Someone recently pointed out to me that out of all the blogs on breastfeeding that I’ve done here at Families.com, I haven’t written anything about how to store breast milk! All I can say is: “What was I thinking?” Many mothers pump and store their milk in case of emergency, to help continue breastfeeding once mom goes back to work, or even because baby never took to the breast. In any case, for all you moms who pump or will be pumping here are guidelines that you can use for safely storing your breast milk.
I have taken the following information from the La Leche League Website. It is important to note that their guidelines are specifically for mothers who: have had full-term, healthy babies, are storing their milk for home use (as opposed to hospital use), wash their hands before expressing, and use containers that have been properly washed. If your baby is in the hospital, or if your pumping to donate your milk, you should follow hospital guidelines regarding breast milk storage which will be a little different than those listed here.
Storage Milk Guidelines
Human milk can be stored. . .
* At room temperature for up to 10 hours.
* In a refrigerator for up to 8 days.
* In the freezer for up to 3 to 4 months.
You should store your milk in. . .
*plastic or glass bottles with a well fitting lid
*plastic bags designed for storing breast milk (disposable bags are not recommended)
A Few More Tips
* Storing milk in 2-4 ounce containers will likely reduce waste.
* Date all milk as you put it in the freezer.
*Refrigerated milk has more anti-infective properties than does frozen milk.
How to Thaw Your Milk
As important as how you store your milk is how you thaw it. Thawing breast milk improperly destroys some of its immunological and nutritive properties. You can thaw frozen milk in warm water. (Put a the bottle of frozen milk under warm water until thawed.) You should never allow milk to boil and you should never attempt to thaw it in a microwave.
Related Articles:
Help! I Don’t Have Enough Milk!
Increasing Your Milk Supply Using Galactagogues