Breastmilk storage Dos and don'ts

If you have questions plaguing your mind about the storage of your breastmilk, pumping and the ideal time to safely store your supply, Dr Yogesh Kumar Gupta, consultant, Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Fortis Hospitals, Bengaluru, puts your worries to rest

- Dr Yogesh Kumar Gupta

Everyone is well aware of the importance of breastfeeding babies, for as long as possible. In an ideal situation, it is recommended to exclusively breastfeed a baby for the first six months of his life. But what happens when a mother has to resume work after her six-month maternity leave comes to a close? If she still wants to breastfeed, she’s going to require to pump and store her milk. And that’s where the questions begin. The storage of one’s breast milk can be confusing. But the thing to remember is once you start pumping, it’s important to know how to safely store your expressed milk. Consider these do’s and don’ts for the optimal way to store your breastmilk for longer.

HOW AND WHERE CAN I STORE THE EXPRESSED BREASTMILK?

It is recommended that you choose a Bisphenol A-free (BPA) container. Make sure the container is clean and has a capped glass with hard plastic. Before expressing milk, make sure that your hands are clean; always wash your hands with anti-bacterial soap. Alternatively, you can use stainless steel containers that are easily available, but more importantly, can be easily steralised just by boiling. Apart from normal containers, there are plastic bags available in the market, specifically designed for the collection and storage of breastmilk.