Breast milk storage tips
Monday, August 30th, 2010 by:I’m afraid to eat anything that’s been in my fridge for over a few days so judging the “freshness” of pumped breast milk made me worry more than I should. I’m certain I threw out more than my share of good milk before I did my research.
As a general rule, breast milk will keep for:
Room temperature: 4-6 hours
Cooler with ice packs: 24 hours
Fridge: 3-8 days
Refrigerator Freezer: 3-6 months*
Deep Freeze: 6-12 months*
*once thawed use within 24 hours
Also some good breast milk storage tips include:
- Store breast milk in disposable freezer bags or collection bottles in two- to five-ounce portions.
- Liquid expands when frozen so leave a little extra space in your container.
- It’s normal for breast milk to vary in colour and consistency and for stored milk to separate into layers. Shake breast milk before serving to your baby.