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Breastfeeding Questions and Answers
1) Can I add freshly expressed breast milk to frozen breast milk?
2) If I drink alcohol how long do I have to wait before breastfeeding?
3) When I drink alcohol do I need to express before I breastfeed to get rid of the alcohol?
4) My baby sleeps through the night, will this effect my milk supply?
5) Will alcohol make my baby tired?
6)How long can I keep my unfrozen breast milk?
7) Is it ok if my toddler drinks colostrum?
8) Why is my baby refusing only one of my breasts?
9) Can smoking change the taste of breast milk?
10) Is it dangerous to feed while pregnant?
11) How do I know when my breast is empty?
12) Why does my thawed breast milk look funny?
13) Why is my breast milk is watery?
14) How long after expressing will my breasts fill up
15) Can I express from both breasts at once?
16) Can warming breast milk in a microwave damage my baby?
17) Can I put my expressed breast milk in the fridge or freezer once used?
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1) Can I add freshly expressed breast milk to frozen breast milk?
No, put the fresh milk in the fridge until it is cold and then add it. Adding it while it is warm will melt some of the frozen milk may allow bacteria to grow.
2) If I drink alcohol how long do I have to wait before breastfeeding?
The general rule is 2 hours per standard drink. It works the same as your blood alcohol level. Keep in mind that your body weight, if yu have been eating whilst drinking alcohol and how much water you have been drinking in between drinks can all have an impact.
3) When I drink alcohol do I need to express before I breastfeed to get rid of the alcohol?
No, alcohol in your breast milk works much the same as alcohol in your blood, you can't express it out. You simply have to wait for it to wear off.
4) My baby sleeps through the night, will this effect my milk supply?
Some mums find that their milk supply does suffer if their baby begins to sleep through the night. Others find that their body just balances it all out, so that it makes the newer or lesser amount that their baby is demanding. You can always express once a night or offer your baby more feeds during the day if it is a concern for you.
5) Will alcohol make my baby tired?
Babies that have had alcohol through breast milk are generally more tired and sleepy but they tend to wake often during that sleeping session.
6)How long can I keep my unfrozen breast milk?
It depends on how it was defrosted. If defrosted in the fridge and it stays at fridge temperature you can keep it for 24 hours, if left on the bench you can keep it for 4 hours.
7) Is it ok if my toddler drinks colostrum?
In most cases tes, it may have a laxative effect but when you wean your body goes back to making colostrum so it's likely that your toddler would drink it at some point anyway.
8) Why is my baby refusing only one of my breasts?
Your baby may have pain on one side of his or her body. Ear infections are a common cause of breast refusal.Sometimes babies simply prefer one breast over the other. A breastfeeding counsellor or lactation consultant may be able to help with your specific situation.
9) Can smoking change the taste of breast milk?
Yes.
10) Is it dangerous to feed while pregnant?
If you have no history of miscarriage or preterm labour after 20 weeks then there is no evidence to suggest that breastfeeding while pregnant is dangerous.
11) How do I know when my breast is empty?
Your breast is never truly empty as such. Buy you can try hand expressing to see if any milk comes out and to see the consistency of the milk. If it is thick and white then what you are looking at is hind milk. Hind milk usually comes out towards the end of a feed. It's the rich, fatty, nutrient rich milk. So if your expressing hind milk, your breast feels empty, your baby had a good feed and has come off satisfied; then your breast has probably been well drained.
12) Why does my thawed breast milk look funny?
Breast milk usually cools and freezes into layers. You'll see a thin watery looking layer on top and a thicker whiter looking milk at the bottom. These are called fore milk and hind milk. When frozen breast milk is defrosted it may look like it has white flakes floating in or on top of it. That's perfectly normal, it's just the fat that has clumped together...there is nothing wrong with your milk.
13) Why is my breast milk watery?
When breastfeeding the consistency of your breast milk changes throughout a breastfeed. The first part of your breast milk is watery and thirst quenching, it's called fore milk. The milk that comes out towards the end of a feed is hind milk, it's rich, fatty and full of nutrients.
14) How long after expressing will my breasts fill up?
This is different for everyone, but after 20 minutes may women find that they are able to experience another let down (or milk flow). If you expressing in 20 minute intervals and you find that this isn't the case for you don't feel discouraged, try again in an hour or two.
15) Can I express from both breasts at once?
Yes you can. Some electric and battery operated breast pumps come with a double pump so that you can attach one pump to each breast. You can also breastfeed and express at the same time. This actually helps you take advantage of the let down reflex (milk flow) that your baby has brought on for you.
16) Can warming breast milk in a microwave damage my baby?
Warming breast milk in a microwave will actually kill most of the antibodies and nutrients in the breast milk. Try warming it by sitting it in some warm to hot water instead, and it doesn't have to be too warm, most mums find that room temperature is fine.
17) Can I put my expressed breast milk in the fridge or freezer once used?
No. Once your baby has started a bottle of breast milk anything that remains will have to be thrown out. It can be heartbreaking I know, so you may like to try offering it in small quantities of about 20mls to reduce wastage.
Please always remember to consult your health professional to find out information that is relevant to your specific situation.
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