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Breastmilk is very precious
You should store and thaw your breastmilk correctly. This is the only way you can be sure that all the important nutrients are preserved and bacterial contamination is minimised.
Guidelines for storing/thawing breastmilk
Medela recommends using the following guidelines for storing and thawing breastmilk. For Healthy Term Babies.
| Room temperature | Refrigerator | Refrigerator freezer compartment | Freezer | |
| Freshly expressed breastmilk | Do not store at room temperature | 3 - 5 days at approx. 4°C | 6 months at approx. -16°C | 12 months at approx. -18°C |
| Thawed breastmilk (previously frozen) | Do not store | 10 hours | Do not refreeze after thawing! | Do not refreeze after thawing! |
Tipps for freezing/thawing breastmilk:
- Never fill bottles/bags more than ¾ full to allow space for possible expansion.
- Label the bottle/bag with the date you expressed the milk.
- Do not store breastmilk in the refrigerator door. Store it in the lower back area of the refrigerator, where the temperature is coolest.
- Thaw frozen breastmilk in the refrigerator overnight or hold the bottle or bag under running warm water (max. 37° C).
- Shake the bottle or bag gently to blend any fat that has separated.
- Do not thaw frozen breastmilk in a microwave oven or in a pan of boiling water (danger of burning).