There is no published evidence to support that shaking actually damages breast milk when compared to swirling. Many of the issues identified with shaking are better described as myths, and simply do not hold up when the actual shear forces are calculated.
Should I swirl or shake breast milk? Breast milk will separate because it is not homogenized, meaning the cream will rise to the top. Before feeding, gently swirl the container to mix the cream back through. Do not shake vigorously however as this breaks up the proteins which are so vital for baby's gut lining.
Swirl the breast milk to mix the fat, which may have separated.
Shaking creates lots of air bubbles mixing with the milk that will end up in your baby's tummy. You want to minimize bubbles as much as possible. Try mixing the formula in a separate container so you can stir with a spoon and make sure it's fully dissolved.
Fats especially will float, forming a thick layer of cream on top. Most commercially available milk is homogenized under high pressure and this prevents separation. Mixing the milk by shaking is a crude and less effective way to breakup fat globules in an attempt at homogenizing it.
Shaking Formula
While Dr. Brown's bottles are designed to help remove air, shaking the bottle can do more than just add in extra air bubbles and pressure; it can actually shake up a leak from the bottle collar.
It's best to defrost frozen breast milk slowly in the fridge before giving it to your baby. If you need to use it straight away, you can defrost it by putting it in a jug of warm water or holding it under running warm water. Once it's defrosted, give it a gentle shake if it has separated.
If your baby is having green diapers every day, you can easily resolve the foremilk/hindmilk separation by briefly massaging and jiggling your breasts before latching. Studies have found combining massage with pumping or breastfeeding actually increases the fat content of the breastmilk.
Milk is naturally bubbly when shaken, whether we're talking about breast milk or cow's milk. This is due to the protein content, or lipase, present. The more lipase your breast milk has, the bubblier it may appear as your pumped bottle fills up (especially when combined with a forceful letdown).
Shaken baby syndrome is a type of brain injury that occurs when a baby or toddler is shaken violently. This can cause swelling, bruising and bleeding in and around their brain. Shaken baby syndrome may damage a child's eyes, neck and spine as well. Another name for the condition is abusive head trauma.
Fresh breastmilk contains the most active anti-infective properties, followed by refrigerated breastmilk, and then frozen breastmilk. Unrefrigerated fresh milk may be left at room temperature of 77°F (25°C). But it must be used within 4 hours.
Stored breast milk tends to separate into layers, with the fat (cream) rising to the top. Gently swirl the bottle to mix the layers before feeding your baby. Vigorous stirring or shaking can damage some of the milk's nutritional and protective components.
Because fat is less dense than water, fat naturally separates and rises to the top of milk when it is not homogenized – while not harmful to have a layer of cream on the top of your milk, most people prefer homogenized milk.
For breastfed babies, gas might be caused by eating too fast, swallowing too much air or digesting certain foods. Babies have immature GI systems and can frequently experience gas because of this. Pains from gas can make your baby fussy, but intestinal gas is not harmful.
So what can cause gas in your baby? Anything that could cause your baby to swallow air: This includes crying, sucking a pacifier and eating from either the breast or a bottle. A forceful letdown: If you're nursing and have an oversupply of milk, your baby may take in too much milk at one time and swallow air.
In an average fifteen to twenty minute breast milk pumping session, most moms express between . 5 ounces and four ounces of breast milk total. Some moms called “superproducers” are able to express four to eight ounces of breast milk per pumping session, but that is definitely not standard.
Breast compressions are a way of helping your baby to get a stronger flow of milk by gently squeezing and compressing your breast. Breast compressions can keep your baby actively sucking so they can remove more milk from your breasts. This helps to increase your milk supply.
Is watery breast milk good for your baby? In a word, yes. Both fatty milk and watery/less fatty milk are good for your baby, and it's important that your baby gets both. (Think about when you're eating a meal – most of the time, you want both substance to fill you up and a drink to stay hydrated.
Tap water is usually safe, but contact your local health department if you are not sure. Shake infant formula in the bottle to mix. Do not stir. You do not need to warm infant formula before feeding.
Mixing freshly expressed breast milk with already cooled or frozen milk is not advised because it can rewarm the older stored milk. It is best to cool freshly expressed milk before combining it with older, previously cooled or frozen milk. It is also important to consider storage duration guidelines for breast milk.
It is not safe to reuse breast milk that has been left out longer than 2 hours. Dispose of it if this is the case. Breast milk should never be re-refrigerated or re-frozen.
Breast milk contains antibodies that can fight infection. Those antibodies are present in high amounts in colostrum, the first milk that comes out of the breasts after birth. However, there are antibodies in breastmilk the entire time a mother continues to nurse.