very close attention to the guidelines so
that you make sure that the breastmilk that you're storing, pumping and storing
for your baby is you know, clean is fresh, and is healthy for your baby. Because
after all you're doing a lot of work and you want to make sure that it all pays
off and you're giving your baby exactly what he or she needs. So here's what Vanessa
has to say she said you mentioned pumping a little after each feeding to
kind of store ounce by ounce because I can see how things will get worrisome
when I go back to work and that's for sure. So she says I'll be pumping into
my Medela bags. Great. So let's say I pump after a feeding for five-seven minutes
and I get some milk in a bag and then I breastfeed again one two three hours
after that and I pump again five to ten minutes after that feeding. Am I
combining these two sets of milk? That's what she asks. What do I do with the
first bags that say only has one ounce? Should I have that put in the fridge
because I'm assuming I can't leave it out all day. Please if you can guide me
with this, I hope it's not confusing. Okay no I'm not confused, I say I mean I am,
we're all kind of confused. I'm generally confused, but these are great questions. I
mean these get to like the heart of pumping and there's a lot of rules
basically when it comes to pumping and storing breastmilk. So I'm gonna link to
my show on breastmilk storage guidelines. Check it out. There are
certain periods of time which you can have your milk be outside at room
temperature, you can have it in the refrigerator or you can have it frozen
either you know in a regular freezer or in a deep freezer and these guidelines
have to be followed which is why you have to date your milk bags when you put
them in the fridge or in the freezer. But anyway, here's the point, okay when it
comes to pumping the general rule is you want to freeze
the milk as soon as possible after it's expressed so that you're freezing it
when it's fresh. You cannot pump milk one day on day one
and freeze it on day two. It has to be frozen on day one. You can, however, pump
milk throughout the day, store it up, and then freeze it at the end of the day.
That's fine. So no I wouldn't freeze one ounce I would put it in the fridge in
the bottle. I would then put another bottle in with
your next ounce of milk and wait till that gets cool. You don't want to add the
freshly pumped milk which is room temperature to the milk which is already
cool because that causes it to heat up and it's not then being stored properly.
Once both those bottles of milk are cool and you add your third and your fourth
you can join them all together at the end of the day and you can freeze them
with that day's date in the freezer or you can give that milk to your baby
that's been in the refrigerator as long as you give it within five days. If milk
is kept out at room temperature, which I've never done and I don't recommend at
all I would at least put it you know in a freezer you know on like in a in a
storage bag with a freezer pack I would never leave it out at room temperature
because it's just gonna let go so fast but I think the rule is like within four
hours it has to be given to the baby depending how warm it is where you are,
but I just wouldn't do that. I would put it right in the fridge and if I have
enough if it's four ounces or six or whatever, you know, great I would freeze it
right away. Freeze it when it's fresh so okay let
me see what else.
Another thing. Make sure your shields, your breast shields, your tubing, all the
pieces are sterilized and clean. They have to be cleaned after every use. You
can't just use them for a whole day because there are bits and pieces of
breast milk on those which then also can't be out for more than four hours, so
all that stuff has to be sterilized and you have to boil it actually. So you need
to have multiple sets of it which is expensive. And anyway so please check out
my other videos on pumping and check out my video with breastmilk storage
guidelines which has all the rules and you'll get used to them, you know. You'll
sort of learn and you'll know and you'll learn to date your milk. And I'm so glad
you're pumping after every feed. Yay! And I hope it's working for you and thanks
so much for writing in to CloudMom and best of luck with your baby and going
back to work!