How to express and store your breastmilk

You will need to sterilise anything you keep milk in and store your breastmilk covered. If you are expressing by hand, you can use a wide mouthed jug or bowl. most breast pumps screw directly on to a bottle The milk can then be fed straight to your baby or stored in the fridge or freezer immediately. .

As breastmilk is full of anti-infective properties it keeps well in the fridge. If your fridge stays at less than 4ºC the milk is safe for up to five days. If you’re not sure of the temperature or it is higher, it is best to use it within three days. Otherwise it should be stored in the freezer. Studies differ on how long it retains its protective properties when frozen, but up to two weeks in the freezer compartment of a fridge and up to 6 months in a freezer that stays at 18ºC or lower is recommended as safe.

If you don’t have a fridge, for instance when you are at work, you can store your breastmilk in a cool bag with ice packs, and refrigerate or freeze the milk when you reach home.

If you are expressing small amounts to be given to your baby soon, you can add expressed milk to the breastmilk that is already cooled in the fridge, but its better to have several small containers if you can.

Frozen breastmilk should be thawed slowly in the fridge or at room temperature (never in a microwave) and should not be refrozen. Once it has warmed to room temperature, it should be used or thrown away.

Some safety tips:

1. Keep refrigerated breastmilk at the back of the fridge, as it’s colder.Label and date each quantity of breastmilk and use the ‘oldest’ first from your store.
2. Freeze breastmilk in small quantities in covered ice cube trays, small bottles or breastmilk bags (available from chemists, NCT shop and baby stores).
3. Small amounts of breastmilk defrost more quickly, and you don’t need to defrost more than you need at any one time.If you are expressing milk for a premature or sick baby in hospital you will be given bottles and told how best to store your milk.
4. It is important that any containers that the milk touches (for example pumps, bottles, cups and spoons) are cleaned and sterilised each time you use them.

Some questions:

'Is it all right to give my baby cold EBM, straight from the fridge, or straight after it’s been defrosted?'

Nutritionally, it makes no difference and there’s no evidence babies need their milk heated, but some babies may prefer milk at body temperature. The safe way to heat up a bottle of EBM is to stand it in a jug of warm water – though do be careful about scalds, and keep your baby well away from the jug. Before you give it to your baby, shake out a few drops onto your wrist. Warm it just enough to take the chill off. Heating milk in a microwave can lead to uneven heating which can burn a baby’s mouth. It is therefore advisable not to use a microwave to defrost or heat breastmilk.

'How much milk am I likely to need for one feed?'

This is always going to be a very rough estimate as babies differ so much. Very young babies can only take a tiny volume – maybe only a few mls at a time. Older babies take more. Your baby’s appetite may be greater on some days than on others. However, a very rough rule of thumb is to leave at least 100mls for every feed, plus some extra, until you can predict from your own experience what your baby’s needs are likely to be.

Read more about feeding your baby expressed breastmilk.

For more information on where to get help or advice with expressing milk, see the expressing milk section.

For information on help with breastfeeding, see the breastfeeding: possible problems section and the breastfeeding support section.

Next steps:

Expressing milk

Expressing by hand

Using a breast pump

Feeding your baby expressed breastmilk

Expressing milk and going back to work

Bottle feeding for breastfed babies?

How breastfeeding works

Supporting breastfeeding

Why breastfeeding matters

How long should I breastfeed?

Resources:

UK Association of Milk Banking

There is a network of milk banks across the UK. You may be able to donate breastmilk for a premature or sick baby. See http://www.ukamb.org/ or contact info@ukamb.org or 0208 383 3559 to find the one nearest to you.

UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative

For information on how to breastfeed , including positioning and attachment, tips for success and a section on expressing your breastmilk by hand, go to:www.babyfriendly.org.uk/pdfs/bfyb_english1.pdf

For more information on breast pumps and breastfeeding accessories please visit www.nctshop.co.uk