How Long Can Breast Milk Be Stored?

If you carefully washed your hand before pumpIng or expressing, your breastmilk will be safe for a few hours at room temperature, 68'F. Immediate refrigeration, however, is recommended. You can safely store human breast milk:

1. at room temperature (66-72°F, 19-22°C) for up to 10 hours
2. in a refrigerator (32-39°F, 0-4°C) for up to 8 days
3. in a freezer compartment inside a refrigerator (variable temperature due to the door opening frequently) for up to 2 weeks
4. in a freezer compartment with a separate door (variable temperature due to the door opening frequently) for up to 3 to 4 months.
5. in a separate deep freeze (0°F, -19°C) for up to 6 months or longer.

Defrosting and Thawing Breast Milk

To defrost frozen milk:

1. Place milk in refrigerator the night before you're going to use it. Refrigerator defrosting takes 12 hours.
2. Place the frozen milk under warm running water or in a pan of warm water. Don't use hot water, as this can destroy some of the milk's immunological components.
3. Fat in breastmilk will separate and rise to the top. By gently swirling the container, you can mix any fat that may have separated.
4. Never refreeze thawed breastmilk.
5. Remember, the color, consistency and odor of you breast milk may vary depending upon your diet.
6. Discard any breastmilk you don't use during a feeding.

Caution: Never microwave breastmilk! Microwaving breastmilk can change the milk's composition, and has the potential to burn your baby.

Is Freezing Breast Milk Safe?

While freezing and thawing breast milk is safe if done properly, freezing does destroy some of the immune properties in human milk. If you can avoid freezing, you should do so -- it's best if your baby is given fresh milk, breast milk that has been expressed and then refrigerated.