Breast milk is a precious gift in the development of an infant. Mothers know that breast milk contains all essential nutrients and antibodies required for their child's growth, immune system boost, and overall health. It may not be possible to feed babies directly from the breast at all times due to various reasons. Breastmilk storage makes it easy for moms who pump or hand-express (or both).
Here comes the real complication - how long can stored breast milk last before it spoils? Does temperature control affect its quality over time? Should you thaw frozen milk before serving your baby?
We're here to answer those age-long questions about expressed milk!
The Ideal Temperature
The ideal temperature range to store fresh human breastmilk-not cow's, goat's, or any other creatures'--, is 0 – 4 degrees Celsius (32–39 Fahrenheit). This right here is your safety guarantee - chilled breastmilk will remain fresh inside this temperature bracket for up to five whole days.
It's vital you confirm the fridge’s optimal temperature because a lower than recommended setting may freeze some parts of expressed/ready-to-drink milk. Extreme cold degrades the active antibody content in human lactation fluid(-sounds complex-but trust me-it actually trivialises this phenomena)
Conversely, if left out on tables or kitchen counters longer than allowed temperatures heat up rapidly risking bacterial contamination set-in as quickly as one hour.
With that cleared up let us proceed to find out more information regarding frozen unthawed refrigerated EBM concerns
Refrigerated Storage Time Limits
While we established safe refrigerator storage ranges above; In actual fact freshly pumped/body-temp EBM remains relatively stable with low bacteria count doubling roughly every two hours when stored @ room temp (+/-25C°) /bacterial contamination from the container/mom's hands. We advise against filling containers to the brim since in their frozen state, milk increases/expand a bit & therefore may cause leaks.
Here are some guidelines on how long breast milk can last at different temperatures:
| Storage Temperature | Duration |
|---|---|
| Room temperature (25°C /77°F) | Up to 4 hours |
| Cooler with freezer Pack (+/-15-20C° ) | up to 24 hrs max time limit (consider using ice packs) |
| Fridge temp (0-4 ° C /32–39°F) (Fresh or Refrigerated Milk) | Up to five/ whole days at most//// |
| should be OK! downing it deep into sub-zero lessens nutritional value. Soooo thought-provoking-Intelligent moms out there would wonder why not take breastmilk straight from nature—at least its warmer than my fridge😂![Humor intended] Nonetheless science begs' an alternative –- |
( Quick shoutout though; all for breastfeeding-on-demand but no sharing your twin's breast or even shared pumped milk, please 😁 )
Handling Frozen Breast Milk
By popular demand—what happens when human-pumped lactation is frozen? Believe you me; It does get confusing more often than we admit🧐. Human preggers will encounter mixed advice as regards whether they should refreeze thawed expressed milk.
Though there isn't concrete proof that re-freezing previously defrosted EBM could be detrimental to babies health albeit reduction of nutrients present being high too-generally speaking one thaw’s once and use that proportionately only if the baby aids left overs don’t go stale!
For ordinary folks who still need clarification were sorry disappoint you dear! There hasn't been any scientific data supporting this claim either way so it's one of those let’s-agree-to-disagree cases.
So, if you’re unsure about when your breast milk is safe to drink after removing it from the freezer, don’t worry too much—you're not alone! Some moms prefer freezing small serving sizes in anticipation for brewing needs. If this seems like overthinking dont sweat – simply give that batch a swirl- watch for strange smells or discolouration whilst defrosting.
Freezing Time Limits
The length of resumed viability doesn't only boil down to whether we re-freeze previously frozen expressed milk portions but also how long they have been stored frozen at optimal poise (-18 degrees Celsius). If deep-frozen - It's within six months(with adequate stock rotation) but fresh/ refrigerated then hasten up consuming them within two weeks tops.
Here are some temperature/time guidelines for safely storing and thawing breast milk:
| Storage temperature | Duration |
|---|---|
| Standard kitchen freezers (less than 0°F / -18°C ) | Up to 6 always mark each container with date~wink with me 🙃..months max time limit until it should be chucked out 😥 |
Tip: Alleviate thawed expression bottles as fast as possible since longer periods under exposure will cause loss of nutritional value especially if room temperatures are elevated [Tongue-out]_
The Big Takeaways
Storing and handling EBM adequately can make quite the difference between spoilage, food waste and prolonged immunity support-conducive to babies well-being.
In summary: - Freshly pumped human lactation fluid can last approximately four hours outside standard chilling devices. Tip: Don't forget wash your hands properly-they play a crucial role in bacteria contamination control. 👋 - Refrigerate ready-to-drink/fresh pumpings—two days lifespan longest advisable consumption duration. - When freezing, be sure to do so as soon as possible since it is more susceptible to bacterial activity. -Try not to overstore or overcrowd your fridge/freezer bags - this will lead to spoils. -Give thawed frozen milk a swirl before using and inspect for colouration changes/discoloration+strange smells. -Re-freezing the previously unfrozen portion of defrosted EBM maybe against most recommendation due high nutrient depletion although no scientific study backs these claims
You don't want your baby's stomach issues resulting from on-the-fence human body fluid storage techniques – will you? Stay safe!