How do I store breast milk?
You can express breast milk for later use. Breast milk can be stored in a fridge or freezer. Breast milk is valuable, both fresh and frozen. Fresh is always best, however. Make sure you have clean hands and clean, sterilised equipment. Pour the milk into a container immediately after expression. Use a food-grade container. Label it with the date and time. Place the container in a fridge or freezer immediately after expression.
Fresh breast milk can be stored:
- up to 4 hours at room temperature
- up to 4 days in the back of the fridge at maximum +4°C
- 6 months in a freezer at -18°C
Defrosted breast milk can be refrigerated for 24 hours, but do not re-freeze.
Any left-over heated milk must always be discarded within two hours.
How do I heat breast milk?
For best quality, thaw breast milk in the fridge. Before giving it to your baby, the milk can be warmed in a bowl of warm water at max. 40 °C. Swirl the bottle gently until all the milk is the same temperature. Feed your baby when the milk is lukewarm (has a temperature of 37°C). The milk is lukewarm when it feels neutral when you pour a few drops on the inside of your wrist. Do not use a microwave oven. Milk heats unevenly in a microwave, and could scald your baby. Also, if the milk gets too hot, immune factors and nutrients may be damaged. Your baby can also be fed milk at room temperature or cold if baby is willing. If you do not have time to defrost the milk in the fridge, you can thaw it in a lukewarm bowl of water. If so, the milk must be used immediately. Any left-over thawed/warmed milk must always be discarded within two hours. Bacteria can multiply rapidly in unused milk.