8. Storing and thawing breast milk
8.1 Storage
26
Room temperature
4 – 6 hours at 19 to
26 °C ( 66 to 78 °F)
l Do not store breast milk in the door of the refrigerator. Instead choose the coldest
part of the refrigerator (this is at the back of the glass shelf above the vegetable
compartment).
8.2 Freezing
l You can freeze expressed breast milk in milk bottles or "Pump & Save"* bags. Do
not fill the bottles or bags more than 3/4 full to allow space for possible expansion.
l Label the bottles or "Pump & Save" bags with the date of expression.
8.3 Thawing
Warning
Do not thaw frozen breast milk or do not warm breast milk in a microwave or
a pan of boiling water to avoid loss of vitamins, minerals and other important
components and to prevent burns.
l ln order to preserve the components of the breast milk, thaw the milk in the
refrigerator overnight. Alternatively, you can hold the bottle or "Pump & Save"
bag under warm water (max. 37 °C).
l Gently swirl the bottle or "Pump & Save" bag to mix any fat that has separated.
Avoid shaking or stirring the milk.
Storage guidelines for freshly expressed breast milk
(for healthy terms babies)
Refrigerator
3 – 8 days at 4 °C
(39 °F) or lower
Freezer
6 –12 months
–18 to –20 °C
(0 to –4 °F)
Thawed breast milk
In refrigerator for
10 h max. Do not
refreeze!