By Ceres Chill
With so many rules and regulations, navigating the world of breastmilk storage can feel…overwhelming. BUT, we’ve got you with ALL the basics below!
Temperature:
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Cooler or Chiller (≤59°F): Up to 24 hours (per the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine protocol #8)
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Room temp (66–78°F): Best within 4 hours (up to 8 if pumped in a clean environment)
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Fridge (≤41°F): Best within 3 days (5–8 days acceptable)
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Freezer (≤4°F): Best within 6 months (up to 12 months acceptable)
Always label your milk with the date of expression!
Pooling Milk (Combining Sessions/Days)
Pooling breastmilk is an easy and safe way to mix milk from different pump sessions or days.
The benefits:
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Convenience
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Less containers to manage
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Creating bottles with enough milk for a full feeding
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More evenly distributed nutrients
Labeling:
Always use the oldest date of expression. If you’re combining milk from 2 days ago with milk from today, you would date all the milk as two days old.
Cool tip: If your baby is sick, the milk that you make during this time is extra powerful and filled with antibodies. You can add “cold/illness” to your label and save it for when your baby is sick again or you just want to give some extra immune support.
Storage Containers
Fridge + Short-Term Freezer
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⭐ Stainless steel: Durable, non-toxic
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⭐ Glass: Safe + chemical-free
Breakable -
🚫 Plastic bags: Cheap upfront
Wasteful + adds up over time
Long-Term Freezer
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⭐ Silicone (bags or trays): Reusable, easy to clean, space-saving
Higher upfront cost -
🚫 Plastic containers: Affordable + durable
Wasteful + adds up over time
Cleaning:
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Wash your hands and pump parts before starting your session.
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Clean the pump parts in between sessions, either by using our portable washbasin bag, pump wipes, or cleaning sprays.
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Clean your parts thoroughly at the end of the day with soap and water in a separate basin.
All in all…breastmilk is incredibly strong and can withstand a lot, but following these guidelines is important to make sure that you’re giving your baby the safest milk you can.
If you ever suspect that your milk has been contaminated or gone bad, do a taste and smell test to be sure. If it smells or tastes sour or ‘off’ in some way, you can still freeze that milk for future milk baths or topical uses!