I don't have it in front of me now, but I got the majority of my info from
the HMBANA recommendations (haven't seen the newest reissue).

We do instruct moms to freeze the milk they pump at home and bring it in an
insulated container, preferably with a freezer gel like Blue Ice. It's
100+F outside now, so plastic bags with ice cubes don't cut it - and
usually don't, even in our winters.

The break-even point is 50%-50% slush. More liquid than ice = put it in the
refrigerator and use it for the next feeds. More ice than liquid = okay to
refreeze. When in doubt, refrigerate it & use it ASAP.

If completely defrosted, we don't accept it because we can't be sure how
long it's been out of the freezer, & the temp of the surrounding air. It's
+/-105F now in our Sonoran Desert summer and many of our babies' parents
don't have air conditioned cars, or ride for an hour or two in city busses.
Too risky for NICU babies.

Phyllis


>
> I am an RN, IBCLC in a level 3 NICU.  We are having trouble finding
> research to support thawing of EBM for our babies.  The controversy is
> when to time it as "thawed".   The dietician says it should be labeled as
> thawed when it is removed from the freezer and placed in the
> refrigerator.  I disagree because it can be several hours before it is
> even partially thawed if it is a large sample, and these hours in the
> refrigerator while all or mostly frozen count towards the 24 hours that
> thawed milk may be used.  Does anyone out there know of any guidelines for
> calling milk thawed? How do you handle this in your hospitals?  Any help
> you can give me would be appreciated.
> Jan Record,
> Indianapolis, Indiana
>
>              ***********************************************



--- Phyllis Adamson, IBCLC, RLC
--- Glendale, AZ, USA
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