Guest Author - Jessica Gunsch

Pumping and storing your breast milk is a great way for you to continue to feed your child when you return to work or when you simply just need me time. Storing breast milk for these occasions is very simple when you understand its ‘shelf life’.

Surprisingly, breast milk can stay fresh at room temperature for up to ten hours; unlike what you would expect from a glass of cow’s milk. Just be careful that it is not to hot in the area. Room temperature is considered to be between 70 and 73 degrees Fahrenheit (21-23 degrees Celsius). The warmer the room, the less time the milk will stay safe enough to feed to your child.

Always use a breast pump and containers that are thoroughly washed with hot, soapy water or sterilized to prevent unnecessary contamination with bacteria. You can use milk storage bags, bottles and glass or plastic containers to safely store your breast milk.

In the refrigerator, breast milk can be kept for up to seven days. Similar to cow’s milk, breast milk will smell sour when it goes bad. It is normal for the contents of the stored milk to separate, appearing watery on top and thick and yellowish (fat) on the bottom. It does not mean that the milk has expired but it is a great visual example of how much fat breast milk is composed of. Gently shake the milk before feeding to return it to a normal consistency. If you find that you are not going to use the refrigerated milk you can move it to the freezer three days after it was first pumped.

Breast milk can also be frozen. An average home freezer will keep breast milk fresh for three to six months. It is important to keep the milk as far back in the freezer as possible because repeated opening of the freezer door can lessen the time that the milk stays good. If you are planning to use the milk in the near future it doesn’t matter where in the freezer the milk is kept.

If you have a stand alone freezer, breast milk can be safely stored for up to twelve months. Keep in mind however, that the composition of your breast milk changes as your child grows so the milk that you expressed a year ago may not be as appropriate for your child as what you expressed a month or a week ago.

Whenever you store your breast milk, it is important to label the container with the date of its expression. When you use your expressed milk always choose the earliest container so that you do not end up wasting precious milk. It is also important to never refreeze any thawed or leftover breast milk.