Breast Milk Storage: Refrigerator Guidelines

Freshly expressed breast milk can be stored:

• Refrigerator (4°C / 39°F or colder): Up to 4 days (96 hours) – optimal use within 3 days.
• Freezer (-18°C / 0°F or colder): 6–12 months (best quality 6 months).
• Deep freezer (-20°C / -4°F): 12+ months.

Key Practices

• Store in clean, BPA-free bottles or milk storage bags; seal tightly.
• Label with date/time; use oldest first.
• Place toward back of fridge/freezer (stable temperature).
• Do not add warm milk to already frozen milk; cool first.
• Thaw in refrigerator (24 hrs) or warm water bath; never microwave.
• Once thawed, use within 24 hrs; do not refreeze.

Room Temperature

• ≤4 hours (up to 6–8 hrs if very clean expression, per some guidelines).
• Discard if left out >2 hours (conservative).

Preterm/immunocompromised infants: stricter guidelines (e.g., 48 hrs fridge). Consult NICU protocol.