Breast milk storage can be confusing, especially for new mothers. Dr. Sarah Vega, pediatrician, and neonatologist, who oversees the Breastfeeding Unit of our institution and is a Certified International Consultant in Breastfeeding – IBCLC, gives us some advice on the matter.

1. Use breastmilk storage bags (available at pharmacies) or clean, pre-sterilized, food-grade containers with tight-fitting lids. Do not use plastic containers containing bisphenol A (BPA), recycling symbol #7, and general-purpose disposable bottles.
2. Label containers with the date the milk was extracted and always use the oldest bottles. Store 2 to 4 ounces in each container to avoid wasting milk. Keep in mind that breast-fed infants have less gastric capacity than formula-fed infants.
3. Store milk at the bottom of the refrigerator, never in the door because the storage temperature is not stable.
4. Thaw the milk gradually. The night before, remove the container from the freezer and place it at the bottom of the refrigerator. In the morning, bring it to room temperature and then warm the milk in a water bath. Do not let it boil, so it will keep all its nutritional properties.
5. Only if your pediatrician has instructed you to supplement your baby’s requirement with artificial formula, give breast milk at the same feeding and formula immediately afterward. Breast milk has substances and enzymes such as lipase that facilitate digestion.

Breast milk storage chart for use at home

Dra. Sarah Vega
Pediatrician y neonatologist at Clínica Ricardo Palma