How To Use Your Freeze-Dried Breast Milk Powder

How It Works

Storage Recommendations

Freeze-dried breast milk is not considered sterile. It's crucial to handle and store breast milk powder following recommended guidelines to prevent potential contamination by bacteria like Cronobacter, which, if not handled safely, can lead to serious health concerns.

(These recommendations were developed using guidance on safe storage of breast milk and of powdered infant formula).

Rehydrated Breast Milk
Cover bottles with prepared milk that aren't used immediately
If the bottle was prepared with warm water, it should be used within 1 hour. Discard any unused milk after that time.
If the bottle was prepared with cold or room temperature water and the baby has not fed from it, it can be stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours. After this time, discard any unused milk
Once milk is rehydrated, use within 2 hours of preparation and within 1 hour from when feeding begins. Rehydrated breast milk can spoil if left at room temperature.
If you do not start to use the rehydrated milk within 2 hours, immediately store the bottle in the fridge and use it within 24 hours
Avoid refrigerating or storing the bottle once the baby has begun feeding. Any remaining milk after feeding should be discarded.
Do not freeze rehydrated milk.
Make sure to thoroughly clean and sanitise the bottle before using it again.
Powder
Keep sealed pouches in a cool, dry indoor location—avoid storing them in vehicles, garages, or outdoor areas.
After opening, keep the pouch in a cool, dry place with the zipper securely closed.
Single-Use Pouches: Discard unused powder after 5 days.
Multi-Feed Pouches: Discard unused powder after 30 days.
Dispose of the entire pouch if moisture is introduced at any point.
Keep the scoop in a clean, dry place outside of the pouch between uses.
Do not use if the expiration date printed on the custom label has passed.

Guidelines for Rehydrating Milk

Don't Forget: Prior to milk preparation, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water.

1. Add water to bottle

Pour purified water into a pre-sterilised bottle following the directions on your pouch label. To prevent clumping, you may need to warm the water beforehand. If your baby is immune-compromised, premature, or younger than 3 months, seek advice from your healthcare provider or follow Australian Breast Feeding Association guidelines for water preparation.

The instructions provided on your personalised bag label ensure that the powder rehydrates to the original consistency of your breast milk. For bottles of varying sizes, add 4.4 grams of breast milk powder per 30ml of water (which is roughly equivalent to 1/2 AU tablespoon of powder, compact and level).

Remember to pour the water first and then add the powder.
- Too much water may not meet the nutritional needs of your baby.
- Too little water may cause your baby’s kidneys and digestive system to work too hard and may cause your baby to become dehydrated.
Warm the bottle by holding it under a stream of warm running water, ensuring water does not enter the bottle or touch the nipple. Alternatively, you can employ a bottle warmer, or place the sealed bottle in a bowl of warm water from a kettle, microwave, or stovetop. Avoid allowing the bottle nipple to come into contact with the water during warming.
Avoid using a microwave to heat a prepared breast milk bottle. Microwaving can lead to a loss of nutrients in the breast milk and create uneven heating, potentially causing hot spots that may scald a baby's mouth.

2. Add powder to bottle

We suggest propping the pouch open to facilitate pouring into the bottle. While pouring is the safest way to transfer the powder, if you're using only a portion, use a clean, dry measuring scoop.

3. Mix it up

Seal the bottle and give it a gentle swirl. Depending on the fat content, it might take a bit longer for the fats to dissolve. If any clumps persist, gently warm the bottle under running warm water (ensuring the nipple is covered) and continue swirling. If necessary, give it a shake.

If needed, you may have to use slightly warmer water to ensure the fats in the milk dissolve. However, be cautious as this may result in the milk being too hot for feeding. To use it immediately, cool the milk to a suitable temperature before giving it to your baby. Run the capped bottle under cool water or place it in an ice bath. Take care to prevent any cooling water from entering the bottle or touching the nipple.
Studies have indicated that heating breast milk to 38°C (100.4°F) — slightly above body temperature — can lead to the breakdown of its proteins. This emphasises the need for caution when rehydrating breast milk powder, as it may result in the loss of crucial immunologically active and digestive components that are beneficial for babies. For instance, enzyme activity, such as amylase (which breaks down carbohydrates) and lipase (which breaks down fats), starts to diminish at 40°C (104°F). Therefore, it's important to avoid overheating the milk during the preparation process.

4. Feed that hungry little one

Remember to ensure that the temperature is not too hot. Test the milk's warmth by placing a few drops on the inside of your wrist. It should feel comfortably warm, not hot.

Rehydration Table

The volumes provided are crucial for the accurate rehydration of your breast milk powder, ensuring the correct balance of nutrients and water.

Be sure to use a tightly packed and level scoop.

ADDITIONAL INFO

Adding To Solid Foods

Your breast milk powder can be added to solid foods even after weaning for an extra nutritional boost! Just sprinkle a bit onto your child's favorite dishes and mix it in. Here are some helpful tips:

Each 30g of frozen breast milk will yield approximately 3g (just over 1 teaspoon) of breast milk powder.
Ensure that the powder is thoroughly blended into the food to prevent any accidental inhalation.
After opening a bag of your breast milk powder, be sure to reseal the zipper tightly. If left unsealed, the powder can quickly absorb moisture, potentially leading to bacterial growth since your milk wasn't pasteurised during the freeze-drying process. Therefore, it's important to reseal the bag after opening and use the powder within 3 days.

About Your Bags

Every frozen lactation bag of breast milk you send to Nourishy transforms into an individual pouch of powdered milk. Upon receiving your milk, we document the initial volume of frozen milk in each lactation bag. The guidelines on the back of each powder-filled barrier bag you receive will specify the amount of water to add back to the breast milk powder. This process restores the milk to its original consistency. Keep in mind that the volume in your bottle will increase by approximately 10% once water is added to the powder.

Instruction Label Guide

Your name will appear here on the label

The amount of water to add back for a bottle prep (if using whole bag of powder) will appear here
*note that the total volume of the bottle will be about 10% larger than this once the water is added to the powder

If you recorded the date you pumped/froze your milk, it will appear here

The expiration date is three years from that date of freeze-drying

Any other notes you recorded on your bag will appear in this section - if you did not have anything written, it will be blank

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