Storing pumped milk properly keeps it safe, nutritious, and ready when you need it. Follow these simple guidelines for storing your liquid gold.
Start clean
Always wash your hands before pumping or handling milk. Use clean, food-grade storage containers or storage bags designed for breast milk, and leave some space at the top — milk expands as it freezes.
Label everything
Write the date and, if your baby attends daycare, their name on every container. Use oldest milk first (“first in, first out”).
Room temperature
Freshly pumped milk can stay at room temperature (up to 77°F / 25°C) for up to 4 hours.
Refrigerator
Store milk in the back of the refrigerator, where the temperature is most consistent — up to 4 days at 39°F (4°C) or below.
Freezer
In a standard freezer compartment, milk keeps for up to 6 months; in a deep freezer, up to 12 months. Place bags flat to freeze — they stack neatly and thaw faster.
Thawing and warming
Thaw frozen milk overnight in the refrigerator, or hold the container under warm running water. Never microwave breast milk, and never refreeze milk that has been thawed.
One last tip
If your milk separates into layers after storage, that’s completely normal. A gentle swirl — not a hard shake — mixes it back together.