Power Outages and Pumping
This frigid weekend we’ll likely have a power outage. Whether breast or bottle, plan ahead for the emergency.
Share this with anyone who takes care of your child.
Breastfeeding is the easiest, most convenient and nutritious way to feed your baby. For many reasons, babies are also fed by bottle or cup. The main concern is keeping things clean.
Contaminated water or food can lead to diarrhea in babies. In a day or two, diarrhea can lead to dehydration. That requires medical attention.
Avoid diarrhea by maintaining clean water and food.
Always wash your hands first. For pumping during power outage, plan ahead:
• Have your pump fully charged.
• Have extra batteries/charger ready.
• Have a manual pump.
• Review hand expression. You only need your hands and a clean jar with a lid.
Use the expressed milk in your freezer. Open the fridge or freezer only when necessary. Or store things outside when it’s cold, it will stay frozen there!
Breast milk can be stored:
Room temperature 4-6 hours
Refrigerator 4-6 days ( This could be on indoor porch on a cold day.)
Freezer for 6 months or more (depending on the freezer). (This could be outside.)
Frozen milk that has partially thawed though still has crystals in it is still frozen, it’s good.
Feeding by bottle, breast milk or formula:
It’s important to clean all the parts of the pump, bottle and nipple.
Have a stash of clean water, several gallons. (Your clean tap water in a clean container is fine.) This is for drinking water, too. Use sanitizing wipes to clean items. Air dry the items. A towel for drying might have contaminants on it.
Feeding by cup is safer. Cups are easier to clean. They don’t have corners where bacteria can grow.
If you’re using formula, ready-made is safer than powdered formula. That’s the liquid in the can. It’s sterile and does not need to be mixed with water. This is important when clean water isn’t available and you can’t boil water.
Always check the expiration date on all formulas. Toss out any that has expired.
Always discard leftovers in the bottle. The baby’s mouth bacteria can grow in the leftover formula.
Briefly, the safest ways to feed your baby are:
• Breastfeeding or expressed breast milk.
• An open cup is easier to clean than bottles and nipples.
• Ready Made formula is sterile, no mixing with water.
Planning ahead for an emergency, you can avoid the problems of diarrhea and dehydration. This makes things a little easier during a power outage.