PT Health Life – After 6 months of maternity leave, the mother needs to return to work. Expressing/pumping milk for the baby to eat when the mother returns to work is necessary, but the baby must be gradually accustomed to it.
1. Reasons why children do not like frozen breast milk
Frozen breast milk has a sour smell
Some mothers say that frozen milk when taken out for their children to drink has a sour smell like fermented cow’s milk. If your frozen milk comes out with a sour smell but its taste is not sour or spoiled, then the milk is still safe for your baby to breastfeed, it’s just that your baby doesn’t like that sour smell so he or she refuses. If you encounter this situation, check to see if the storage process ensures safe milk quality. Standard glass or plastic bottles for storing breast milk . The best materials are glass or hard plastic food storage polypropylene or polybutylene. Polyethylene plastic does not preserve as well.
If you’re using standard plastic bags/bottles, try using bags specifically designed for storing breast milk. If you’re storing in plastic, try using glass.
If expressed milk is not intended to be used within 4 days, freeze it as soon as possible after expressing. After defrosting, it should be used as soon as possible within 24 hours.
Make sure all milk packages in your refrigerator or freezer are tightly sealed so your milk can’t absorb odors from other foods. Some tips to help reduce odors in the refrigerator or freezer you can try include putting baking soda in a box, and in Vietnam you can use grapefruit/tangerine peel. If possible, equip a refrigerator/freezer thermometer to ensure the correct storage temperature is maintained
Frozen breast milk has a strange smell
Some mothers say that their milk after refrigeration or freezing has a soapy, pungent odor that is very unpleasant even though they have followed the instructions for storing breast milk correctly. That’s also the reason why babies refuse breast milk.
According to Lawrence & Lawrence, it is possible that the milk of these mothers has an excess of Lipase enzyme, which breaks down fat in milk immediately after milking. Most babies don’t mind the slight change in taste, and milk high in Lipase is not harmful, but the stronger the taste, the more likely it is that your baby will refuse it.
Lipase is an enzyme commonly found in breast milk and has a number of beneficial functions, including: Lipase helps keep milk fats mixed (emulsified) with the “whey” part of the milk, and also helps break down fats. fat molecules for children to easily digest. Lipase also helps break down fats in milk, so other fat-soluble nutrients (e.g. vitamins A & D) and free fatty acids help strengthen the immune system of breastfed babies.
Most babies refuse breast milk that is high in lipase. You can try some of the following ways to help your baby eat better: Mix warmed frozen milk and freshly expressed milk. This method has the highest chance of success. You start your baby’s feeding with a glass of freshly expressed milk and add a little frozen milk to warm it up. If your baby is willing to eat, add a little more frozen milk next time until your baby refuses or you get a solution of half new milk/half frozen breast milk.
If you’ve been freezing a large amount of pumped breast milk for months, try testing milk from different periods of time, don’t give up after trying a few bottles. Sometimes newer milk may not be affected, but sometimes older milk is fine. Sometimes there is a difference between milk that is frozen immediately after milking and milk that is kept in the refrigerator for a few days before freezing. This method requires a lot of patience and sometimes frustration from both mother and baby to find a bag of milk that the baby will drink.
Even if none of the methods work for you, try and don’t give up. Newborns change very quickly. If your baby refuses in June, take the milk out and try it in July.
Milk smells rancid
If your frozen breast milk smells rancid, the cause may be chemical oxidation and not lipase. This oxidation can occur due to the mother supplementing polyunsaturated fats from food or due to free iron and copper ions in the mother’s drinking water. Some polyunsaturated foods that can cause rancidity in breast milk are whole grains, oils, brown rice, etc.
Mothers should check their drinking water source. Avoid fish oil and flaxseed supplements and foods like anchovies. Increase foods with antioxidants like beta carotene and vitamin E.
It is recommended that if a child refuses frozen milk, mothers should try to breastfeed the child directly or with freshly expressed milk, or provide the child with frozen milk for less than 7 days. However, ensure the baby’s needs are at the same time consistent with the parents’ lives.
2. Be careful when freezing breast milk
Divide the stored milk into small enough portions for one baby’s feeding to avoid waste. Do not overfill the container/bag with breast milk because the breast milk will expand as it freezes. If the milk is delivered to a hospital or child care facility, label it clearly and put the child’s name on the label. If you have any other notes, please write them carefully on the label and notify the child care facility.
Breast milk can be stored in an ice pack for up to 24 hours if you are traveling or transporting the milk to another place, then store it in the freezer if not used.
Defrost breast milk safely by always defrosting the oldest breast milk first. Over time, the quality of breast milk may decrease. Defrost by leaving in the refrigerator overnight, placing in a glass/basin of warm water, or running under warm running water. Never defrost or warm breast milk in the microwave. Microwaves can destroy nutrients in breast milk and create hot spots, which can burn a baby’s mouth.
If you defrost breast milk in the refrigerator, use it within 24 hours (from the time the breast milk is completely thawed, not from when you take it out of the freezer). After breast milk is thawed and warmed, use it within 2 hours. Do not refreeze thawed breast milk .
Once thawed, the color of your breast milk may vary slightly depending on your diet. Additionally, thawed breast milk may have a different odor or consistency than freshly expressed breast milk. Thawed breast milk is still safe to feed your baby.
