How to Store Breast Milk

If you are returning to work or school, you can pump your milk while you are away from home.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Clean, sealable container

1. Pouring breastmilk into Medela storage bags. Store your freshly pumped or hand-expressed breast milk in a clean, sealed container.
2. OUTSIDE THE REFRIGERATOR, pumped or expressed milk will keep for 4 HOURS if it is cooler than 100*F. When possible, put the pumped or expressed milk in a cooler with an ice pack until it can be refrigerated. Breast milk may be kept in a cooler with an ice pack for up to 24 HOURS.
3. IN THE REFRIGERATOR, store the breast milk in the center of the refrigerator, not in the door. Use the fresh pumped or expressed milk within 5-8 DAYS. Freeze your pumped or expressed milk if it will not be used within 5 DAYS.
4. Storing breastmilk in the freezer. IN THE FREEZER, Frozen milk stored in a freezer compartment *inside* the refrigerator (often a small, dorm-sized fridge) will keep for up to 2 WEEKS. Frozen breast milk stored in the freezer compartment with a separate door will keep up to 3-4 MONTHS. Frozen milk stored in a separate deep freeze at a constant temperature of 0*F will keep for 6 MONTHS OR LONGER.
5. DEFROSTING FROZEN MILK: Defrost the frozen milk in the refrigerator or under warm running water. Do not defrost it in the microwave or boil it on the stove. Defrosted milk stored in the refrigerator must be used within 24 HOURS. Defrosted milk kept at room temperature should be used within 1 HOUR.

Tips & Warnings

• Breast milk will separate naturally - the milk is still good. Just swirl it gently to mix it.
• Do not refreeze defrosted milk.
• Throw away leftover breast milk after a feeding.