Milk Storage Guidelines

Maximum Storage Times:

Freshly pumped milk is safe at room temperature: 6 hours

Milk stored in the fridge: Up to 8 days

Milk stored in the freezer: 6 -12 months

Milk in the freezer will never “go bad” if stored properly. It just loses potency over time the longer it is frozen.

Milk thawed from the freezer should be consumed within 24 hours

Once there is saliva exchange when offering a bottle, the breastmilk should be consumed within a 2-hour. The formula must be consumed within 1 hour of saliva exchange in a bottle.

Best way to freeze milk:

Lay flat to freeze for easier storage and quicker thawing

Use breastmilk storage bags or silicone reusable storage bottles/bags

Put the date on the bag before freezing

If combining milk from different days, date it with the oldest expressed milk date

The best way to thaw milk:

In the fridge overnight

On the counter in a bowl of water

Hold under the faucet with running water

Try to avoid extreme changes in temperatures

Every time the milk changes temperature, the quality degrades a little bit. It isn’t going to be bad or make the baby sick; it just loses some potency.

Save all milk for milk baths or make breastmilk bath bombs if milk is unsafe for consumption.

Label it as a milk bath only when freezing.

Freeze in silicone ice cube trays, then pop out and store in freezer bags for breastmilk bath bombs.

Still, trying to figure out whether milk is safe for consumption? Label it, and then reach out to your IBCLC to check before discarding it.

(ABM Protocol #8)