Keeping Breast Milk Fresh: Tips for Freezing, Thawing, and Storing

TL;DR: Consider this your guide on storing breast milk covers freezing, thawing, and refrigerating to maintain freshness and nutritional integrity. Key tips include labeling with dates, safe thawing practices, and avoiding refreezing.

Breast milk is truly amazing.

Not only does it provide your baby with the nutrients and antibodies their little body needs, but it also has antibodies that can help the milk stay fresh and maintain many of its nutritional qualities when stored properly.

This is great news for parents who want to always have a bottle on hand to feed baby. Now, let’s take a closer look at how to store breast milk properly so you can ensure it stays fresh and safe for your little one.

Tips for Storing Breast Milk

As we said, breast milk has antibodies that can keep bacteria and viruses at bay. This is why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with many other experts, say that freshly expressed or pumped breast milk can be stored at room temperature for up to four hours.

When storing breast milk in the fridge or freezer, it can last even longer. 

Here are some general tips to keep in mind when storing your breast milk:

• Make sure to write the date on your milk before storing it. This makes it easier to follow the first in, first out rule (using the oldest milk first).

• Storing milk in 2-4 ounce (60 to 120 ml) amounts may help reduce waste, according to the La Leche League.

• You can store breast milk in storage bags or clean, food-grade containers, including feeding bottles, that are designed for storing breast milk. However, you should avoid plastic bottles or bags with the number 3 or 7 recycling symbol.

• Leave an inch of space in your containers to account for the milk to expand when it freezes.

• Always wash your hands before expressing or handling breast milk.

How to Store Breast Milk in The Fridge

Breast milk can be stored in the fridge for up to four days or in an insulated cooler for up to 24 hours. Since freshly expressed or pumped breast milk can be left out at room temperature for up to four hours, you can refrigerate it anywhere in that time frame. That being said, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends chilling it as soon as possible to help it keep its nutritional value.

It’s also important to store the breast milk in the back of the refrigerator where the temperature is the most consistent. Don’t store it in the door of the fridge or any drawers that are constantly being opened.

How to Warm Up Breast Milk

How to warm up breast milk that has been refrigerated is fairly easy. Simply place the bag or bottle in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes or hold it under warm running water. Verywell Family emphasizes that you should avoid heating breast milk in the microwave or on the stove because it can heat the breast milk unevenly, leading to hot spots that could potentially burn your baby. And overheating breast milk can destroy the valuable nutrients it contains.

Warming up refrigerated breast milk with warm water is the best way to get it to room temperature. By warming it slowly, you can better get the temperature to where you want it to be without compromising the milk’s nutritional value.

How Long Does Breast Milk Last After Warming?

After warming breast milk, it’s important to give it to your child right away. Warmed milk should be used within two hours and not refrigerated or frozen again. If you happen to have spare, already warmed breast milk, there are tons of other creative and beneficial uses, so it won’t go to waste!

That’s because warmed breast milk spoils faster than chilled breast milk. Remember, breast milk doesn’t have to be warmed for your baby to enjoy it! You can serve room-temperature breast milk to your baby.

How to Freeze and Defrost Breast Milk

Storing your milk in the freezer can keep it safe for upwards of three to six months. You can keep breast milk in a standard freezer for up to six months, making sure it’s stored in the back of the freezer and not on the door or sides where the temperature can fluctuate.

How Long is Frozen Breast Milk Good For?

You can store breast milk in a deep freezer for up to 12 months since the milk is kept at an even lower temperature. That’s right, frozen breast milk is good for up to a year when it is stored properly!

Again, it’s best to freeze breast milk right away if you know you want to store it for longer periods of time. You don’t need to let your breast milk cool before freezing it.

Can You Freeze Refrigerated Breast Milk

Yes!

As long as it’s within the four-day time frame, you can definitely freeze milk after it’s been in the fridge.

Can I Refreeze Thawed Breast Milk?

No!

We understand this might be confusing, but you should never refreeze thawed breast milk.

La Leche League explains that refreezing breast milk may introduce further breakdown of nutrients and increase the risk of bacterial growth. Though there’s still limited research on this, it’s the accepted practice by most experts to never refreeze thawed milk.

How to Thaw Frozen Breast Milk

When it comes time to thaw your frozen breast milk, there are a couple ways you can go about it:

How to Defrost Breast Milk in the Fridge

This method is the safest as it keeps the milk at a constant, safe temperature and minimizes the risk of bacterial growth.

Simply place the frozen breast milk in the refrigerator for overnight thawing. Then, you can warm it up if you want to.

How to Defrost Breast Milk in Warm Water

For quicker thawing, place the sealed bag or bottle of frozen milk in a container of warm or lukewarm water. This method gently thaws the milk and reduces the risk of overheating. You can also hold the bag or bottle under warm running water, gradually increasing the temperature until the milk is thawed.

Again, you should never use a microwave, stove top, or boiling water to thaw frozen breast milk. This can destroy nutrients and run the risk of raising the temperature to a point that could burn your baby’s mouth.

Whenever you warm up refrigerated or frozen milk you may notice that it has separated. It is completely normal for the milk to separate the liquid from the fat. Simply shaking or swirling the milk should combine the cream with the milk before feeding.

How Long is Thawed Breast Milk Good For?

You safely thaw your frozen breast milk and have it ready for baby to enjoy…but what happens if they don’t finish their bottle?

A good rule of thumb is that thawed breast milk should be used within 24 hours if it’s kept in the refrigerator. If you thaw it at room temperature, it should be used within an hour or two. This time frame is important because after thawing, bacteria can begin to grow if the milk is not used promptly.

If you realize the milk has been in the fridge longer than a day or at room temperature for more than two hours, it should be thrown out. Again, do not refreeze your breast milk!

Tips to Avoid Wasting Breast Milk

We know that throwing out unused breast milk can be discouraging, but it’s ultimately best for your baby’s health in these cases. The best way to avoid these scenarios is by planning ahead and thawing only the amount of milk you anticipate your baby will need for the next feeding or the next 24 hours.

You should also consider labeling bottles or bags with the date and time when the milk was thawed (in addition to when it was pumped). This will help you keep track of its freshness and ensure it is used within a safe time frame.

Starting Your Breastfeeding Journey?

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