Knowing the proper and safe steps to store breast milk is vital to the health and safety of your baby. The award-winning Mother’s Milk Mate Breast Milk Storage System is the gold standard for storing breast milk. It’s proprietary First In – First Out ™ storage rack ensures that the first bottle of breast milk you pump is the first bottle to roll out to feed baby.
Once milk is pumped, its proper storage is critical. Refrigerate or chill milk right after it is pumped and follow the guidelines below:
PLACE |
TEMP |
HOW LONG |
| Countertop, table |
Room temp (up to 77 degrees F) |
6-8 hours. Colostrum can be stored at room temp for up to 12 hours. |
| Insulated cooler bag |
5-39 degrees F |
24 hours |
| Refrigerator |
39 degrees F |
5-8 days |
| Freezer compartment of a refrigerator |
5 degrees F |
2 weeks |
| Freezer compartment of a refrigerator with separate doors |
0 degrees F |
3-6 months |
| Chest or upright deep freezer |
-4 degrees F |
6-12 months |
| (Source: www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding/pumpimg-and-milk-storage) |
It is recommended that breast milk be stored in air-tight hard plastic BPA-free baby bottles, like Mother’s Milk Mate bottles, or glass bottles. However, with the weight of full glass bottles and their tendency to break, plastic is preferred. The protective properties of breast milk are better retained in BPA-free plastic. To allow for expansion, never fill bottles completely full when freezing.
Importantly, since you only use one bottle to pump, store and feed with the Mother’s Milk Mate Breast Milk Storage System, you ensure that all nutritious and protective properties stay in your breast milk. Some of these can be lost when transferring breast milk from one container to another (a pumping container to a storage container or a storage container to a feeding bottle)!
In addition, DO NOT STORE BREAST MILK IN ICE TRAYS! They are not air-tight and the quality and safety of your breast milk will be compromised. They are unsafe and experts DO NOT recommended them for breast milk storage.
Clearly label milk bottles with the date it was expressed. Even if you forget to do this, the proprietary First In- First Out ™ Mother’s Milk Mate Breast Milk Storage rack ensures that the first bottle you pump is the first bottle to roll out to feed baby. Always use the oldest stored milk first! After eight days, unused refrigerated milk should be discarded.
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