Preparing a bottle with breastmilk that is frozen or partially frozen takes skill because it is so easy to spill. Over the past five months I have spilled a good bit of milk. Every time some misses the bottle I get a little jolt in my stomach and think, "Damn...wasted gold." Spilling isn't the only way to waste milk. I've left it out on the counter too long, made it too hot, too cold (which isn't actually wasteful but it is a pain in the rear), and I've not closed the zip all the way so when I put it back in the refrigerator it tips over and spills everywhere.
Today I had the biggest spill ever (12 ounces!), and I was determined not to waste it. I had already used milk from this bag once, but it was still mostly frozen. I needed to thaw it quickly and had a pot of scalding hot water ready. I remembered there was a hole in the bottom of the bag (which happens surprisingly often) and needed to put it in upside down. What I didn't remember was I had already started to open the bag and did not fully close it. I remembered this important bit of information just as I started turned the bag upside down, but it was too late. The entire block of icy milk fell into the scorching hot water.
I gasped. I was faced with a decision - to burn my hand or not to burn my hand. I knew I had to act quickly before it all melted into the water. I tossed it over in my mind a dozen times in a matter of seconds - do I save it or accept defeat...NEVER! In my head I chanted, "It will only hurt for a second. I will only hurt for a second. Just do it. Do it. DO IT!" I took a deep breath and dove my hand into the water, grabbed the block of milk as quickly as possible and dropped it into a bowl.
As soon as I dropped the milk into the bowl I ran cold water over my hand. It only hurt for a minute and no real damage was done. Most importantly, I saved the milk!
