Insparenting

Things you must know about pumping or expressing breast milk for your baby:

1. Wash all equipments (breast pump and milk containers) in hot soapy water, then sterilize them.
2. You can use hard-sided plastic or glass containers to store the milk. Or, find freezer milk bags designed for storing human milk.
3. Wash your hands before expressing or pumping.
4. Use a wide mouthed container if you plan to express your milk by hand.
5. If you use a breast pump, either mechanical or electric one, don’t forget to read the instructions.
6. Warm the milk by heating it under warm, running water. Gently swirl the milk to redistribute separated parts of the milk.
7. Never use a microwave to warm the milk.

Where you can store the milk: (Source: La Leche League)
* at room temperature (66-72°F, 19-22°C) for up to 10 hours
* in a refrigerator (32-39°F, 0-4°C) for up to 8 days
* in a freezer compartment inside a refrigerator (variable temperature due to the door opening frequently) for up to 2 weeks
* in a freezer compartment with a separate door (variable temperature due to the door opening frequently) for up to 3 to 4 months.
* in a separate deep freeze (0°F, -19°C) for up to 6 months or longer.

It is the best decision for a mother to give breast milk to her baby. Why?
1. Breast milk is the best nutrition for a newborn.
2. Breastfeeding creates a very special bond between mother and baby.
3. Breastfeeding is practical and economical.

However, there are moms who cannot breastfeed their babies for some reasons. How do they feel actually? Find it out here.

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 30th, 2006 at 12:43 am and is filed under Parenting. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.