Don't throw your milk away. It can be stored

Not many people know it, but you can express your breast milk and keep  it for 8-10 hours  at room temperature thanks to the fact that it has defence factors against germs. This is why a mother can easily express her milk at work and put it in a bottle or a special bag without having to keep it in the fridge or a cool box.

This is even the case when it is very hot, provided that the milk is not left in direct sunlight or close to a heat source. The important thing is to put it in the fridge as soon as you get home, where it can be kept for 72 hours (at a temperature between 0 and 4 degrees centigrade). It can also be frozen in a two-star freezer at a temperature of -12 degrees centigrade, and for up to a year in a freezer at -18 degrees centigrade.

- When milk is expressed, it is extremely important to ensure proper hygiene, carefully washing your hands and the container, which must be perfectly clean and fitted with an airtight lid. However, it is not necessary to ensure absolutely sterile conditions, as this is only recommended for premature babies.

- As soon as you close the container, it must be labelled with the date and time when it was expressed so that you can use your stock of milk in chronological order, always using the "oldest" first.

How do you express milk?

Either using a breast reliever or by placing your index finger and thumb around the edge of the areola and pressing gently inwards towards your ribs. You then express the milk by gradually squeezing your thumb towards your other fingers so that your fingertips gently press on the areola. You should see the first drops appearing. After expressing milk, which should be kept in the fridge or freezer, it is not necessary to wait a full three hours before feeding your baby.