25
Place Temperature How long Things to know
Refrigerator
39°F or colder ● Up to 72 hours
is best.
● Up to 5-8 days
is okay for very
clean expressed
milk.
Store milk in the back of the
main body of the refrigerator.
Freezer
0°F or colder ● Up to 6 months
is best.
● Up to 12 months
is okay.
Store milk toward the back of
the freezer where
temperature is most constant.
Milk stored at 0°F or colder is
safe for longer durations, but
the quality of the milk might
not be as high.
Smaller
cooler with
a blue-ice
pack.
59°F 24 hours Keep ice packs in contact
with milk containers at all
times; limit opening cooler.
Countertop,
table
Room temp
(60°F - 85°F)
● Up to 3-4 hours
is best.
● Up to 6-8 hours
is okay for very
clean expressed
milk.
Containers should be covered
and kept as cool as possible;
covering the container
with a clean cool towel may
keep milk cooler. Throw out
any leftover milk within 1 to 2
hours after the baby is
nished feeding.
Do not freeze thawed milk. Discard any remaining
thawed milk if not used within 24 hours.
Source: Breastfeeding Made Easier at Home and Work
www.womenshealth.gov
Breastmilk Storage Guidelines
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