Breast Milk Storage Rules
Expressing breast milk can allow a nursing mother to leave her baby for short periods. Proper storage techniques are essential to help maximize the quality of the milk and protect the baby's health.
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Storage Containers
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Plastic bags manufactured specifically for freezing breast milk are best. Since they are specially designed for use in freezers, these bags are less likely to split when frozen than are regular disposable bottle liners.
Room Temperature Storage
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Breast milk can be kept up to six hours at room temperatures below 78 degrees F. The milk should be used at the next feeding or discarded after that time if it cannot be refrigerated or frozen.
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Refrigerator Storage
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At temperatures between 39 and 32 degrees F, breast milk can be refrigerated for up to five days. Unused refrigerated breast milk should be transferred to a freezer at that point or discarded.
Freezer Compartment Storage
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In freezers that operate from 31 to 5 degrees F, such as in combination refrigerator/freezer units, breast milk can be stored for up to two weeks. Thawed breast milk should be kept refrigerated and used within 24 hours and should never be re-frozen.
Refrigerator Freezer with Separate Door
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Freezers that maintain temperatures from 4 to 0 degrees F will keep properly packaged breast milk fresh for up to six months.
Deep Freezer
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Breast milk stored in a subzero freezer will stay usable for up to a year.
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