78. Everything you need to know about freeze drying your breastmilk – Kayleigh Harrigan

It seems suddenly everyone is talking about having their breast milk freeze dried. But why, exactly? What are the perks? And most importantly, is it safe? This article will provide you with everything you need to know about the trending #momhack from its usage, its history, the research and everything in between.

What is freeze-drying?

Freeze-drying is a preservation technique that gently removes water from perishable items, rendering them shelf-stable and prolonging shelf-life. Unlike dehydrating, freeze-drying relies on very low heat which makes it a perfect solution for preserving bioactive and living substances like breastmilk, pharmaceuticals and pre- and probiotics that would otherwise be damaged if exposed to high temperatures.

The process of freeze drying is a delicate one that requires precise control of both temperature and pressure and takes several hours to complete. Put simply, the freeze-drying breastmilk procedure looks something like this:

• The frozen milk is placed inside a vacuum chamber, wherein the pressure is reduced to a very low level. This causes the frozen water in the breastmilk to turn into water vapor.
• The water vapor is then removed from the chamber through a process called sublimation, which involves heating the water vapor to a temperature above its freezing point.
• After the water vapor has been removed, the milk is left in the form of a dry powder that can be stored at room temperature and lasts for several years.

Benefits of freeze-drying breast milk

When it comes to preserving liquid gold, this meticulous process is well worth it, because freeze drying locks in nutritional properties and protects calories, proteins, fats, antioxidants and even human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) that can be impacted over time when frozen. And, the CDC states that breastmilk should only be stored in the freezer for up to a year, whereas freeze drying triples its longevity and is good for a minimum of 3 years.

In addition to the nutritional benefits and impressive shelf-life, freeze drying makes breast milk a lot easier to work with compared to frozen milk (think infant formula but made from your own breast milk!). For one, breast milk powder takes up a fraction of the space and most companies that offer this service package it into convenient, single-serving sachets that streamline portion control. This means that it can be tossed into a diaper bag and you can be on your way, without the hassle of having to defrost or estimate how much baby will eat that day (anyone who’s ever attempted to send an appropriate amount of milk to daycare rejoice!). What’s more, freeze drying your breast milk can really simplify traveling with your little one! No more lugging around coolers or heavy gel-packs, you can keep your breast milk powder in your carry-on and just add water to rehydrate it when baby is ready to eat!

History

For most people, freeze-drying conjures up nostalgic images of the “Space Race” and astronaut ice cream. The story here is that traveling all the way to the moon meant longer missions so NASA needed to find a way to feed its crews and didn’t want our national heroes enjoying their meals exclusively in tube format. So, scientists turned to freeze-drying, because freeze-dried meals require no refrigeration and retain much of the food’s original flavor, texture and nutritional profile.

It’s uncertain if it was the aforementioned practical advantages that sold them, but children everywhere were also very interested in eating like astronauts and prompted a national freeze-dried ice cream craze. In fact, the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center continues to sell freeze dried ice cream sandwiches in its gift shop to this day! The jury is out whether or not freeze-dried ice cream was really on the menu in space, but freeze-dried foods are definitely a mainstay in orbit both then and now.

Although the concept may sound space-age, even then the freeze drying process was not new. In fact, there is evidence to suggest that the Inca peoples practiced an early form of freeze drying to preserve their harvests as early as the 15th century! Their crops were stored high on mountaintops, where frigid temperatures would freeze the food solid and the surrounding low atmospheric pressure would slowly vaporize its water content.

More recently, freeze-drying was implemented during the Second World War when blood and other medical supplies were needed overseas. American scientists needed to come up with a way to get these precious materials to Europe without refrigeration and turned to freeze-drying to get the job done.

Current applications and safety

Fast-forward to today – we are in a era of formula shortages; climate change is producing unpredictable weather patterns, natural disasters and power outages; consumers are down-sizing and don’t have room for a second chest freezer and the AAP has recently changed their guidelines to recommend breast milk for a minimum of 2 years – it is no wonder parents are turning to freeze drying to protect their hard earned liquid gold. Thankfully, there is a large amount of peer-reviewed research detailing the safety and efficacy of freeze drying and many milk banks around the world are already freeze drying donor milk because it is easier to use, store and transport compared to frozen milk.

In terms of safety, rehydrated freeze dried breastmilk should be treated with the same love and care as previously frozen milk. Rehydrated milk can be stored in the fridge for 24 hours, or used within 2 hours from when baby starts eating it, as bacteria from baby’s saliva can be introduced into the milk via the bottle. It is also important to use the correct water to powder ratios as set out by the company that freeze dries your milk to ensure that the milk is rehydrated to its original consistency.

In closing, freeze dried breast milk has the potential to revolutionize the way in which we feed our babies, bridging the gap between the convenience of formula and the individualized nutrition of breastmilk.

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Kayleigh Harrigan is the CEO and founder of {m}othership milk, as well as a birth worker, student midwife and mama. In February ‘22, Kayleigh gave birth to her first child and her family decided to leave Los Angeles and relocate to small-town Michigan to be closer to family. Because of the difficulties with transporting her frozen breast milk across the country, Kayleigh opted to donate her frozen stash to another local mama. Once settled in Michigan, a friend who exclusively pumped asked for weaning tips, because “it was either that or buy a third chest freezer!” These two instances, coupled with her extensive experience working directly with breastfeeding families sent Kayleigh down the rabbit-hole in search of a way to simplify infant feeding without compromising on the myriad benefits of human milk. Her research led her to freeze drying and {m}othership milk was born and built, all with a baby attached to her breast. To learn more about freeze drying breastmilk, please visit https://mothership-milk.com and on Instagram @mothership_milk