What to do with frozen breast milk??

[fudgecake251]

I'm breastfeeding my 14 week old and have recently started freezing some milk incase I want to leave my dd with my parents and go out. The problem is I'm not sure what to do with it when I bring it out of the freezer and put in the fridge to defrost. I read somewhere it must be used straight away once thawed but that won't work if I defrost all the milk I need for her to stay with my mum overnight as she can't drink it all at once. I also read it will keep for 12 hrs once defrosted butis this from when you put it in the fridge or once it's fully thawed? I've refrigerated milk and used in bottles if I've had to go out and this seems a lot easier. Could someone give me some info on how to do this please?

 

[seaweed eater]

If you thaw it in the fridge it will keep for several hours chilled. Then you have to use it right away (within an hour) once it's warmed.

If you warm it straight to room temp using hot water, you have to use it right away.

So if you're leaving her overnight, you can leave the frozen milk in the fridge. It's easiest if you freeze it flat in bags -- it defrosts more quickly that way.

The catch is that you can't re-freeze it, so whatever you put in the fridge must be used. If you're not sure how much she's going to be drinking, honestly I would freeze it flat and then just leave it frozen. I don't think it takes very much longer to defrost it than it does to warm up a cold bottle (maybe 5 min longer but it's not like you can get to the baby right away either way).

 

[fudgecake251]

So would u say the easiest way is to keep frozen, take to my mums and put it in her freezer then she can defrost as and when needed in warm water? That does seem easier than worrying about it being sat for too long in fridge.

It's much easier just keeping expressed milk in fridge as its got a decent amount of shelf life.

I don't tend to warm the breast milk as she will take it straight from the fridge so once it is full defrosted how many hours will it stay ok for? Even once she's started drinking it. Is it just the warming of it that makes it run out quicker?

 

[seaweed eater]

Yeah, I would take it frozen to your mum's, put it in her freezer, and then have her defrost.

Regarding your second question, I know that warming weakens it but milk that's been thawed is also not the same as milk that's just been chilled and never frozen. Kellymom says 24 hours in the fridge. After LO has started drinking it I think you have 2 hours regardless of the temperature (and honestly I'd probably go with 1 hour for milk that's been frozen). You're also not supposed to keep chilled milk out at room temp for longer than 2 hours. HTH

 

[iwantabub]

On the Australian bfing website it says it will keep in fridge 24 hours once defrosted in the fridge... But as soon as its taken out to room temp it will last 4 hours at room temp. But if u warm it will only last an hour or until the end of the feed