Guidelines for Storing and Preparing Breast Milk at Home

Storing human milk at home

If you will be storing your breast milk at home, please use the table below to determine how long you can store fresh, frozen, and thawed milk at home.

Freshly expressed or frozen, and temperature

Home storage time

Freshly expressed, room temperature, 79°F or less

4 hours

Freshly expressed, in a cooler with an ice pack, 59°F or less

24 hours

Freshly expressed, refrigerated, between 35°F and 40°F

96 hours

Previously frozen and thawed in the refrigerator but not warmed, 40°F or less

24 hours

Frozen in a deep freezer, between -4°F and 4°F

12 months

Frozen in a home freezer with a separate freezer door, 0°F or less

6 months

Frozen in the small freezer section of a mini-refrigerator, 5°F or less

2 weeks

Additional guidelines for storing and preparing milk at home

  • Store milk in the coldest part of the refrigerator or freezer, which is usually in the back. Do not store milk in the door of the refrigerator or freezer.
  • Frozen human milk may be thawed by
    • leaving it in the refrigerator,
    • using a milk warmer, or
    • placing the container of milk in warm water until it reaches room temperature.
  • Never microwave breast milk because it may burn your baby’s mouth. Also, microwaving can destroy important qualities of your breast milk. 

Questions about storing or preparing breast milk?

If you have any questions about storing your milk at the hospital, please call the Infant Nutrition Lab at (650) 736-8758.

If you have any questions about storing or preparing breast milk at home, please ask your nurse or lactation consultant.