66: Can My Baby Drink This Milk?
In today’s episode we answer Coreen’s question: “If I’m using frozen breast milk, is it okay to use breast milk from when my baby was 1 month old to feed my 5 month old? I know milk is good in the freezer for up to 6 months, but I worry that she won’t get enough calories since breast milk content changes as babies mature and grow.”
Takeaways
It's perfectly fine to use frozen breast milk from an earlier age.
However, the fresher the milk, the better it is for your baby.
Consider your feeding goals when using frozen milk.
Protect your milk supply while using substitutions.
Colostrum has laxative properties that should be noted.
Fresh milk is of higher quality than frozen milk.
Fresh milk contains important antibodies for the baby.
Vitamin content may decline in frozen milk after three months.
Proper handling of frozen milk is crucial for safety.
There is no need to waste frozen breast milk if used correctly.
Ah great question Coreen. The short answer is yes of course! But let’s dive in further. That milk was made for her 1 month old body, however it’s perfectly fine to still use it. Generally speaking, the fresher the milk the better it is for your baby but I don’t think there’s any reason to waste it.
You can mix some in with recently pumped milk, use it as that extra cushion bottle for daycare, or just have it on hand should you be away and the caregiver needs more milk.
It’s really important to consider what your general plan or feeding goal is moving forward if you introduce your freezer stash, however, to avoid unnecessary pitfalls. For example, if you offer your baby previously frozen milk and do not pump or skip pumping sessions, then your supply will go down. Now if that is your goal, then hurray! However, if you substitute your fresh milk for anything (be it your freezer stash or formula) and do not keep up the pumping routine to mimic your baby’s daily needs, then your supply will naturally go down. And believe me, this is not a surprise you want to deal with. So that’s one thing to consider is to protect your supply while you use any substitutions.
Alternatively, if you are purposefully trying to wean down your supply then be sure you have a plan for both gradually weaning to care for your breast glands as well as your infants diet. Be sure they are taking the frozen milk and/or formula well and digestively tolerating it (if it’s formula) before you tamp down your supply. It would be a real pickle to find yourself with low supply and a baby who is not taking or tolerating their other option.
So let’s assume you are still pumping and breastfeeding and/or pumping to the amount your baby takes daily.
Then yep, it’s totally fine to pepper in that frozen milk or toss in a frozen milk bottle here and there. If you are using colostrum from your early days, just keep in mind that colostrum does have laxative properties in it.
According to the American Breastfeeding Medicine, it is best to use fresh milk first. They say “Fresh milk is of higher quality than frozen milk. Fresh milk contains current maternal secretory IgA antibodies that may be relevant to the dyad’s recent infectious exposures.” and that “Freshly expressed milk is highest in antioxidants, vitamins, protein, fat, and probiotic bacteria compared to refrigerated or frozen milk.” So, “Fresh human milk also has the greatest immunologic activity compared to refrigerated or frozen milk.” So while it is perfectly fine to use that freezer stash, it might be best to pepper it in.
The ABM also states that there is really limited research on the quality of frozen milk after 6 months. And some studies even show a decline in vitamin content of breastmilk after 3 months of being frozen. So they do not have information on how nutrition is impacted if an infant we’re to rely solely on frozen milk.
Links mentioned in the show:
Printable breastmilk storage guidelines and more resources.
Episode 53: Don’t Throw Out That Milk! Listen First…
ABM Clinical Protocol #8: Human Milk Storage Information for Home Use for Full-Term Infants