Breastfeeding holds great wellness benefits for both the baby and the mother. Hence, most mothers utilise expressed breast milk as an alternative to feeding directly from the chest. Only how long tin can breast milk sit out?

The benefits of breast milk greatly depend on the milk'due south storage, handling, and expression. Chest milk tin serve its purpose the best merely if these attributes are managed correctly.

Read on to know how long chest milk can sit out and tips for safe storage of breast milk.

How Long Can Breast Milk Stay Outside?

Breast milk is a perishable food. Whether paw expressed or pumped, it needs to be stored properly. Freshly expressed breast milk stored in glass bottles, BPA-complimentary containers, or specialized breast milk storage numberless with tight-fitting lids/caps can stay outside for up to (1) (2):

  • Four hours at a room temperature of 77°F (25°C). Yet, one can store very cleanly expressed and stored chest milk for six to viii hours.
  • Four days when refrigerated at 40°F (4°C). The time frame tin can go up to eight days for very cleanly expressed breast milk.
  • 9 months when frozen at 0°F (−18°C) in a freezer with a split up door.
  • 12 months when frozen at -4°F (−xx°C) in a deep freezer.

Thawed frozen milk tin can stay at room temperature (77°F or 25°C) for one to ii hours. If y'all need to refrigerate thawed milk, use it inside 24 hours. Don't refreeze thawed breast milk. Consult a pediatrician to know the proper guidelines for breast milk storage for babies with specialized needs, such every bit babies with health conditions or those born prematurely.

What Happens If Y'all Get out Breast Milk Outside For Long?

Proper breast milk storage helps maintain its nutritional, immunological, and antioxidant backdrop (3). Additionally, it helps sustain breast milk'southward antibacterial properties. Any deviations from the recommended storage temperature and time can change these properties.

Incorrectly stored breast milk may also be harmful to the baby'due south health. The risk escalates multi-folds for babies built-in prematurely or those with a weak immune system. Therefore, avoid storing expressed breast milk beyond the recommended duration.

Tips To Store Expressed Breast Milk

Below are the points and steps to go along in mind if y'all intend to store expressed breast milk.

  1. Thoroughly launder your hands with soap and h2o earlier and after pumping or expressing the breast milk.  Unclean easily could transfer harmful pathogens to the milk.
  1. Properly wash pumping accessories and all storage containers in hot, soapy water before and after apply. Follow the manufacturer'south instructions for effective cleaning. Sterilization of the bottle and pump parts is recommended.
  1. Store the breast milk in small amounts. Two to four ounces is recommended to forbid wastage. Apply clean and sterilized bottles to feed chest milk to babies at all times.
  1. Tightly shut the container or milk bag'southward chapeau or cap immediately subsequently storing the milk in them. Doing so ensures that the milk doesn't come up in contact with air for long.
  1. Ensure the room temperature is at or below 77°F (25°C) to allow the breast milk stay outside the fridge.
  1. Employ insulated cooler bags with water ice packs for a shorter duration. Otherwise, it is best to immediately refrigerate breast milk, especially when the room temperature isn't conducive for safe storage. Well-nigh insulated libation numberless can keep milk adept for upward to 24 hours.
  1. Identify the storage container or bag in a cool towel until yous put it in the refrigerator. Merely ensure that information technology is just for a few minutes, especially if the room temperature is higher than 77°F (25°C).
  1. Store the breast milk abroad from direct sunlight in a cool and dry place even when stored at the recommended room temperature.
  1. Shop chest milk in the refrigerator if y'all intend to utilise it within four days. Otherwise, store it in the freezer to keep it consumable for longer.
  1. Clearly label the milk expression engagement before yous store the milk in the refrigerator or freezer so that yous remember to use the milk in order of its expression or pumping engagement.
  1. Thaw frozen breast milk in the refrigerator gradually. If that's not possible, place the frozen milk in lukewarm h2o. Never heat breast milk directly with a flame or microwave. Heating milk can destroy its proteins and antioxidants content.
  1. Never mix freshly expressed warm breast milk with already cooled or frozen milk. It is ever best to feed them separately.

Information technology is expert that you feed your babe freshly expressed breast milk whenever possible. Utilise leftover chest milk within ii hours or apace air-condition it to utilize for the next feeding.

Feeding expressed breast milk is a expert option when breastfeeding isn't possible. Proper storage is crucial to ensure the baby reaps the breast milk benefits optimally. You can safely store breast milk at recommended room temperature for a curt duration. On the other paw, refrigeration and freezing are ideal options to store expressed breast milk for a longer elapsing.

References:

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Simran Sandhu is a lactation consultant, breastfeeding speaker, and a nurse by profession. She worked in a individual hospital at Subang Jaya that prompted her to pursue lactation certification past The International Board of Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC). She built a lactation consultation service, 'Newborn Home Visit' that provides services for breastfeeding mothers and pregnant mothers.  Simran also offers monthly,... more

Swati Patwal is a clinical nutritionist and toddler mom with over eight years of experience in diverse fields of nutrition. She started her career every bit a CSR project coordinator for a salubrious eating and agile lifestyle projection catering to school children. Then she worked as a nutrition faculty and clinical nutrition autobus in dissimilar organizations. Her interest in scientific writing... more