Labeling freezer bags
Why is labeling breastmilk bags so important?
DATE: when you pumped the milk is important! You will want to know how old the milk is as it sits in your freezer. According to the CDC frozen breastmilk is GOOD for 12 months but BEST if used within 6 months. Don’t forget the rule of FIFO (First In First Out) - always use the OLDEST milk FIRST!
VOLUME: when grabbing a bag to thaw, this will help you decide how many you need! If it’s just for one feeding, will one bag be enough or will you need to grab more than one? It’s no fun going back months later and having to guess how much you put in each bag!
TIME: according to research breastmilk pumped in the AM has higher levels of CORTISOL while breastmilk pumped in the PM has higher levels of MELATONIN. Labeling the bags with AM/PM can help you decide which bag to thaw for baby depending on the time of day baby will be eating it!*
*research studies show a possible impact on a baby’s sleep/wake cycle when fed milk from AM in PM and vice versa. However, many mamas will swear it doesn’t affect their baby’s sleep! Do what is best for you and your family. If it’s too much to track when the milk was pumped (AM/PM) you don’t have to! I never felt it affected my baby so I personally don’t worry about AM/PM milk and I often mix it!
Another important note:
If you think you may ever donate your breastmilk, the bags HAVE to be labeled with the date it was pumped otherwise it will not be accepted by the milk bank.
Study’s Cited:
