Safe Storage of Breastmilk

Proper Handling and Storage of Human Milk

Safely Preparing and Storing Expressed Breast Milk

•  Be sure to wash your hands before expressing or handling breast milk.
• When collecting milk, be sure to store it in clean containers, such as screw cap bottles, hard plastic cups with tight caps, or heavy-duty bags that fit directly into nursery bottles. Avoid using ordinary plastic storage bags or formula bottle bags, as these could easily leak or spill.
• If delivering breast milk to a child care provider, clearly label the container with the child’s name and date.
• Clearly label the milk with the date it was expressed to facilitate using the oldest milk first.
• Do not add fresh milk to already frozen milk within a storage container. It is best not to mix the two.
• Do not save milk from a used bottle for use at another feeding.

Safely Thawing Breast Milk

•  As time permits, thaw frozen breast milk by transferring it to the refrigerator for thawing or by swirling it in a bowl of warm water.
• Avoid using a microwave oven to thaw or heat bottles of breast milk
•  Microwave ovens do not heat liquids evenly. Uneven heating could easily scald a baby or damage the milk
• Bottles may explode if left in the microwave too long.
• Excess heat can destroy the nutrient quality of the expressed milk.
• Do not re-freeze breast milk once it has been thawed.

Expressed Breastmilk Storage Recommendation