What can breast milk do? How long can breast milk be kept fresh in the refrigerator?

Some mothers have plenty of milk during breastfeeding, and there is still some left after feeding their babies. So what can this extra breast milk be used for? How long can breast milk be kept fresh in the refrigerator? Can breast milk in the refrigerator be taken out and heated up to continue feeding the baby?

What Breast Milk Can Do

Breast milk is the best food for babies. It is rich in nutrients and contains the nutrients and antibodies that babies need. Adhering to breastfeeding can ensure the normal and healthy development of babies! However, in addition to being a natural food for babies, breast milk has many other uses. Some mothers have too much breast milk, and their children can't finish it. So what are the uses of breast milk? The editor has collected seven wonderful benefits of breast milk for you.

First point: can treat mild eczema

Many babies will develop eczema two or three weeks after birth, especially on the eyebrows and forehead. If it grows, it will be very itchy. At that time, the baby is relatively small, and the use of ointment is afraid of side effects, so many elderly people at home will recommend using breast milk to apply it to the baby. Of course, this is only for mild eczema. If it is serious, special treatment methods for eczema must be used!

Second point: can repair damaged skin

I believe many mothers will use this method. When the baby is injured, apply some milk on his wound, and the baby's wound will heal quickly. It has a magical effect.

Third point: You can use excess breast milk to make a mask

It is a waste to drain the breast milk that the baby cannot finish. You can collect it and soak it in facial mask paper to make a facial mask directly to make your skin delicate and smooth.

Fourth point: Milk has a miraculous effect in reducing dark circles under the eyes

Fifth point: Breast milk can replace massage oil

Doctors recommend that patients with mastitis can use breast milk to massage their breasts. There is no need to worry that the massage oil will be ingested by the baby, because breast milk contains oil components and is a natural lubricant. It is the best to use it for massage, and it does not matter if the baby is breastfeeding!

Sixth point: Breast milk can be used to adjust complementary food

Many mothers should know this method, which is to use breast milk to adjust the complementary food that the baby wants to eat, especially for babies who have just started to add complementary food. They cannot accept the taste of complementary food for a while, so mothers can use their own breast milk to adjust or match the complementary food, and then give it to the baby. Slowly, the baby will accept the complementary food and then add it successfully! For example, if you want to make rice paste or egg yolk, you can use breast milk to adjust it. The complementary food has the taste of the mother, and the general baby is easier to accept!

Point 7: Breast milk can also be used to make handmade soap

It is very popular to make breast milk soap in Taiwan, because it is particularly wasteful to throw away excess breast milk. The Taiwan Breast Milk Association invented this kind of soap. The soap made with breast milk can be used for babies as well as family members, making the baby's skin white and tender and the family's skin healthy.

How long can breast milk be kept in the refrigerator?

Based on years of research, the International Breastfeeding Association has listed the following timetable for the storage of breast milk:

Storage at room temperature:

Colostrum (milk expressed within 6 days after delivery) - can be stored at room temperature of 27-32℃ for 12 hours;

Mature breast milk (milk expressed 6 days after delivery) - can be stored at room temperature of 15°C for 24 hours; at room temperature of 19-22°C for 10 hours; at room temperature of 25°C for 6 hours;

Refrigerator storage: 0-4℃ can be stored for 8 days;

Cryopreservation: Breast milk cryopreservation is related to the freezer conditions.

If it is a small freezer box in the refrigerator, the shelf life is two weeks;

If it is a freezer room that is separate from the refrigerator, but the door is often opened and closed to take out items, the shelf life is 3-4 months;

If it is in a deep freezer, the temperature is kept below 0℃ and the door is not opened often, the shelf life can be more than 6 months.

It's normal for stored breast milk to break down and look a little bluish, yellowish, or brown.

Step 4 - Thawing

When thawing frozen breast milk, you should first rinse the sealed bag with cold water, then gradually add hot water until the breast milk is completely thawed and reaches a suitable feeding temperature, or place it in the refrigerator to slowly thaw. Do not heat breast milk directly on the stove or in the microwave, as this will destroy the nutrients in the breast milk.

After thawing, pour it directly into the bottle and feed your baby. Thawed breast milk must be consumed within 24 hours and cannot be frozen again.

Can parents warm excess breast milk?

If parents are looking for a safe way to heat breast milk, they must not use a microwave to heat breast milk. Instead, parents can add water to the stove, wait for the water to heat up, and then place the container containing breast milk in the hot water on the stove. Of course, the water should not be boiled.

Follow common sense when reheating breast milk. If the breast milk smells or looks like it has gone bad, you should discard the excess breast milk immediately. Parents should understand that each time you reheat breast milk, the beneficial substances in it decrease. Therefore, parents should not reheat excess breast milk too many times.

Studies have shown that there is not much difference in value between used and unused breast milk, and that it is safe to heat breast milk for babies, provided, of course, that the breast milk has not expired and has not been heated too many times.