How to freeze EBM

beautifulseed

New Member
Hi mothers,

I am trying to freeze my EBM as I am going back to work in a month's time. Would like to clarify a few things about freezing EBM.

1) Is it ok to transfer recently pumped (less than 3 days) milk that I placed in storage bottles and in the refrigerator into milk bags and then into the freezer?

2) Do I freeze the expressed milk immediately or do I have to place it in the fridge first?

3) Is it ok to use the freezer compartment of the fridge together with other meat and stuff? What temperature?

4) How long can I store the frozen milk?

5) Can I use a air tight container to lay my storage bags?


Many thanks in advance!
 

Food For Totz

<b>Worthy Lady</b>
Hi Moderators, I am participating in this forum as a forum member and not as a merchant. I have no desire to flout the rules of posting and as a forum member myself, I wish to be able to share and contribute to your forum t00! It is not our aim to promote our products and no other agendas intended. The following is informative and useful for first-time mums who may not have the knowledge and experience in the storage of expressed breast milk. The below is just my 2-cent worth of sharing. So, would appreciate, if you do not remove this post.


I append herewith some guidelines as to store, thaw and shelf-life of expressed breast milk:

1. How to store expressed breast milk (ebm) in milk storage bags:

(i) Fill the milk bag with expressed breast milk, squeezed all the excess air out, using your 2nd and 3rd fingers (like scissor-liked-motion). This is to prevent freezer burn, then double-seal and freeze.

(ii) Leave some room at the top of the storage bag to allow for expansion and contraction.

(iii) Label milk with the date and time it was expressed and always use the oldest stock first. It is best you used permanent marker as it is waterproof. Your ebm will not be contaminated as the spaces to label are away from the milk bags.

2. Storage Guidelines for Expressed Breast Milk:

Use clean containers, and wash your hands with soap and water before expressing or pumping.

(a) At room temperature 25 degrees C : 4-6 hours
(b) In a refrigerator 0-4 degrees : 1- 4 days
(c) In a freezer unit of a refrigerator minus O degrees C: 3 - 4 months
(d) In a chest freeze - minus 10 - 19 degrees C : 6 -12 months
(e) If expressed breast milk are not meant to be given on the day or days later after expression, it is best that it goes straight into freezer.
(f) It is best to store the milk bags away from poultry and fish products.
(g) If you want to place the milk bags in an organiser, then into the freezer, it is your personal preference. But I guess, with an organiser, it may take up a lot of freezer space. Just store all the milk bags lying flat to free your freezer to store more milk bags.

If expressed breast milk are expressed at different time of the day and in order to fill up the milk bag, they can be mixed together, provided the temperature of the first batch and the second batch of ebm are the same temperature.

3. What are the best ways to thaw and heat EBM:

Heat can destroy human milk's enzymes, immune properties, and other valuable components, so the milk requires gentle care before it is served to baby. Follow these guidelines:

(a) From the freezer to the normal fridge compartment overnight. Place the milk bag in a clean container for it to thaw naturally in the fridge.

(b) Or alternatively thaw the frozen milk bag in a clean container under warm running water.

(c) Or place the milk bag in a bowl of warm water. As the water cools, replaced it with more warm water until the milk is thawed and warmed to body temperature.

(d) Do not heat ebm, do not boil!

(e) Do not heat ebm in a microwave oven.

Human milk, like any milk that is not processed or homogenized, tends to separate when stored. The cream rises to the top. Swirl the milk bag gently to mix the layers.

Frozen ebm once thawed and have to be used within 24 hours. It cannot be refreezed but you can refrigerate it for use within 24 hours. Any balance that baby cannot finish have to be discarded. And dont't save milk from a bottle that your baby already drank out of.

It is best you store ebm accordingly to the daily needs of your baby to avoid wastage. Breast milk is like liquid gold ... heartache if is wasted :)

Hope the above helps :)
 
Last edited:
Hi mothers,

I am trying to freeze my EBM as I am going back to work in a month's time. Would like to clarify a few things about freezing EBM.

1) Is it ok to transfer recently pumped (less than 3 days) milk that I placed in storage bottles and in the refrigerator into milk bags and then into the freezer? Yes you can.

2) Do I freeze the expressed milk immediately or do I have to place it in the fridge first?You can place them in the fridge as you like. You just can't return to the fridge a thawed breast milk as you have to use it within 24hrs once thawed in the fridge.

3) Is it ok to use the freezer compartment of the fridge together with other meat and stuff? What temperature?no. I suggest you organize your freezer by placing meat in a ziplock before freezing them to avoid any contamination specially now that you're going to freeze some breast milk. Preferaby, get a lock and lock container, breast milk organizer (the first years has one), or improvise a frozen breast milk container/organizer to ensure your milk stash is separated from other stuff in your fridge.

4) How long can I store the frozen milk?3-6mos :)

5) Can I use a air tight container to lay my storage bags?YES! I'm currently doing this aside from my other improvised breast milk organizer :)


Many thanks in advance!
1) Is it ok to transfer recently pumped (less than 3 days) milk that I placed in storage bottles and in the refrigerator into milk bags and then into the freezer? Yes you can.

2) Do I freeze the expressed milk immediately or do I have to place it in the fridge first?You can place them in the fridge as you like. You just can't return to the fridge a thawed breast milk as you have to use it within 24hrs once thawed in the fridge.

3) Is it ok to use the freezer compartment of the fridge together with other meat and stuff? What temperature?no. I suggest you organize your freezer by placing meat in a ziplock before freezing them to avoid any contamination specially now that you're going to freeze some breast milk. Preferaby, get a lock and lock container, breast milk organizer (the first years has one), or improvise a frozen breast milk container/organizer to ensure your milk stash is separated from other stuff in your fridge.

4) How long can I store the frozen milk?3-6mos :)

5) Can I use a air tight container to lay my storage bags?YES! I'm currently doing this aside from my other improvised breast milk organizer :)
 
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