Storing Breast Milk
356
If you're planning to express your breast milk, you’ll need to use a sterilised container to put the breast milk in. See Sterilising bottles for more information.
You can then store your milk:
- in the fridge for up to five days at 4°C or lower
- for two weeks in the ice compartment of a fridge
- for up to six months in a freezer
Defrosting frozen breast milk
If you have frozen your milk, defrost it in the fridge before giving it to your baby. Once it's defrosted, use it straight away. Never re-freeze it after you have thawed it.
Warming milk
You can feed expressed milk straight from the fridge if your baby is happy to drink it cold. If your baby prefers, you can warm the bottle in lukewarm water to remove the chill. Don’t use a microwave to heat up or defrost breast milk as it can cause hot spots that can burn your baby’s mouth.
If your baby is in hospital If you're freezing breast milk because your baby is premature or ill, ask the hospital staff caring for your baby for advice on how to store it. Read more information about breastfeeding a premature or ill baby.
