TIPS FOR STORING AND THAWING BREASTMILK

Date your milk when storing and store it in 60-120ml quantities to reduce waste. Include your baby’s name on the label if she’s at daycare. Refrigerated milk has more anti-bacterial properties than frozen milk. If possible, refrigerate milk immediately after it’s expressed. Use glass or strong plastic containers with well-fitting tops. Do not use containers made with bisphenol-A (BPA). Wash, rinse, dry and sterilise the containers before use. Leave a 3cm space below the container top to allow for milk expansion in the freezer. Use specially designed freezer bags for storing human milk. If you’re storing at room temperature (19-26°C), up to four hours is ideal and six hours acceptable. If storing in a refrigerator (4°C), up to 72 hours is ideal and eight days is acceptable. In a freezer (-18 to -20°C), up to six months is ideal and one year is acceptable. Do not use disposable bottle liners or plastic bags. Thaw frozen milk in the refrigerator overnight. Warm thawed or refrigerated milk in warm water for several minutes. Do not heat milk directly on the stove and never bring milk to boiling point. Do not heat human milk in a microwave.