How long can breast milk be stored? It depends on the storage conditions.

How long breast milk can be stored depends on the storage temperature. The lower the temperature, the longer it can be stored. Let's take a look at the detailed data below.

Breast milk can be stored for 4 hours at room temperature above 25°C.

Breast milk can be stored in a small freezer at 15°C for 1 day

If placed in a refrigerator above 4°C, it can be kept for two days. However, if the refrigerator is opened and closed frequently, it can only be kept for one day.

If stored in a freezer at -5°C, it can be kept for 3 to 6 months

Long-term storage at -20°C can achieve long-term storage for 6 to 12 months

In addition, it is best to store expressed breast milk at low temperatures from the beginning.

Before breastfeeding, the mother should first change the baby's diaper, wash her hands after changing the diaper, and then wipe the nipples with warm water before starting to feed. Usually, the nursing mother should change the underwear frequently and keep the nipples clean to prevent nipple and breast diseases.

The posture of breastfeeding is very important. It is necessary to adopt a suitable posture for feeding. Of course, it is mainly to choose different postures according to the mother's current situation. You can feed your baby in a sitting position, a lying position, a side-lying position, a standing position, or even walking. The general principle is that the mother should take a comfortable position, relax all the muscles of the body, hold the child's neck and back with one hand, and hold the child's hips or support her own breasts with the other hand according to the current situation and needs; the child faces the mother, and the mother and child's bodies should preferably be "three-stick", that is, chest to chest, abdomen to abdomen, chin to breast, and the baby's head and back are in a straight line. When feeding, the mother must have a peaceful expression on her face, with a slight smile, look at her beloved baby with a gentle look, and give the child a feeling of maternal love. She must not have a wooden expression or dull eyes.

What color should high-quality breast milk be? This is a question that many people are curious about. Let's learn about it together.

1. Milk secretion goes through three natural stages, each with its own nutritional characteristics. The milk at the beginning contains enough minerals, which is what people call "grey milk". Some people think that eating such milk will cause diarrhea, so they squeeze it out in vain, which is a pity. After the baby sucks for a while, the milk turns white, which is a sign of increased protein and carbohydrates. When it is about to end, the milk is white and thick, containing a lot of fat. Only when the milk in these three stages is consumed by the baby can reasonable nutrition be guaranteed, and doing so can also promote the next milk secretion.

If your milk production continues to be in the first stage, you should increase your intake of protein-rich foods.

2. Light-colored breast milk

The milk looks light, but it is actually nutritious, just because it contains less fat. The milk that flows out at the beginning (usually called foremilk, which contains essential nutrients such as minerals and vitamins) contains less fat and is mostly light. The milk that flows out at the end (usually called hindmilk) contains more fat and is white. Many breastfed babies cannot eat hindmilk, and they take in less fat, so most of them are thin. Therefore, you should let the baby suck more during each feeding, and extend the feeding time appropriately so that the baby can eat the hindmilk with more fat. In addition, eating more animal oil will increase the fat in the milk, and the milk will look white.

3. Yellow breast milk

In the first few days after the birth of a child, the amount of breast milk is small, the milk is thicker and yellow in color, which is called "colostrum". Colostrum is rich in nutrients and disease-resistant substances, so never squeeze it out and feed it all to the child. In order to produce enough breast milk, as long as the child wants to eat, you should feed him/her, no need to schedule. In order to ensure the needs of infant development and prevent the occurrence of rickets, you should supplement a safe amount of vitamin A and D (or cod liver oil) under the guidance of a doctor while breastfeeding one month after birth, but avoid excessive poisoning.

4. Light green breast milk

Sometimes breast milk can have other colors. Most of these are related to pigments in the mother's diet or medications. The baby's urine may also have the same color change. Drinking beverages containing yellow and red pigments can turn breast milk into a light reddish orange color. Green beverages, seaweed, and some natural vitamin pills can cause breast milk to turn green. These color changes are usually harmless.

The latest maternity leave in my country is now 98 days, which means that many new mothers have to go to work during the breastfeeding period. For working mothers, it is best to breastfeed the baby until about 1 year old. Working mothers can squeeze the breast milk into a sterilized bottle by hand or with a breast pump before going to work, and then store it in the refrigerator. When the baby is hungry and needs to feed, family members can help warm the breast milk slowly with hot water and then feed it to the baby. In addition, once the refrigerated breast milk is heated, it cannot be refrigerated again even if it is not fed. It must be discarded. Don't be reluctant. Because eating these repeatedly heated breast milk will be bad for the baby's health.

In fact, continuing to breastfeed is also a good way for working mothers to maintain a close relationship with their babies and make up for the time that the mother is not with the baby. Therefore, working mothers should pay attention to the time of breastfeeding and not wean the baby too early because of work.