How long expressed milk

Freeze breast milk if you will not be using it within 24 hours. Breast milk expands as it freezes, so do not fill the milk all the way to the top of the storage container. Again store the milk in the back of the freezer, not the door. To thaw breast milk from the freezer: Put the bottle or bag in the refrigerator overnight, hold it under warm running water, or set it in a container of warm water. Remember that heating breast milk in microwaves is not safe. Once breast milk is thawed: It can be stored in a refrigerator and must be used within 24 hours.

We know breast milk storage can be confusing, so here is a more conservative approach that you can also go by and easily remember : 4 hours at room temperature and 4 days in the refrigerator! Editor's Note: Although these breast milk storage guidelines are appropriate for babies born premature and those who are hospitalized, hospitals may have their own rules.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding as the sole source of nutrition for your baby for about 6 months. When you add solid foods to your baby's diet, continue breastfeeding until at least 12 months.

You can continue to breastfeed after 12 months if you and your baby desire. She is the co-author of The Pediatrician's Guide to Feeding Babies and Toddlers , a comprehensive manual written by a team of medical, nutrition, and culinary experts.

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Turn on more accessible mode. Turn off more accessible mode. See more conditions. Healthy Lifestyle Infant and toddler health. Products and services. Breast milk storage: Do's and don'ts Breast milk storage can be confusing. By Mayo Clinic Staff. Thank you for Subscribing Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information. Please try again. Something went wrong on our side, please try again. Show references Your guide to breastfeeding. Office on Women's Health.

Accessed Feb. Pumping and storing breastmilk. Gleason CA, et al. In: Avery's Diseases of the Newborn. Elsevier; Eglash A, et al. ABM clinical protocol 8: Human milk storage information for home use for full-term infants, revised Breastfeeding Medicine.

Gao C, et al. Changes to breast milk fatty acid composition during storage, handling and processing: A systematic review. Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids.

Steel C. Best practices for handling and administration of expressed human milk and donor human milk for hospitalized preterm infants. Frontiers in Nutrition. Department of Health and Human Services and U. Department of Agriculture. Accessed Jan. Products and Services Book: Obstetricks. Always thaw the oldest breast milk first. Remember first in, first out.

Over time, the quality of breast milk can decrease. Carefully clean, sanitize, and store pump equipment, baby bottles, and other feeding items to protect your breast milk from contamination. See CDC guidance on how to safely clean and store pump equipment and infant feeding items. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Proper Storage and Preparation of Breast Milk. Minus Related Pages.