Don't Just Do It, Here's How to Properly Store Breast Milk to Maintain Its Nutrition

Kapanlagi.com - Breast milk, also known as ASI, is the main source of nutrition for babies, especially under the age of six months. Exclusive breastfeeding for infants is believed to greatly affect their growth and development. Therefore, most mothers strive to provide breast milk for their babies, even when they are busy with work. The solution is to express and store breast milk in the refrigerator. However, it turns out that storing breast milk should not be done carelessly.

At room temperature, breast milk can last between 6-8 hours. Meanwhile, breast milk will last longer if stored in a refrigerator. In addition, there are several things that need to be considered in storing breast milk. Storing breast milk carelessly can actually reduce or even eliminate the nutritional content of the milk.

Here are some tips on properly storing breast milk gathered from various sources.

1. Maintain Cleanliness

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The most important and fundamental thing in storing breast milk is to maintain its cleanliness. Maintain the cleanliness of breast milk from the process of expressing it, one of which is by washing hands. In addition to washing hands, it is advisable to clean the equipment and containers through the sterilization process by boiling the containers and the parts of the tools that touch the surface of the skin in boiling water for about 5-10 minutes.

This is important because breast milk is a source of nutrition or food for babies. Therefore, dirty equipment can disrupt the baby's digestion and health.

2. Use Special Containers with Labels

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Not just clean equipment and containers. The containers used to store breast milk should be carefully considered. Make sure that the container used is a bottle specifically designated for breast milk storage. This way, the stored breast milk will remain sterile and uncontaminated.

In addition, for proper breast milk storage, it is advisable to choose labeled storage containers. On the label, you can write the date the breast milk was expressed. This way, you can use the breast milk according to the order of the dates.

3. Storing Breast Milk in the Refrigerator

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Storing breast milk in the refrigerator should also be done carefully. Before storing it in the refrigerator, make sure the breast milk container is tightly closed. Do not put the breast milk directly into the freezer, as sudden temperature changes may damage the nutrients in the breast milk.

So, before putting the breast milk in the freezer, it is advisable to first place it in the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for about 2 hours. Then, after that, move it to the freezer. Expressed breast milk should be stored in the refrigerator as soon as possible. In a refrigerator with a temperature of 4 degrees, breast milk can last between 3-5 days.

4. Save Enough

Although it can be stored in the refrigerator, it is not recommended to stockpile too much breast milk. Because, breast milk storage containers should be used within 2 hours after being heated. More than that time, breast milk is no longer good to be given to babies. So, storing a large amount of breast milk is feared to leave too much breast milk that will be wasted.

Also pay attention to the amount of breast milk stored in one container or bottle. It should be noted that breast milk can expand when cooled. So, do not fill the bottle with breast milk until it is full. Provide a little space in the bottle to be safe.

5. Warming Breast Milk Before Giving It

Another important thing about storing breast milk is how to warm it. Yes, before giving it to the baby, stored breast milk must be warmed to room temperature. The way to do it is quite easy, by placing the bottle or breast milk storage container in a larger container filled with warm water.

Before giving it to the baby, you should also make sure that the breast milk is still in good condition. This can be seen from any changes in aroma, color, and taste of the breast milk. Specifically for taste, you can test it directly on the baby. Try giving the breast milk to the baby using a spoon. If it is rejected, it may be a sign that the breast milk is no longer suitable for consumption.

Those are some of the things that need to be known about the correct way to store breast milk. Hopefully, it can be useful.

(kpl/psp)