Breast Milk Storage Guidelines: How to Freeze and Thaw
There’s a reason that breast milk is called “liquid gold”-once you’ve gone to the trouble to pump milk for your little one, you won’t want to make sure you’re saving every last drop properly. Here are the guidelines on refrigerating and freezing pumped milk, as well as thawing and warming once frozen breast milk safely for your baby.
Breast milk can be stored both in a refrigerator or freezer, and because breast milk contains antibacterial properties, it can be left out at room temperature and fed to your baby within a few hours.
Tips for Handling Breast Milk:
- wash hands in hot soapy water
- gently pour milk into bag
- label the bag with the amount of milk pumped and the date with a sharpie marker
- store the oldest milk in the front of your refrigerator or freezer to make sure you use the oldest sooner
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the guidelines on breast milk storage are as followed:
Storing Breast Milk at Room Temperature
- store 4-8 hours
- use ice pack when traveling
Storing Breast Milk in the Refrigerator
- safe to store up to 4 days
- best to use within 1-2 days
Storing Breast Milk in the Freezer
- freeze 4-6 oz in bags
- freeze milk immediately after pumping
- safe to store for 3-6 months in freezer
- safe to store in deep freezer at zero degrees for 6-12 months
- Note: Lactation specialists and doctors will tell you that you can store breast milk for longer periods of time. The reason there is a variance in the months suggested is because to ensure that the breast milk retains all of its anti-bacterial and immunological properties, the quicker is it use the better.
Thawing and Warming Guidelines
- From Refrigerator
- take out milk to warm to room temperature or soak in warm water
- From Freezer
- defrost overnight in refrigerator or thaw in warm milk
