Guidelines for storing your breastmilk safely

Breastfeeding and pumping breastmilk so your baby can have the best nutrition available takes a lot of work. Let’s make sure all that work never goes to waste by following the CDC’s guidelines for properly storing breastmilk.

These are the factors you need to take into account when storing breastmilk: storage time, temperature, and storage location.

Human Milk Storage Guidelines (adapted from cdc.gov)

	Storage Location and Temperatures
Type of breastmilk	Countertop 25°C or colder (room temperature)	Refrigerator 4°C	Freezer -18°C or colder
Freshly expressed or pumped	Up to 4 hours	Up to 4 days	Within 6 months is best Up to 12 months is acceptable
Thawed, previously frozen	1–2 hours	Up to 1 day (24 hours)	NEVER refreeze human milk after it has been thawed
Leftover from a feeding (baby did not finish the bottle)	Use within 2 hours after the baby has finished feeding

Before expressing or handling breastmilk:

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• If using a pump, make sure the pump kit and tubing are washed and sterilized. Discard and replace moldy tubing immediately.

Storing breastmilk after expressing:

• Use breastmilk storage bags or clean, food-grade containers to store expressed breastmilk. Make sure the containers are made of glass or plastic and have tight-fitting lids.
  • Avoid bottles with the recycle symbol number 7, which indicates that the container may be made of a BPA-containing plastic.
• Never store breastmilk in plastic bags that are not intended for storing breastmilk as harmful chemicals may seep into the breastmilk from the plastic.
• See table above for guidelines on how long freshly expressed milk can be stored for.

Storage tips:

• Clearly label the breastmilk with the express date.
• Do not store breastmilk in the door of the refrigerator or freezer. This will help protect the breastmilk from temperature changes from the door opening and closing.
• If you are not going to use freshly expressed breastmilk within 4 days, freeze it right away. This will help to protect the quality of the breastmilk.
• When freezing breastmilk:
  • Store small amounts to avoid wasting milk that might not be finished. Store only the amount offered at one feeding.
  • Leave about some space at the top of the container because breastmilk expands as it freezes.
• If you send breastmilk to your child’s school, clearly label the container with the child’s name. Talk to the childcare provider about these guidelines for labelling and storing breastmilk.
• Breastmilk can be stored in an insulated cooler with frozen ice packs for up to 24 hours when you are travelling. At your destination, use the milk right away, store it in the refrigerator, or freeze it.

Safe thawing of breastmilk

• First in, first out; meaning: always thaw the oldest breastmilk first. Over time, the quality of breastmilk can decrease.
• This is how you can thaw your breastmilk:
  • In the refrigerator overnight.
  • Set in a container of warm or lukewarm water.
• Never thaw or heat breastmilk in a microwave. A microwave can destroy nutrients in breastmilk and create hot spots, which can burn a baby’s mouth.
• If you thaw breastmilk in the refrigerator, use it within 24 hours. Start counting the 24 hours when the breastmilk is completely thawed, not from the time when you took it out of the freezer.
• Once breastmilk is brought to room temperature or warmed, use it within 2 hours.
• Never refreeze breastmilk after it has thawed.

Feeding expressed breastmilk

• Breastmilk does not need to be warmed. It can be served room temperature or cold.
• If you decide to warm the breastmilk, here are some tips:
  • Keep the bag closed.
  • Place the bag into a bowl of warm, but not hot, water for a few minutes.
  • Test the milk’s temperature before feeding it to your baby by putting a few drops on your wrist.
  • Do not heat breastmilk directly on the stove or in the microwave.
• Swirl the breastmilk to mix the fat, which may have separated.
• If your baby did not finish the bottle, use the leftover milk within 2 hours after the baby is finished feeding. After 2 hours, leftover breastmilk should be discarded.

Safe cleaning of infant feeding items and pumping equipment:

Carefully clean, sanitize, and store pump equipment, baby bottles, and other feeding items to protect your breastmilk from contamination.

Now you know everything you need to know to store your breastmilk safely, and never waste a precious drop!

Happy feeding!