Breast milk can be stored in a sterilised container or special storage bags remember to label and date it.
Breast milk storage room temperature nhs.
Don t leave frozen breast milk to defrost at room temperature.
How to store breast milk.
How long you can safely keep expressed breast milk depends on the storage method.
Your breast milk can then be kept.
Freshly expressed breast milk can be kept at room temperature for up to six hours.
Fresh breastmilk including colostrum.
Breast milk can safely stand at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours and need not be discarded if the first feeding attempt is incomplete.
At the back of the fridge not the door for up to 8 days at 4 c or lower in the ice compartment of the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Freshly expressed or pumped milk can be stored.
Never store breast milk in disposable bottle liners or plastic bags that are not intended for storing breast milk.
In contrast formula must be refrigerated and discarded after the first feeding attempt because it contains no antibodies or infection protection factors.
For healthy full term infants here are the guidelines for keeping breast milk out at room temperature up to 77 degrees f or 25 degrees c.
Consider these general guidelines for healthy infants.
However it s optimal to use or properly store the breast milk within four hours especially if the room is warm.
If made up formula is stored.
In the fridge for up to 8 days at 4c or lower you can buy fridge thermometers online if you are not sure of the temperature of your fridge or it is higher than 4c use it within 3 days.
In a fridge use within 24 hours in a cool bag with an ice pack use within 4 hours at room temperature use within 2 hours.
If you need it on the go you can store your refrigerated breast milk for 24 hours in a cool bag or box with ice packs in it.
What about storing expressing milk at room temperature.
At room temperature 77 f or colder for up to 4 hours.
You can store breast milk in a sterilised container or in special breast milk storage bags.
When defrosting in fridge.
In the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Once fully thawed previously frozen breast milk may be kept at room temperature for a maximum of two hours or in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
Store it in small quantities to avoid wasting any.
For 2 weeks in the ice compartment of a fridge.
The guidelines for storage of expressed milk at room temperature between 16 25 c vary greatly as studies suggest different optimal times liebert 2017.
