Expressing, 0-3 months
If you’re new to expressing, you probably have some questions about what happens after you express milk. How long does breast milk last? And what’s the best way to warm it up? We’ve put these guidelines together to help you safely store and warm your milk.
Storing breast milk
Breast milk is pretty durable provided it's sealed in a sterilised airtight container and chilled at a consistent temperature. How long it lasts will depend on where you store it.
● Refrigeration – up to 5 days at 4°C or lower
● Freezer (in fridge) – up to 2 weeks
● Freezer (separate compartment) – up to 6 months
You can keep breast milk at room temperature but make sure you use it within 4 hours.
For mums on the go, a cool bag is a good alternative if you haven't got a fridge or freezer immediately to hand.
Now is also the time to get organised and label all your containers with dates so no milk goes to waste.
If you're planning on freezing, leave some room at the top of the container for the milk to expand. Freeze the milk as soon as possible, rather than leaving it in the fridge and freezing it later, and always use the oldest milk first.
Warming breast milk
Warming breast milk means heating it to somewhere between body and room temperature, although some babies don't mind it slightly chilled.
The easiest and safest way to warm milk is to use a bottle warmer. Microwaves aren't recommended for warming milk because they often create uneven hot spots that can burn your little one's mouth; a bottle warmer, on the other hand, allows you to gently defrost milk and/or warm it quickly and evenly.
Frozen milk can also be thawed in the fridge, under running water or in a bowl of warm water. Once it's thawed, don't refreeze.
To warm refrigerated milk without a bottle warmer, place it in a bowl of warm water and test the temperature of the bottle on your skin before serving it to your little one.
Want a way to quickly and safely prepare feeds? Click here to explore out bottle warmer and steriliser range.