storing & heating breast milk
Building Up a Store of Breast Milk
If you are expressing because you are going back to work the best advice is to plan ahead and start building up your own bank of milk by expressing once or twice a day and storing the breast milk in the freezer. By expressing at the same time every day, maybe first thing in the morning when you are at your fullest, you will increase your milk supply, so that you can feed your baby and express some to be stored. Try to express to match your baby's feeding pattern and try to avoid getting too full. Ensure that your milk is stored in sterile containers inside a cool bag, and put it in the fridge or freeze it when you get home. Remember breastfeeding mothers have special rights at work, including a time and place to express.
Storing Your Breast Milk
Expressed breast milk can be stored in various ways depending on when you are intending on feeding your baby with it. When storing your breast milk always use a clean, sterilised container that is clearly labelled with the date and time of expression so you can use the oldest milk first. Depending on where you look, advice varies on how to store your breast milk. As a general guideline, follow ‘ The Rule of 6’s’
- Ambient room temperature – approx 6 hours
- 6 hours Fridge (0 – 4C) – 6 days
- Freezer (-18C or lower) – 6 months
- If you express more than once a day, you can combine amounts in the same pot.
- You will notice that stored milk separates out into layers. Shake to remix thoroughly before feeding.
- When freezing milk, allow space at the top of the bottle for expansion. It is easiest to freeze milk in individual feed quantities of 60-125ml (2-4ozs)
- To thaw frozen milk, place it in the fridge or leave at room temperature. It can also be defrosted by standing in lukewarm water.
- Do NOT microwave it! Even though you may be tempted or in a hurry, microwaving your breast milk can cause ‘hot spots’ and burn your baby’s mouth. It also destroys the protective properties found in breastmilk, therefore your baby will not benefit from your milk.
- If the milk has been defrosted in the refrigerator but not warmed, it can be stored in the fridge (but not re-frozen) for another 24 hours.
- If it has been thawed outside the fridge, it can be kept in the fridge (but again not re-frozen) for another 4 hours.
- If you want to take expressed milk with you when you are out, make sure it stays cold or frozen until needed.
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Throw away any leftover milk after a feed.
| Method of storing milk | Use within | REMEMBER |
| Without refrigeration | Approx 6 hours | In a room of ambient temperature (less than 25 degrees Celsius) |
| Refrigerated only | 6 days | Store milk in main part of fridge, never in the door |
| Refrigerated before freezing | 24 hours | Never refreeze breast milk |
| Once frozen | 6 months | Once defrosted, the milk should be kept in the fridge and used within 12 hours |
| Refreezing | NEVER | Throw away any leftover milk after a feed |
Heating Breast Milk
Thaw frozen milk in the fridge or by standing the bottle in lukewarm water until it has reached body temperature.
- NEVER heat milk in a microwave as this produces localised hot spots
- NEVER boil breast milk as this will destroy valuable nutrients in the milk
Heating Breast Milk In A Bottle
Stand bottle in a jug of warm water or if you are out and about the closer to nature® travel bottle warmer is ideal. Warming Breast Milk in a Collect and Protect™ Milk Pot Place the Collect and Protect™ Milk Pot in a closer to nature® bottle filled with warm water.
