So, you’re nursing your baby, but are soon going back to work, traveling, or planning ahead in case an emergency arises, and you need to be away from your little one. Whatever your situation, you need to know the best way to ensure sure your baby continues to get your nutritious milk.
Pick a Pump
Talk with your nurse about what type of breast pump may work best for you. Even if you don’t plan on being away from baby, having a manual pump and knowing how to use it can help in case of an emergency.
Electric breast pumps are great for moms on the go who may need to pump at work or other activities throughout the day. When choosing a bottle system, start by trying one type of bottle before you invest in an entire line. Find one that first works well with your baby before you buy more
Read: How will I know if my baby is getting enough breastmilk?
Pumping Milk
With the right equipment and a few strategies, you can pump and store breast milk for your baby. Human milk does have special qualities that help keep bacteria from rapidly growing; it’s still important to follow expert advice for handling your milk to avoid spoiling or wasting.
Experts at the Human Milk Bank Association of North America offer these research-proven ways to pump and store breast milk:
- Always feed your baby fresh breast milk whenever possible as it contains valuable antimicrobial factors, enzymes, and nutrients that may be destroyed by deep-freezing.
- Wash your hands before pumping and handling breast milk.
- Always pump into clean bottles or storage bags that seal tightly.
- Refrigerate milk as soon as possible.
- Fresh breast milk may be left at room temperature for up to 10 hours or be stored in the refrigerator for 4 days (96 hours).
- If saving, freeze it as soon as possible and use the coldest part of the freezer, not the door.
- Label/date your bottles or storage containers and bags and use the oldest milk first.
- Store your milk in 1 to 4 ounce increments so that you can get as much or little milk as you need each time.
- Use frozen breast milk within 2 weeks if freezer is contained within a refrigerator, within 3 months in separate freezer (side-by-side), or 6 months in a deep freezer.
- Always clean your pump and storage equipment immediately after use with warm, soapy water and air dry.
See: How can my partner feed our baby breastmilk?
Heating Frozen Milk
Frozen breast milk should be thawed close to feeding time:
- Never use a microwave to thaw or warm breast milk.
- Hold the bottle of milk under cool or lukewarm running tap water or allow milk containers to stand in cool water until thawed.
- Keep the water level below the lid of the container to prevent water contaminating the milk.
- Warm your milk in a warming device designed for human milk, or stand the bottle in a pan of warm, not boiling, water.
- Keep the water level below the lid of the bottle but above the milk to ensure heating throughout the milk.
- Always swirl the milk as it’s heating to ensure even heat distribution.
- Use frozen breast milk within 24 hours after thawing. Do not refreeze thawed milk.
- If the milk fat separates out, swirl the milk to mix it.
- Always check the temperature of the milk against the inside of your wrist to ensure it’s safe for your baby.
- Discard any milk left in bottle after feeding.
Keep It Clean!
Experts at the CDC recommend taking these steps to keep your pump parts—and your milk clean and free from contamination:
Before Every Use
- Wash hands with soap and water.
- Look for any mold inside pump parts.
- Replace any tubing that looks moldy or cloudy.
- Use a disinfectant wipe to clean off pump switches and the pump surface.
As Soon As Possible After Every Use
- Cap bottles or storage bags used to collect milk.
- Label with date and time.
- Immediately place in a refrigerator, freezer, or cooler bag with ice packs.
- Wipe the pump switches and pump surface clean again.
- Separate all pump parts that came into contact with your milk.
- Do not place parts in the sink to rinse, use a bowl only for infant feeding items.
- Wash each piece separately with dish soap and hot water.
- Scrub each item with a brush only for infant feeding items.
- Rinse the separate pump parts.
- Allow all parts to air dry.
- Clean the wash bowl and brush and all to air dry.
- Regularly sterilize your pump parts, wash bowl and brush per the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Store all dry pump parts safely until needed.
Also read: How to keep breastmilk flowing during a busy schedule
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