How Long Can Breast Milk Last Out Of The Fridge?
To put it simply, if the pumped out breast milk is fresh then it can last for up to four hours out of the fridge, at room temperature. If the temperature is higher than that, then you should immediately move the milk to the refrigerator or else it might go bad.
Storage Guidelines for Newly Expressed Breastmilk (For Healthy 2-3-Year-Old Infants) If you have expressed your breastmilk in a clean, safe manner, you may choose to store it at room temperature, refrigerated, or frozen, depending on how quickly you wish to use it.
It is best to use or store your freshly expressed breast milk within four hours, particularly if your room is warm. Freshly expressed breast milk can be stored at room temperature (no warmer than 77degF), ideally up to four hours, as long as it is not exposed to direct sunlight or near another heat source. Ideally, breast milk should be used or refrigerated right after being expressed, but according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it can sit at room temperature (77deg F) for up to four hours. Freshly expressed milk can stay at room temperature (up to 77degF or 25degC) for four hours (or for up to six to eight hours, if very well-expressed), but it is best to refrigerate it ASAP.
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Cool the fresh-expressed milk thoroughly (you can place it in a refrigerator or ice-packed cooler) before mixing with the milk that is already chilled or frozen. Small amounts of expressed milk may be added to the same refrigerated container, provided that the milk you wish to add is chilled in the refrigerator ahead of time. An insulated cooler can temporarily be used if you cannot immediately put your expressed milk in a fridge or freezer.
If the milk is frozen within the freezer section of a refrigerator that has an individual door (0degF or -18degC), it may keep milk frozen up to 9 months. If having a freezer compartment inside the refrigerator with a separate freezer door, frozen milk may be stored for three to four months. If you have frozen breast milk, and you are thawing it out in a refrigerator, it may keep up to 2 hours in a room temperature, or up to 24 hours if you want to keep it in a refrigerator. Fresh milk can last in the back of your fridge for 3-8 days (assuming you scoop as gently as you can).
| Storage | Shelf life |
| In refrigerator | Up to 4 days |
| At room temperature | Up to 4 hours |
Guidelines state that refrigerated milk may last 5-8 days, but this time is significantly reduced if the milk is not placed properly in the fridge right after pumping. Although it is best to freeze or refrigerate milk right after pumping, it is okay to keep the fresh milk outside for a brief time.
If you keep your milk appropriately, whether by refrigeration or freezing, those factors will impact how long it is allowed to sit outside. If you keep your milk in a clean glass or plastic container, follow guidelines on when to refrigerate or freeze it, and discard it at the appropriate times, your milk will be safe and healthy for your child. It is important that you store milk correctly to keep it fresh and to keep it nutritious and resistant to infection.
If the fresh milk is going to feed a healthy, home-based infant, then it can stay refrigerated for up to six hours, according to the Mayo Clinic. If you choose to keep breastmilk inside a refrigerators doors, you will come to realise the temperatures are not as consistent, and milk might not last as long.
If you followed instructions on cleaning and disinfecting the pump, and expressed in pristine conditions, then your safest time for milk at room temperature is 6 hours. Storing milk in a freezer, which must be 0-degree Fahrenheit or cooler, may be up to six months, or nine months, if you have expressed under immaculate conditions. Storage location Storage time Room temperature of approximately 77 degrees F. Cooler for 4 hours Up to 24 hours Refrigerator set below 39 degrees F. Cooler for 3 days Freezer set to 0 degrees F. or cooler for 6 months Deep freezer set to -4 degrees F. Up to 12 months If the breast milk is left over from the previous feeding, it must not be stored, and should be used within 2 hours, or discarded.
In general, the milk pumped by a preterm infant or in hospital needs to be used within an hour, or stored in the fridge. Remember, milk that has been fresh-pumped and left without refrigeration longer than four hours should be discarded, whether or not it is used for a feed.
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In the past, you recommended leaving freshly pumped milk outside until the first nighttime feed of your infant (4-8 hours*). You may, so long as feeding occurs with a time frame of four hours — the two hours it takes for newly pumped milk to reach room temperature, and the two hours it is allowed to sit out, according to the CDC guidelines discussed above.
It seems safe to continue to feed milk previously used for up to one or two hours after you prepare it. Although more studies are needed about whether thawed milk from previous freezing may re-freeze safely, many experts advise to throw out any thawed milk not used within 24 hours.
Others say previously frozen, then warmed milk can last up to twenty-four hours in a refrigerator. If you are pumping and you do not have a refrigerator, then you can store the milk in an ice-packed cooler for up to twenty-four hours. Opinions differ a bit, but most sources agree that ideal breastmilk storage times are four hours in a sealed container at room temperature, four days in the back of a cooler, and six months frozen in an independent freezer.
Of course, if you are wondering if it is better to give your toddler expressed breast milk that is been left out at room temperature for one hour without refrigeration, or left in a refrigerator for several days before freezing, think about environmental or other factors. Clearly marking the stored breast milk with the day you pumped can help you remember to always use older milk first, keeping refrigerated and frozen supplies organized. The good news is, if you do accidentally forget and leave that precious bottle of milk sitting on your countertop, you will have a small window of time to get it back into your fridge. Keep in mind, once milk is refrigerated or frozen, it loses some of its anti-oxidant and anti-bacterial properties.
How long can breast milk be left out at room temperature?
Freshly pumped milk can be preserved at room temperature (77°F or colder) for up to four hours, and in the refrigerator for up to four days. Breast milk can safely stay out at room temperature for a few hours due to it having natural antibodies and inherent antibacterial characteristics.
Can you let refrigerated breast milk come to room temperature?
You can let refrigerated breast milk come to room temperature; however, there is a time limit on how long you can leave it out. According to the CDC, once the breast milk is brought to room temperature or warmed after storing it in the fridge or freezer, it should be used within the next 2 hours.
How do I keep breast milk for a day?
Breast milk that has been freshly expressed can be stored at room temperature for up to six hours. However, if the room is warm, it is best to use or properly store the breast milk within four hours. Freshly expressed breast milk can be stored for up to one day in an insulated cooler with ice packs.