# Freezing Breastmilk 101



## JoshuasMommy (Feb 19, 2004)

I was never blessed with being able to pump. I was lucky to get a half of ounce with each breast. But I guess thats because I had no real reason to pump and didn't try consistantly. I have a friend who recently became a first time mommy and has turned to me for guidance. Which I love and have been able to help until now. She too is a sahm but she makes so much milk that she has been forced several times to pump to allieviate her full breasts. Seriously she produces milk like a cow. I say this with loving envy as I produced enough milk to nurse my son 16 months but not a drop extra. So, she has tried to freeze her milk and is having problems. I am obviously no help to her. Can someone help me understand the process so I can share this info with her? What do you freeze your milk in? How long can it be frozen? How do you thaw it? And when you do thaw it does it look like sediment on the bottom water in the middle and cream on the top? Because this happened when she tried to freeze and thaw on her own and she thought the milk had spoiled and threw it away. Thank you, Tina~


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## LeosMama (Sep 6, 2005)

Okay, tons of great questions! I'd recommend reading over at lalecheleague.org/FAQ/milkstorage.html

And your description of the milk is perfect. It always looks three-layered. It helps if you understand a scientific term called "colloid". Milk is a colloid. This means that it is made of a whole bunch of solid particles suspended in a liquid (water). Milk isn't really a liquid, water is a liquid, milk is water and the solids suspended in it. These solids are all intermixed when they come out of the breast, but after settling they will separate based on their relative densities, so the fat floats on the water and the other solids sink to the bottom as they are denser than water. Cow's milk does this too, but commercially you get 'homogenized' milk, which means that they put it through a process that keeps it from separating like this. But if you buy whole fat yogurt (brown cow brand is my favorite) you'll see that there is a layer of fat on the top.

Some people freeze their milk in little breastmilk baggies. Others in glass bottles, I did mine in Medela breastmilk storage bottles. All of these systems have advantages/disadvantages. And they are all quite acceptable and produce usable milk upon thawing.

You should thaw in a bath of hot water. I used to fill my bathroom sink with hot water and float the bottle in it. Have to make sure the cap is on well so it doesn't leak into the bath as it thaws. Other people just float in a coffee cup. This works well too. Never microwave it, you'll kill the immune cells and antioxidants and denature the proteins.

All right, I have to get back to work









Good Luck to your friend!


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## theresa_caine (Nov 13, 2005)

http://www.mother-2-mother.com/storemilk.htm

HTH!


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## JoshuasMommy (Feb 19, 2004)

Thank you, I will pass on the info. Tina~


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