Greetings, fellow parents and caregivers! Congratulations on successfully using the legendary Haakaa breast pump to express milk from your lactating breasts. But do you know what's more impressive? If you can store that precious liquid gold properly.
Storing expressed breast milk doesn't necessarily require an advanced degree in rocket science or molecular biology, but it does need some basic knowledge and essential tools to keep those white bottles full of nutritious goodness. So before you start chucking your Haakaa-filled bottles willy-nilly into your fridge or freezer without a care in the world (gasp!), here are some tips to help stash them like a boss!
Use Clean Container
First things first: You wouldn't want bacteria crashing your milky party because of unsanitary containers, would you? It is important always to use clean containers/ bottles when storing pumped milk. Not only will this protect your baby against infection, but it also ensures the quality and freshness of the stored milk.
You also need not fret about throwing away money purchasing specialized storage products since ordinary glass jars or plastic bags work just fine -- quick tip: Ziploc® sealing bags’ sizes are just right for storing smaller volumes of breastmilk!
Sanitizing Tip:
Before washing any container or bottle intended for storing human's purest elixir (oops!), wash hands thoroughly with soap and water--more so if one has handled anything dirty recently. Then place washed container/bottle directly into boiling water which has been brought up to boil as it kills off most bacteria that might resist thorough cleaning.
Note Temperature & Time
Breast milk happens to be a perishable item once out of its motherly host’s boobies -just like regular cow’s milk- but is colder! It needs refrigeration after extraction from momma’s breasts unless being warmed up immediately for feeding at room temperature or by boiling water.
The period which milk can stay fresh once pumped is influenced significantly by these three factors; the temperature, cleanliness of storage containers and duration in storage, hence requiring critical measures to maintain it in its usual quality for the baby’s feeding.
Chilling Your Milk:
Ensure that you get your freshly extracted milk chilled promptly within 1 hour after pumping using ice packs packed around your container (a cooler bag comes in handy here) or place directly into a fridge with temperatures ranging between (1-4 degree Celsius). Decontaminate hands before covering fridged bottles as they make ensure zero introduction of germs even when there's rarely anything growing inside refrigerators (trust me on this!).
Use Freshly Stashed Haakaa Milk
Hang on now! Before grossing yourself out by having some old breastmilk smoothie, check if it has gone bad first--because consuming sour milk might result from gastrointestinal problems like cramps due to bacterial growth.
Drying off a crude elastic band 'X' sign up labeling strong-tasting expressed samples at the point of stashing makes selecting fresher good tasting ones an easier task.
Indicators Of Spoilt Breastmilk:
Spoiled breastmilk emits an unpleasant odor and separated layers where fat settles on top while fluids below look curdled; discard such immediately as changes show indications that it has gone rotten posing potential health hazards to babies should one ignore them---for instance E.Coli, any parent would avoid cross-contaminating their babies with harmful bacteria surely!
Slow Open The Container lid When Using Thawed Haakka Milk
It is essential not only for baby’s safety but also efficacy concerns that thawed previously frozen breast milk isn't refrozen. Other than being wasteful, it degrades taste quickly making consumption less pleasurable consequently encourages refusal in infants which may affect that precious bonding time with babies.
Warming breast milk:
It's best to warm the thawed Haakaa express bottles in a jug of hot water or running them through some warm tap water to be on a safer side, as microwaving destroys most of its nutritive elements- especially if left warming up longer than required, thus giving off unwanted temperatures which may burn baby’s sensitive mouth area.
Do Not Fill Containers To The Brim
There's something fascinating that happens when you freeze liquid: it will expand! Too much volume is likely to cause your container/bottle to break or crack in extreme cases and make exproratory journey invloving mopping floors and explosions no one wants, hence always Store containers or bags containing pumped liquid only up till three-quarters full (feel free to note my sense of humour).
This rule isn't absolute though; suppose one wishes more extended storage duration depending on usage frequency; then keeping smaller volumes might provide better results.
| Liquid Volume | Ideal Storage sizes |
|---|---|
| Less than 2 ounces | Small sealing bags 2 oz. each |
| Between 3 – 5 ounces | Sealing Bags for storing snacks(around Fries size) & small Tupperware |
| More Than -6 Ounces | Glass jars= Anything bigger works winks |
Conclusively,
These guidelines aim at ensuring happy and healthy food engagement between mother-cum-breastmilk provider givers (?) who undergo the task itself besides their duties as usual caregivers while demanding careful adherence for quality milky stashing purposes. I hope they come in handy during storing sessions from now henceforth.
Again my dear friends remember only use clean containers, discard spoilt breastmilk immediately once identified signs it has gone bad and observe time vs temperature rules provided since infants are way too delicate compared not just cows but also adult human beings.
Let's aim always to be smart parents and/or smart caregivers, who amongst other accomplishments stash Haakaa milk like bosses!