Tag: Breastmilk

Breast Milk Storage Guidelines

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Breast Milk Storage Guidelines

September 20, 2023

You’ve gone to the trouble of pumping breast milk so don’t waste that liquid gold. Learn more about breast milk storage to ensure you’re serving up safe pumped breast milk.

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Welcome, new moms and seasoned pros alike, to a topic that’s as precious as it is practical: storing pumped breast milk. If you’re a breastfeeding mom, you already know the incredible benefits of breast milk for your baby’s health and development. And if you’re navigating the world of breast pumping, you’re likely finding that your “liquid gold” can sometimes feel more like a science experiment.

Fear not! We’re here to simplify the process and help you make sure that every precious drop of your breast milk is safely stored and ready to nourish your little one whenever they need it. Whether you’re pumping to build a freezer stash, preparing for a return to work, or just looking for some handy storage tips, we’ve got you covered.

Using stored breast milk might seem like a straightforward task, but there are some guidelines that can make the process clearer. Whether you’re planning a night out, heading back to work, or just want to let someone else share in the joy of feeding your little one, we’ve got your back.

Breast Milk Storage Guidelines

Freshly pumped milk
Room temperature: up to 4 hours
Refrigerator: up to 4 days
Freezer: 6-12 months

Thawed, previously frozen
Room temperature: up to 2 hours
Refrigerator: up to 24 hours
Freezer: never refreeze breast milk after it’s been thawed

Left over from a feeding (meaning your baby did not finish bottle)
Room temperature: use within 2 hours after baby has finished eating
Refrigerator: use within 2 hours after baby has finished eating
Freezer: do not freeze

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Ready to use that breast milk? Take note of these general guidelines to ensure that your baby’s milk is served up properly!

Thawing frozen breast milk for immediate use

Warm the milk by running warm water over the bag or bottle and use it within the next 24 hours.

Warming refrigerated breast milk

Warm the milk by running warm water over the bag or bottle until it’s at room temperature.

Note: Never thaw or heat breast milk in the microwave.

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The information contained here within is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Edwards Health Care Services (EHCS) does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned here within. Reliance on any information provided by EHCS, EHCS employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication here within is solely at your own risk.

Sources:
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Proper Storage and Preparation of Breast Milk

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Maintaining or Increasing Milk Supply While Working

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Maintaining or Increasing Milk Supply While Working

June 10, 2023

Nursing is more than just providing nourishment for your baby; it is a time for bonding. Transitioning from being home to working again can be a difficult time for both you and your baby. Continuing nursing after going back to work can help with the transition of being apart during the work day.

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Returning to work will mean baby is at breast less, and you will likely have to pump to maintain your milk supply. It is recommended to express milk or pump every three hours while away from your baby. At first you may need to express/pump more frequently if you start to leak or feel uncomfortable. Full breasts and engorgement can slow milk production and are signs you may need to pump more often. Breasts are never truly empty of milk, so pumping and removing even small amounts of milk will increase production.

When you are with your baby, allow him/her to nurse on demand. The “in-between” comfort feeds can help your milk production. Once you are back to work, the first few weeks your baby will likely increase night-time feeds to make up for the lack of nursing during the day. Breastfeeding at night can help increase milk production since prolactin, the hormone that encourages milk production, is higher during night-time feedings. Breastfeeding on demand over the weekends and evening hours can help rebuild your supply, especially if you’ve noticed it decreasing when pumping during the week.

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Increasing Milk Supply

 

  • Adding one more pumping session can help with supply; a 5-minute pumping session is better than not pumping at all. If the pumping session you added is not producing milk, continue to pump at the same time each day, and within a few days you will see your supply gradually increase because pumping stimulates milk production.
  • Ideally, each pumping session should be about 15 minutes on each breast. Continue to pump for 2-5 minutes after the last drops of milk come out. (Worried about how to store and use your pumped milk? Check out this post.)
  • Try cluster pumping instead of pumping or nursing every few hours. Sit down with your pump and baby, and switch between nursing and pumping every half hour for several hours.
  • Breast compressions can help stimulate let-downs when pumping and will help to thoroughly drain all milk from the ducts. While pumping, use one hand to massage breast from the armpit towards the nipple, gradually increasing the pressure and finishing with a few firm squeezes of your breast.

Remember it will take time to increase your supply; it will not happen overnight. Maintaining proper hydration, nutrition, and rest are just as important as frequently pumping and nursing to increase your milk supply.

The information contained here within is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Edwards Health Care Services (EHCS) does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned here within. Reliance on any information provided by EHCS, EHCS employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication here within is solely at your own risk.

Sources:
• https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/pregnancy-weight-gain.htm
• https://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/pregnancy-weight-gain/
• https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm

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Podcast: Newborn Feeding & Hunger Cues

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HOW TO TELL WHEN YOUR BABY IS HUNGRY OR FULL?

From birth to 6 months old, your infant will progress through a series of signs showing that he or she is hungry. The typical progression is:

  1. Infant will begin smacking lips, clucking tongue, and opening closing his/her mouth in a sucking motion (even during sleep).
  2. Infant will root – turning head toward caregiver and opening/closing mouth in a sucking motion.
  3. Infant will begin bringing hands to mouth.
  4. Infant will clench hands into fists and increase sucking on hands.
  5. Infant will begin to show lines of stress in his or her face.
  6. Infant will begin to cry.

It is important to note that crying is often a late sign of hunger. Look for signs 1-5 to better anticipate your baby’s needs and begin feeding when he or she is still calm.

 

FULLNESS CUES: BIRTH – 6 MONTHS

As your baby becomes full, you will notice the following signs:

  1. The lines in baby’s face will begin to smooth out.
  2. Hand that were tightly fisted and up near the cheeks will begin to slowly open. Arms will relax and drop to the sides.
  3. Baby will no longer maintain a tight seal at breast or on the bottle, and milk will begin to leak at the corners of the mouth.
  4. Baby will turn away from the feeding and refuse to re-latch onto your breast or the bottle.

It is important to note that if your baby has fallen asleep but still exhibits lines on the face or fisted hands, he/she is not yet full and will wake up shortly to re-feed. Take time to burp your baby, change his/her diaper and gently arouse him/her to complete the feeding. This will result in a more successful feeding and better rested baby and mom!

 

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Podcast: Common Breastfeeding Issues

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BREASTFEEDING ISSUES AND SOLUTIONS

In beginning stages of breastfeeding, there are a few issues that may arise including:

  • Sore nipples: In the first three to five days after birth, if you experience nipple soreness beyond a slight tenderness when your baby latches on, it may be a sign that something isn’t right with baby’s latch, position, or suck. Working on improving baby’s latch or position should resolve much of the pain related to sore nipples.

  • Clogged ducts: This feels like a firm, sore lump in the breast, and may be reddened and warm to the touch. This is common, can be caused by anything from missing feedings to wearing a bra that is too tight.

  • Engorgement: This is a common issue new mothers experience. The symptoms may include tender or hard breasts, swelling, reddened areas, and flattened nipples from breast stretching. It may be more difficult for baby to latch if you are engorged. To help prevent engorgement, feed or pump often (usually at least 8-10 times in a 24-hour period) with a proper latch. You may need to express milk from your breasts after feeding if baby has not completely relieved the fullness.

  • Mastitis: Mastitis is a breast infection that typically presents itself as a painful, hard, red area on the breast, along with a fever and flu-like symptoms. It can also often follow engorgement. Cracked nipples may increase your risk, as broken skin allows germs to penetrate the breast and can lead to infection of the breast tissue. Seek medical treatment from your healthcare provider immediately if you are experiencing symptoms of mastitis.

  • Leaking: Leaking may occur when your breasts are too full or when you are nursing on one side.

  • Thrush: Thrush is caused by a yeast fungus, and symptoms can include:• Itchy or burning nipples that appear fiery red, shiny, flaky, and/or have a rash with tiny blisters• Cracked nipples• Shooting pains in the breast during or after feedings• Intense nipple or breast pain that does not improve with better latch-on and/or positioning

  • Biting: Babies may bite at the breast for several reasons including boredom, teething, wanting attention, or wanting more milk (if supply is changing).

  • Falling asleep at the breast: If your baby is struggling to nurse effectively and falling asleep at the breast, it may be because they tire easily from sucking ineffectively or they quit in frustration and go to sleep because they are not getting the milk they want. If this is occurring, your baby may not be gaining appropriate weight and your milk supply may suffer.

  • Forceful letdown: This can be a sign of waiting too long between feedings. The more milk that is stored in the breast, the more pressure there is, making letdown more forceful.

Listen to the podcast below to hear more about these topics and helpful solutions for each.  

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Getting a Good Latch

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Best time to breastfeed

• Try to nurse baby when he/she is in a REM sleep state (moving, eye movement, mouthing) or quiet alert state. Once baby is in an active alert state, you have some time to establish a calm relaxed feed, but once baby is crying it may be more difficult. During the crying state, cortisol levels increase, baby is stressed, and he/she may not be as successful in latching. To calm baby, try skin-to-skin contact and rocking.
• Look for feeding cues such as REM sleep, fist to mouth, and turning head toward breast.

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Steps to a good latch

• Sit in a comfortable chair with great back support, and use a stool to rest your feet. This will help maintain good posture and prevent you from straining your neck and shoulders.
• If you have one, use your breastfeeding support pillow. A good breastfeeding pillow can make a huge difference in getting baby in a proper position to latch.
• Make sure your baby is tummy-to-tummy with you at all times, and even skin-to-skin, if desired.
• Remember to keep baby’s ear, shoulder, and hip in alignment, which will make swallowing easier.
• The baby’s nose should be opposite the nipple (nose to nipple).
• You might need to hold your breast to help guide the nipple to baby’s mouth. Grasp the breast on the sides, using either a “C” hold or “U” hold. Keep fingers far from the nipple so you don’t affect baby’s ability to latch properly.
• Support baby’s back and neck, but allow his/her head to move back in order to properly latch.
• Baby’s mouth should be open wide at a 140 degree angle. You might need to rub the nipple across the top lip to get baby to open his/her mouth.
• You want baby at nipple level, but you shouldn’t have to bend over to achieve this. Aim your nipple slightly towards the roof of baby’s mouth, bringing baby to you, chin first.
• Make sure baby has a good seal with lips flanged out.
• Keep their nose and mouth close to your breast.
• Both your nipple and areola should be in baby’s mouth.
• Gentle tugging is normal. If the latch is uncomfortable or painful, gently place your finger in baby’s mouth, between gums, to detach and try again.
• Baby should have round/smooth cheeks when sucking.
• Baby’s jaw should be rocking back and forth and his/her ears should be wiggling.
• You will hear rhythmic swallowing.

Steps to a good latch

• Feeding should end with baby satisfied; his/her face and hands should be relaxed.
• Your nipple should not be misshapen; it may be slightly enlarged after nursing but if it is compressed, flattened, or lipstick shaped, this is an indication of an improper latch. This may result in painful, cracked, or sore nipples, and poor milk transfer.

The information contained here within is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Edwards Health Care Services (EHCS) does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned here within. Reliance on any information provided by EHCS, EHCS employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication here within is solely at your own risk.

Sources:
• La Leche League: https://www.llli.org/breastfeeding-info/positioning/
• American Pregnancy Association: https://americanpregnancy.org/breastfeeding/latch/

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