Collecting Breastmilk
  • Wash hands well with soap and hot water.
  • Wash breastpump parts that come in contact with the breast or milk, as well as the collection containers, in either a Avent steam sterilizer, in a dishwater or by hand using hot, soapy water.  Rinse with cold water and air dry on a clean towel.  Check with your hospital or healthcare provider for any other instructions.
  • When to pump depends on you and your baby's schedule.  Your milk supply is usually most plentiful in the morning, so that is a good time to pump.  Try to schedule pumping midway between when your baby feeds.  Be flexible.  If your baby skips a feeding, nurses for a shorter time than usual or only nurses on one side, pump the remaining milk and save it.  If you are planning to return to work and continue breastfeeding, begin pumping one or two weeks before you start work.  Try to duplicate what your pumping schedule will be, once you are back to work.
  • Before pumping, get comfortably seated and relaxed. Pump your breasts according to the breast pump manufacturer's instructions.
  • There are several containers available for storing breastmilk, including specially designed plastic bags and plastic or glass containers. There are advantages to each; use the type which is most functional for you. The Ameda Mother's Milk Freezer Bag is especially designed with multi-ply construction to provide maximum protection for storing breastmilk.
  • Pump or express breastmilk into a clean collection container.
  • It is normal for human milk to vary in color, consistency and odor, depending on mother's diet and the type of storage container used.
Storage
  1. If you do not intend to use expressed breastmilk within a few days, freeze it immediately in the coldest section of your freezer, being careful not to let the container touch the inside self-defrosting walls of the freezer.
  2. When you freeze your breastmilk, be sure to leave additional space at the top of the container. Breastmilk, like most liquids, expands as it freezes.
  3. When using plastic bags, use those designed for breastmilk collection. Before storing, fold down the top several times and seal with freezer or masking tape. Place smaller bags in a larger outer bag to help protect contents against punctures. The Ameda Mother's Milk Collection Bags come with twist ties for easy sealing and don't need to be double bagged.
  4. If you intend to store the milk for longer than just a few hours, label the container with date and amount.
  5. Freeze milk in small portions, 2 to 4 ounces per container. Smaller amounts thaw more quickly and you will waste less milk if your baby consumes less than you anticipated.
  6. Seal container tightly.
  7. You may continue to add small amounts of cooled breastmilk to the same container throughout the day. After each addition, chill in refrigerator.
  8. If you are not going to use the fresh milk within S-7 days, freeze it as soon as possible.
  9. You may also add to previously frozen milk. First refrigerate all freshly expressed milk until cold. Then, add the new to the frozen milk.  The newly added milk must be of a lesser amount than the previously frozen milk.
Storage Guidelines
Breastmilk Storage Guidelines
  Room
Temperature		 Refrigerator Home
Freezer		 -20°C
Freezer
Freshly Expressed
breastmilk		 4-10 hrs 5-7
 days		 3-6
 months		 6-12
 months
Thawed
breastmilk		 Do not
store		 24 hrs Never
refreeze
thawed
milk		 Never
refreeze
thawed
milk

  1. If you carefully washed your hands before pumping or expressing, your breastmilk will be safe for around 4-10 hours at room temperature, 66-77° F. lf possible, immediate refrigeration is preferred.
  2. lf the temperature in the room, car or outdoors exceeds 77° F/25°C, chill milk immediately to preserve freshness.
  3. Fresh milk may be stored in the refrigerator from 5 to 7 days at 39° F.
  4. Frozen milk may be stored in the back of the freezer portion of a home refrigerator freezer, for up to six months.
  5. Frozen milk may also be stored in a 10-12° F/ -20°C deep freezer for up to 12 months.
  6. Defrosted milk may be kept for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
  7. The Ameda Purely Yours comes with a milk storage magnet to cling to your refrigerator and guide you!
Defrosting
To thaw human breastmilk:
  • Use oldest milk first.
  • Place sealed container in a bowl of warm water for 30 minutes, or place under warm running water. Don't use hot water, as this can destroy some of the protective properties of the milk.
  • Place milk in the refrigerator the night before you will use it. Refrigerator defrosting takes 8 to 12 hours.
  • Thawed refrigeratetl milk is safe for 24 hours, if kept refrigerated. Do Not Refreeze.
  • Discard any thawed milk not used during a feeding.
  • Breastmilk is not homogenized and cream may rise to the top of the container. The separation of the cream is not a problem. Gently shake the container to mix the layers together.
CAUTION: Never microwave breastmilk.  Microwaving can cause severe burns to baby's mouth from hot spots that develop in the milk during microwaving.  Microwaving can also change the composition of the breastmilk.

Intake Guidelines

How much breastmilk should you anticipate for your baby for each feeding? That depends on the individual infant, but here are some guidelines that may help:
Average intake by age
Total
Daily Average
0-2 months 2-5 oz. per feeding 26 oz.
2-4 months 4-6 oz. per feeding 30 oz.
4-6 months 5-7 oz. per feeding 31 oz.

 
Average intake by weight
8 lbs. (3,600 gr.) 21.3 oz. (639 ml) in 24 hours
9 lbs. (4,000 gr.) 24.0 oz. (720 ml) in 24 hours
10 lbs. (4,500 gr.) 26.7 oz. (801 ml) in 24 hours
11 lbs. (4,900 gr.) 29.3 oz. (879 ml) in 24 hours
12 lbs. (5,400 gr.) 32.0 oz. (960 ml) in 24 hours
14 lbs. (6,400 gr.) 37.3 oz. (1,119 ml) in 24 hours
16 lbs. (7,300 gr.) 42.7 oz. (1,280 ml) in 24 hours
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