This article covers breast milk storage guidelines and how to reheat and use breast milk. The source for these guidelines is a combination of the Department for Health and Human Services (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Storage Containers for Breast Milk
The best storage device for breast milk is normal baby bottles or specialized milk storage bags. The easiest way is to store breast milk that will be used the same day in a standard baby bottle and if the breast milk will need to be stored for a longer period of time, use the storage bags in the freezer. This way you have bottles ready in case you need them and the bags are easier to defrost.

How to Store Breast Milk

• It is best to store breast milk in 2-5 ounce servings (depending on how much you baby normally drinks, store in serving size amounts). This way you are only heating the milk you will be using.
• You can combine breast milk from different pumping sessions into one bottle or storage bag.
• Be sure to date each batch and use or throw away before it expires. (See chart below for expiration).
• Breast Milk should be frozen within two days of pumping. When freezing, leave room for expansion in the bottle or bag. (Do not refreeze breast milk.)

Breast Milk Storage Lengths & Expiration

Breast Milk at Room Temperature:

• Up to four hours at 80 degrees F
• Up to 10 hours at 70 degrees F

Breast Milk in a Cooler with Ice

• Up to 24 hours (at 60 degrees F)

Breast Milk in the Refrigerator:

• Five days (39 degrees F)

Breast Milk in the Freezer:

• Two weeks in a freezer of a refrigerator
• Six months in a deep freezer at a constant 0 degrees F

Heating, Thawing and Reusing Breast Milk

How to Heat a Bottle or Thaw a Breast Milk Storage Bag

If the bottle is already at room temperature you do not need to heat it.

Heating a bottle from the Refrigerator:

1. Fill a bowl with water
2. Heat water in microwave, 2 minutes 30 seconds.
3. Place bottle in hot water for 30-60 seconds or until room temperature.
4. Swirl
5. Test temperature on inside wrist. Should be body temperature not hot.

(Use can also use a bottle warmer. )

Thawing breast milk storage bag from the freezer:
1. If time permits place bag in refrigerator to defrost and then heat according to the instructions above. This typically takes 12 hours so you may want to put it in the night before you need it.
2. If time does not permit thawing in a refrigerator run under warm water or swirl in a bowl of warm water until it is defrosted and room temperature.
3. Avoid letting milk sit at room temperature to thaw.

Learning curve makes this contraption which helps to thaw breast milk storage bags:

Commonly asked Questions about Breast Milk Storage:

1. Can I microwave breast milk? No. Microwaving breast milk can remove some of the anti-infections properties and nutrient qualities in the milk or create hot spots which can burn your baby’s throat. The same goes for heating directly on the stove.
2. If my baby doesn’t finish the milk at one feeding can I reuse it for the next feeding? Opinions on this are mixed. I do it. Just be sure not to refreeze the milk after it has been thawed.
3. My breast milk looks weird after refrigerating. Is it bad? The fat in the milk will separate when refrigerating. This does not mean the milk has gone bad. Just swirl it to mix it together again.

For more information on Breast Milk Storage, visit BabyBumpDiaries.com – a resource for everything related to pregnancy and parenthood!

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/babies-articles/definitive-guide-to-breast-milk-storage-and-use-1667763.html

To extract milk from lactating woman, breast pump is a good mechanical machine. A breast pump is otherwise just like a machine in use in dairy production

There Maybe times when a mother is not ready to breast-feed her baby, in these examples the breast milk can be removed by employing a breast pump.
This allows the baby to still be fed breast milk but someone else.

Sometimes the juggs can become engorged when they produce more milk than an infant can consume. A breast pump is a practical method to store the extracted milk for later use.

With regards to baby care, you want to get a breast pump if you should happen to be a busy pro mother – otherwise you will not be able to feed your baby with natural breast milk.

A breast pump can be used when a mother wishes to breast-feed even if the baby has difficulty latching on well, so it gives the baby the advantage of delicious breast milk helping the mummy in relieving pressure built up in the breasts. After giving birth, a girl can use a breast pump to stimulate lactation for recovery from pregnancy whether she plans to use the pumped breast milk or not.

Though breast pumps come in a variety of models, the manual pump, whereby a woman can control both the pressure and frequency of the action, is the most popular.
There are some manual breast pumps available which allow you to pump straight to a bottle, though electrical and hands-free pumps are currently the hottest options.

Many hospices offer the rental of surgery grade breast pumps, and it is recommended to inquire after one of these from your hospitals NICU as quickly as possible since it is advised that you begin using one right after delivery to provide kick.

It’s sensible to employ a breast pump eight to 10 times in a 24 hour period for the 1st 2 weeks as this provides frequent kick leading to a good supply of milk.

When start off you must pump twenty-four / 7, with ten to 12 mins between pumping episodes to start with, then a little longer times between sessions overnight.

I think, its important to go for quality when purchasing baby products – Don’t go for inexpensive choices.

Apply correct hygiene techniques to guarantee the safety of your infant.

Now you’re on your way to a content healthy baby with help from natural breast milk and your breast pump.

Lance Smothes is a writer and journalist specialising in health and fitness – His speciality is in fitness equipment and he blogs frequently about new workout ideas.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/babies-articles/an-intro-to-breast-pumps-1569225.html