How Long Should Breastmilk Be Stored In The Freezer
Pumped breast milk may be kept in a standard freezer that s part of a side by side or top and bottom refrigerator freezer unit with separate doors for up to six months.
How long should breastmilk be stored in the freezer. Clearly label the breast milk with the date it was expressed. Some women produce large volumes of breast milk to freeze while other women never seem to produce enough. Storing breast milk in small quantities will help to avoid waste. The academy recommends storing breast milk for three to six months if frozen in a deep freezer at 0 degrees fahrenheit 18 degrees celsius or below.
Chest or upright manual defrost deep freezer that is opened infrequently and maintains ideal temperature reproduced with permission from national health and medical research council 2012 infant feeding guidelines nhmrc canberra p59. How much of my breast milk should i store in the freezer. When it comes to freezer storage however smaller portions are actually better. Breast milk can remain frozen in a stand alone deep freezer for one year.
That can include glass jars with screw caps or hard plastic containers with snap tops. 6 months these guidelines are for milk expressed for a full term healthy baby. If you don t think you will use freshly expressed breast milk within 4 days freeze it right away. Keep in mind that research suggests that the longer you store breast milk whether in the refrigerator or in the freezer the greater the loss of vitamin c in the milk.
For up to 6 months in a freezer if it is 18c or lower. Do not store breast milk in the door of the refrigerator or freezer. Freshly expressed breastmilk should be cooled in the fridge before being added to other chilled or frozen expressed breastmilk. Breast milk storage bags can be used for freezer storage but won t keep milk protected for as long as sealed containers.
Freshly expressed breast milk can be stored in the back of a deep freezer for up to 12 months but using the frozen milk within six months is optimal. How to safely pump store and feed medically reviewed by meredith wallis m s cnm anp written by ashley marcin on october 21 2019 storage guidelines. To avoid waste and for easier thawing warming store milk in 1 4 ounce portions. This will help protect the breast milk from temperature changes from the door opening and closing.
If you re freezing it make sure you label and date it first. Date milk before storing. The human milk banking association of north america says milk can be stored under such conditions for up to a year although less than three months is preferred. Breast milk that s been cooled in the fridge can be carried in a cool bag with ice packs for up to 24 hours.
If baby is seriously ill and or hospitalized discuss storage guidelines with baby s doctor. Breast milk storage guide. Portions that are 2 to 4 ounce 59 1 to 118 2 milliliters are recommended to not waste any.