Can you combine pumped breast milk

Your breast milk may still be safe, but it depends on how long the power is out and how defrosted or warm the breast milk becomes. Freezers, if left unopened and full during a power outage, will keep food safe for about 48 hours about 24 hours if half full.

When freezers are full, the other frozen items help keep the freezer colder longer. The refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened. While the power is out, keep the freezer and refrigerator doors closed as much as possible.

Once the power is back on, check the condition of your stored breast milk. Frozen breast milk that has started to thaw but still contains ice crystals can be refrozen.

If your breast milk has completely thawed but still feels cold, put it in the refrigerator and use it within the next day or throw it away. Expressed breast milk is a food and may be stored alongside other foods in any refrigerator that is appropriate for food storage. Employers, coworkers, cleaning staff, other family members, and childcare providers should not consider or treat breast milk as a biohazard. Storing breast milk in a shared refrigerator and washing pump parts in community break rooms are unlikely to pose health risks sanitary or safety issues ; however, it is important that the breast pump equipment be cleaned, dried, and stored in a sanitary clean environment to protect the equipment and expressed breast milk from contamination.

Expressed breast milk may be stored and transported in an insulated cooler bag with frozen ice packs for up to 24 hours, or else frozen in dry ice follow safety precautions when handling dry ice external icon.

Once breast milk is cooled, it should remain cool until it is consumed. Breast milk that has been transported in an insulated cooler bag with frozen ice packs can then be refrigerated or frozen. Depending on the destination, if no reliable breast milk storage is available, a mother traveling with expressed breast milk could consider using temperature-controlled shipping to transport breast milk or discarding her expressed breast milk.

Continuing to express breast milk regularly will help a mother to maintain her breast milk supply until she and her nursing infant or child can be reunited. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Frequently Asked Questions. Others turn the pump on first and then place the flanges over the breasts.

Start the pump at the low or minimal suction setting. Gradually move the setting to increase the level of suction. The level usually is set as high as comfort allows. Decrease the suction if it causes discomfort. Suction can't be maintained if the seal of the flange on the breast is broken, so check the seal of the flange periodically. Also watch for the rhythmic pull and release of the nipple and areola within the flange.

Don't fill collection bottles more than two-thirds full so that milk does not flow back. This also allows the milk to expand if it is to be frozen.

If you easily fill bottles, have more collection bottles ready. Stop and change bottles as needed. If your baby takes more than the amount in one bottle at a feeding, you might attach collection bottles that can hold a larger amount to the breast flange.

When you are ready to stop pumping, use a clean finger to press in on your breast just above the pump breast flange. This should break the seal between the flange and the breast tissue.

If milk has pooled in a flange, tilt it so that milk can drain into the collection bottle as you remove the flange. Then turn off the breast pump. Some mothers turn the breast pump off first, and then break the seal between the flange and the breast. If you pumped both breasts at once and the total amount of milk will fill one bottle no more than two-thirds full, you may combine the contents in one bottle by carefully pouring the milk from one sterile container into the other.

Don't combine milk from different pumping sessions when pumping for a high-risk baby. Labels should include the baby's name, the date, the time of day pumped, and any medicines or substances, such as cigarette byproducts that you have taken or been exposed to since the last pumping session.

If using unrefrigerated, fresh breastmilk, it should be fed to a baby within an hour of being pumped. Don't leave milk out longer than 30 to 60 minutes when it is to be given to a high-risk baby. This risks contamination—something a high-risk baby does not need. It is not always possible to give a baby fresh breastmilk. Or you may get more than needed for a feeding and want to save the milk for later use. In these cases, refrigerate your milk in the labeled collection bottles right away.

Freeze labeled collection bottles if the milk will not be used within 24 to 48 hours. The NICU staff will let you know whether they are using 24 hours or 48 hours as a guideline.

Don't freeze breastmilk that has been refrigerated for more than 24 to 48 hours. Although milk has been shown to be safe when refrigerated for several days, experts usually recommend freezing milk sooner when it is to be given to a high-risk baby.

How likely is this to be an issue? So far there has not been research done on the bioactive properties of shaken vs. Some feel that the forces required to change the milk are significantly more than could be provided via shaking.

Others note that shear forces from shaking are not the only issue—bursting of bubbles caused by shaking may also damage cells or denature proteins. To play it safe, use the smallest amount of force needed to mix the layers, keeping in mind that the layers will mix better as the milk warms.

If you do shake the milk, it might not be a problem at all—and even if it turns out that shaking makes a difference it will still be the best nutrition for your child. Traveling as a Pumping Mother by Nicole Goodman. Lesson of the week. Warming milk-a preventable cause of scalds in children. Unusual appearances of breastmilk from the Australian Breastfeeding Association. What can I do? What does breastmilk look like? Why does my breastmilk change colors?

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