When hurricane season hits, hurricane preparedness for nursing moms in Houston becomes a critical part of ensuring your family’s safety. Hurricanes are a reality for those of us living in Houston, and they bring unique challenges for nursing moms and families. Not only do you need to think about your family’s safety, but you also have to consider how to keep your breast milk supply safe and accessible.
So, I went straight to the expert here in Houston, Michelle Fassell, an international board certified lactation consultant, certified educator in infant massage, and owner of Your Milk Story. Michelle and I discussed all things hurricane prep for nursing moms and families. Michelle provided so many great insights on how you can be better prepared for the next power outage. Whether you’re pumping, storing milk, or safeguarding your freezer stash, here’s how you can prepare.
1. Have a Plan for Pumping Without Power
When the power goes out, your electric pump may become unusable. Here’s how to prepare:
- Manual Pump: A manual breast pump is an essential backup. It’s small, doesn’t need electricity, and is easy to use in an emergency. Practice ahead of time so you are familiar with how it works.
- Rechargeable Breast Pump: Opt for a USB rechargeable breast pump if you prefer electric ones. You can easily charge it in your car or at any location with power. During Hurricane Beryl, some stores like HEB set up charging stations for customers to recharge their devices. Additionally, neighbors with generators might be willing to help you recharge your pump, ensuring you have continuous access to it during power outages.
- Hand Expression: Learn how to hand express milk. It’s a skill that can be invaluable if your pump isn’t available. As with all skills, practice ahead of time!
2. Keep Your Breast Milk Safe
To keep your breast milk cold during a power outage:
- Coolers and Ice Packs: Prepare coolers with ice packs or frozen water bottles before the storm. If the power goes out, transfer your milk to the cooler to keep it cold.
- Fill your freezer as much as possible. You can freeze water bottles and stack them inside. A fully packed and frozen freezer maintains the cold temperature better, keeping items frozen for a longer period. Plus, you’ll have extra water readily available if you need it.”
- Dry Ice: Dry ice can keep your freezer cold for longer. Handle it carefully, and place it on top of your milk storage, not directly in contact with the bags or containers.
- Thermal Bags: Use thermal bags for added insulation, especially if you need to transport milk.
3. Protecting Your Freezer Stash
Here’s how to safeguard your freezer stash:
- Freeze Ahead of Time: Freeze as much milk as possible before the storm hits. The more frozen your stash, the longer it will stay cold without power.
- Organize Your Freezer: Store breast milk in the coldest part of the freezer, typically in the back.
- Minimize Opening the Freezer: Keep the freezer door closed as much as possible during a power outage to prevent warm air from getting in.
4. Connect with Your Neighbors
Building strong relationships with your neighbors is one of the best ways to prepare for a hurricane:
- Get to Know Your Neighbors: Start connecting with your neighbors now. These relationships can be invaluable during a hurricane.
- Shared Resources: Your neighbors may have power, a generator, or extra storage space. They could be a place where you can charge your pump, use their freezer, or store your frozen milk. Neighbors can provide you with critical support when you need it most.
5. Know When to Use or Discard Breast Milk
Even with preparation, some milk may start to thaw:
- Partially Thawed Milk: If it’s still slushy or has ice crystals, it can be refrozen and used as soon as possible.
- Fully Thawed Milk: Use fully thawed breast milk within 24 hours. If you can’t use it within that time, it’s best to discard it.
- Fresh Breast Milk: Freshly expressed milk can stay unrefrigerated for 4 hours. However, Michelle states that “expressed milk from very clean pumps for older, healthy babies could go longer – up to 6-8 hours. If you smell it and it smells like sour milk, then it is bad.”
6. Plan for Safe Water Access
Water may become a scarce resource during a hurricane:
- Stock Up on Water: Keep bottled water on hand for washing pump parts and bottles.
- Sanitizing Wipes: Use sanitizing wipes designed for pump parts if water is limited.
7. If you are using formula
If you’re formula feeding at all, there are specific preparations you should make:
- Liquid, Ready-Made Formula: Have liquid, ready-made formula on hand. This type of formula doesn’t require water for preparation, making it a convenient option during power outages or if clean water is scarce. Michelle states “the ready-made formula with the bottle nipples attached will be easiest because it requires no water and no cleaning necessary.”
- Extra Bottled Water: During hurricane season, it’s wise to buy extra bottled water well before an impending hurricane. This ensures you’ll have a safe water supply for mixing formula and cleaning bottles.
8. Consider Donating to the Austin Milk Bank
For Houston moms, there’s an additional way to make sure your milk doesn’t go to waste:
Michelle states “The Mother’s Milk Bank at Austin is one of the largest milk banks in the USA, and we (Your Milk Story) are proud to be a depot that accepts milk from vetted donors. The donated milk is sent to Austin, where it is pasteurized at high temperatures and then distributed to NICUs in Texas and across the country. This milk is lifesaving for premature and/or sick infants.”
Did you know that Houston mothers can register ahead of time to donate to the milk bank? The registration process includes a screening, so it’s important to plan ahead. During the most recent hurricane in Houston, Hurricane Beryl, one mom, with the help of Michelle Fassel, donated her entire 600oz freezer stash to the milk bank when she lost power. Rather than let her milk go bad, she was able to help babies in the NICU! Although she wasn’t able to use the milk for her own baby, she found comfort knowing it was going to good use.
Even if you don’t plan on donating, registering as a donor can be a valuable backup plan during a hurricane. Plus, Your Milk Story, here in Houston, is a dispensary for excess pasteurized milk from the milk bank. Michelle says “Families in the Houston area can access up to 39 ounces of this milk (processing fees apply). I love that I can help so many babies and families with life-saving human milk!”
Final Thoughts
Living in Houston means being prepared for hurricanes is a must, especially when you’re nursing. By having a plan in place for power outages, safe milk storage, and even potential donations, you’re ensuring your baby gets the nourishment they need—even in the most challenging circumstances.
Stay safe, Houston parents, and remember: You’ve got this!
Kathryn Tipton, MA, LPC, PMH-C, is the co-founder of The Houston Center for Valued Living and a therapist specializing in reproductive mental health. Kathryn works with individuals experiencing infertility, pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond. She is certified in perinatal mental health and facilitates the twice-monthly free Houston Postpartum Peer Support Group. Through her work, Kathryn is dedicated to supporting families in navigating the challenges of parenthood with compassion and expertise.