Breastmilk Protects
Breastfeeding protects your baby from many illnesses and infections.
Storing Breastmilk
Power Failure and Expressed Frozen Breastmilk
Guidelines for Breastmilk Storage |
|
| Room Temperature (at 60° for 24 hrs; 66° for 10 hrs; 79° 4-6 hrs) | |
| Refrigerator; fresh milk (32°-39° F or 0°-4° C) | 8 days maximum |
| Refrigerator; thawed milk (32°-39° F or 0°-4° C) | 24 hours |
| Freezer compartment inside refrigerator | 2 weeks |
| Freezer compartment above, below or next to refrigerator | 3-6 months |
| Deep freezer less than 0° F | 6-12 months |
| Insulated cooler / ice packs (60° F or 15° C) | 24 hours |
Defrosted milk can be safely refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Do not refreeze breastmilk. If your baby is ill or premature, talk with you doctor about storing your breastmilk.
Express milk into clear glass or plastic bottles or containers with caps. Freezer safe, plastic bottle liners may be used, but can’t be filled to the top, as they may split open when frozen. Label each container with your baby’s name, the date expressed and the number of ounces of milk. To avoid wasting breastmilk, store it in 2-4 ounce quantities per container. Small quantities thaw and warm up more quickly, and less milk will be left if your baby does not take it all. You may need to combine several containers of breastmilk to equal the number of ounces your baby needs for each feeding.
Refrigerate breastmilk. If no refrigerator is available, store with an ice pack or on ice until you are able to refrigerate or freeze it. Thaw frozen breastmilk under warm, running water or in a pan of warm water. Do not microwave breastmilk! Microwaving can destroy protective factors present in the breastmilk. Also, because microwaves do not heat evenly, hot spots form in the milk that might burn your baby’s mouth. Cooled, fresh breastmilk can be added to frozen breastmilk (one time only) as long as thawing does not occur. Return the milk to the freezer immediately.
Always wash your hands before expressing or handling breastmilk. Clean your breastpump and collection containers after each use to prevent germs from growing.