3 Ciri-Ciri ASI Basi, Penyebab, dan Cara Mencegahnya
For working moms, meeting the breast milk needs for your little one can be a unique challenge. In addition to managing a pumping schedule, you also have to understand how to store expressed breast milk properly so its nutrients are not damaged or spoiled. Surely no one wants to experience this, right? Unfortunately, certain conditions can cause expressed breast milk to spoil! Let's find out what the causes are and recognize the signs of spoiled breast milk in the following article.
Signs of Spoiled Breast Milk
An easy way to tell if breast milk is spoiled is by looking at its physical form/appearance, smell, and taste. A more detailed explanation regarding the signs of spoiled breast milk is summarized in the review below.
1. Fat Clumps Do Not Mix After Being Thawed
When freezing breast milk, the fat portion usually clumps and separates at the top. However, the breast milk fat will later mix with the liquid portion when warmed.
Now, you should be suspicious if the breast milk fat at the top does not mix with the liquid breast milk at the bottom after being warmed. If you encounter this condition, it can be confirmed that the expressed breast milk is no longer fit for consumption because it is spoiled.
2. Rancid Smelling Breast Milk
The next sign of spoiled breast milk that you can identify is by smelling it. Fresh expressed breast milk that is fit for consumption usually has a sweet aroma. However, if it smells rancid or sour, it could be a sign that the breast milk is spoiled.
3. Changed Taste
The next sign that breast milk is no longer fit to drink can be checked from its taste. Spoiled breast milk tends to have a change in taste. Therefore, if the breast milk tastes sour, it is best not to give it to your little one.
Causes of Spoiled Breast Milk
There are several things that can cause breast milk to spoil, namely improper storage, containers contaminated with bacteria, as well as drastic temperature changes. The explanation can be seen in the following review.
1. Improper Breast Milk Storage
Breast milk can spoil when stored at the wrong temperature and in the wrong place. Therefore, you must understand how to store breast milk correctly to avoid this. At room temperature, breast milk can only last for 4 hours.
Then, storing breast milk in a regular refrigerator or at the very back can last up to 4 days. If you want the breast milk to last longer, you can freeze it in a freezer.
Expressed breast milk can last for 2 weeks in the freezer of a 1-door refrigerator and a maximum of 6 months in the freezer of a 2-door refrigerator. However, if placed in a deep freezer, expressed breast milk can last up to 12 months. So, you must understand the knowledge of how to store breast milk correctly to prevent it from spoiling.
2. Contaminated by Bacteria
The next cause of spoiled breast milk is contamination by germs and bacteria. This is generally triggered by a breast milk container or storage area exposed to bacteria. Why can this happen?
It could be that the breast milk storage container was not dry and there were still water residues attached inside. This is the source of bacterial growth and causes the expressed milk to be contaminated, thus causing it to spoil.
3. Drastic Temperature Changes
Drastic temperature changes when storing breast milk in a refrigerator can also cause breast milk to spoil quickly. Therefore, it is not recommended to put expressed breast milk directly into the freezer.
Let the breast milk adapt to the cold temperature first and place it in the lower part of the refrigerator for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, the breast milk can be moved to the freezer to be frozen. This also applies when you are going to thaw breast milk. Move the frozen breast milk from the freezer to the lower part of the refrigerator overnight, then warm it up.
How to Prevent Expressed Breast Milk from Spoiling
You don't need to worry because there are several ways to prevent expressed breast milk from spoiling. The key is to understand the proper way to store breast milk. Here is the explanation.
1. Avoid Storing Breast Milk in the Refrigerator Door or Freezer Door
A mistake in storing expressed breast milk that is often unrealized is placing it in the refrigerator door or freezer door. This will cause the breast milk to experience temperature fluctuations because the refrigerator door is opened and closed frequently. The correct way to store breast milk is by placing it at the back of the refrigerator.
2. Store in a Tightly Sealed Container
Store expressed breast milk in a tightly sealed container. This is important so that the breast milk is not contaminated with other items in the refrigerator. In addition, try to use a container specifically intended for storing expressed breast milk.
3. Label with the Date
Before storing or freezing breast milk in the refrigerator, it is better to label each expressed breast milk container. Write the date and time when the breast milk was pumped on the label so that you can pick the older breast milk when you want to give it to your child.
4. Freeze Breast Milk in the Freezer
If you have abundant expressed breast milk that will not be given to your child in the near future, it is better to store it in the freezer so it freezes. The durability of breast milk in the freezer will be longer, namely 2 weeks in the freezer of a 1-door refrigerator, 3 to 6 months in the freezer of a 2-door refrigerator, and 6 to 12 months in a deep freezer top opening. Thus, the breast milk will not spoil quickly.
In choosing a breast milk storage container, you can use the HEGEN PCTO™ BREAST MILK STORAGE PPSU which is available in 3 sizes: 60 ml, 150 ml, and 240 ml. The quality of breast milk storage from Hegen is undoubted because it uses the best PPSU material that combines PCTO innovation in the product.
The amber-colored PPSU material is free from artificial pigments, so the expressed breast milk will not be contaminated with harmful ingredients. In addition, this material is also often used as a base material for medical equipment, so it is guaranteed to be superior, durable, and has resistance at high temperatures ranging from -20°C to 180°C. Thus, you can freeze or warm breast milk directly from the breast milk storage.
Hegen's PCTO™ innovation also allows parents and caregivers to close the storage tightly and comfortably even with just one hand without worrying about spills. Click here to shop for quality products from Hegen right now!
References:
- Swati Patwal, M.Sc. How To Tell If Breast Milk Is Bad? Signs And Tips To Prevent. https://www.momjunction.com/articles/how-to-tell-if-breast-milk-is-bad-spoil-signs-tips_00738355/
- Carrie Noriega, MD. How to Know when Expressed Breast Milk is Spoiled. https://www.wikihow.com/Know-when-Expressed-Breast-Milk-is-Spoiled
