Medela Harmony - Storing and Thawing Breast Milk; Storage Guidelines for Breast Milk; Freezing Expressed Breast Milk; Thawing Expressed Breast Milk

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8. Storing and thawing breast milk
8.1 Storage
Storage guidelines for freshly expressed breast milk
( For healthy term babies )
Room
temperature
Refrigerator Freezer Thawed breast milk
4 − 6 hours at
19 to 26 °C
( 66 to 78 °F )
3 − 8 days at
4 ° C ( 39 ° F )
or lower
6 − 12 months
–18 to –20 °C ( 0 to –4 °F )
In refrigerator for 10 h
max. Do not refreeze!
l Do not store breast milk in the door of the refrigerator. Instead choose the coldest
part of the refrigerator (this is at the back of the glass shelf above the vegetable
compartment).
l You can freeze expressed breast milk in milk bottles or “Pump & Save”* bags.
Do not ll the bottles or bags more than ¾ full to allow space for possible expansion.
l Label the bottles or “Pump & Save” bags with the date of expression.
l In order to preserve the components of the breast milk, thaw the milk in the
refrige rator overnight. Alternatively, you can hold the bottle or “Pump & Save” bag
under warm water (max. 37 ° C).
l Gently swirl the bottle or “Pump & Save” bag to mix any fat that has separated.
Avoid shaking or stirring the milk.
8.2 Freezing
8.3 Thawing
Do not thaw frozen breast milk or do not warm breast milk in a microwave or a pan
of boiling water to avoid loss of vitamins, minerals and other important ingredients
and to prevent burns.
Caution
* More information at www.medela.com