**Based on experience and observation.
For SAHM (Stay-At-Home-Mom) this could be no problem, since most of the time, a SAHM would direct breastfeed her babies, but for working moms, it is a vital to follow the right handling method for EBM, for it is not easy to manage and need to be prepared very carefully.
Some mistakes could be made by either the mother herself or the babysitters that should be paid attention to, because sometimes it is just not a common sense.
1. Two-Layered Milk is Not Unsafe.
I have a friend who threw out all her 2-layered milk for ‘susu basi’. Breast milk (BM) contains lots of nutrient including fats and water. When it is expressed and put in fridge, the fat would go up (fat is less dense) making the milk turn into 2-layers, thicker on the top and lighter at the bottom.
As long as you follow the guideline to store BM, it is definitely in good condition, no matter how many layers it formed into.
2. Avoid Storing a Full-Bottled of BM in A Time.
The best is, store the amount your baby needs at one time of feeding in a bottle. e.g., your baby drinks 3oz per feeding, so store 3 oz in one bottle, to avoid waste in unused breast milk and to avoid mishandling.
3. Pouring Freshly Expressed BM Into Frozen BM is Extremely Dangerous.
Adding freshly expressed BM (at body temperature) at the top of frozen EBM will thaw a part of the frozen one and allows bacteria to grow. If you need to ‘top up’ your previously expressed milk with the newly expressed one, keep the previous one cold in fridge and chill the new one until both of them reach the same temperature. Then only you may add them together.
4. Make sure one bottle of EBM is enough for a feeding.
The bacteria from baby’s mouth can get into the milk in the bottle. So do not reuse the unfinished milk. Once your baby has drink in the bottle, discard the milk when she done. Do not re-fridge it nor keep it for the next session. The bacteria has ability to multiply rapidly and can make your baby sick.
5. Don’t shake the EBM!
When we thaw or warm the milk, sometimes it would be in 2-layers. Twirl it gently and do not shake it, for it will break its special properties.
Somebody said that “BM is the best milk, created by The Creator so it can’t be that sensitive”. So I asked “How about you? You’re created by Him as well, but it may hurt if someone say something bad about you, let alone if someone hits you, isn’t it? You’re the best creation what… If that so, you should not feel anything”.
6. EBM has foul smelling.
Yes, it has. Especially the frozen one. It is perfectly normal and nothing wrong with your breast milk. If your baby refuses to take your EBM because of its smell, you can scald the milk to get rid of the enzyme that cause the smell. Milk for bread and donut usually undergoes scalding process.
7. First In First Out (FIFO) is Only For The Frozen Stash
One of my friend put all her EBM in the freezer, and eventually gave her baby the ‘First In’ EBM. FIFO concept is not applying to the entire milk, only for the stocks. And not all EBM should be placed in the freezer. Keep the EBM as fresh (non-frozen) as possible, so that the baby will get all the nutrients and antibodies. Freezing process will diminish the antibodies and nutrients, so only use it once in a while to top up the fresh one.
8. Oily Breast Milk
One of the breast milk’s constitution is fat. So it will leave the trace of ‘oil’ in the milk bottle. This fat is very good for your baby’s physical development.
That’s all I can think by now. I know you might have other inputs, so please share, so that others, especially a mommy-to-be can get the benefit.
I have a bad experience of mishandling EBM during my working days, not to mention by whom… That’s why, one of the reason why I am not working is because I wanna give ‘safe’ BM to my babies.
This is a challenge for a working mom, cos EBM is not as easy as pouring milk into the bottle and give it to the baby. A working mom should sometimes ‘re-check’ and ‘re-brief’ the babysitter about EBM handling, to avoid any mistake that may put our beloved baby’s health in danger.
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