The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention published new human milk storage guidelines in March 2026.
When planning for human milk pumping and storage, be sure to first wash and dry your hands well. Milk can either be hand expressed or expressed with a pump. Make sure to clean all your pumping supplies with hot, soapy water after you complete pumping as well, and discard any supplies that don’t clean well, or have any moldy substances that cannot be cleaned off.
Human milk should be stored only in plastic (preferably BPA, BPS, and phthalate free) bottles or glass bottles with a tight-fitting lid, or storage bags (preferably BPS, BPS, and phthalate free) designed for human milk.
Human milk should not be stored in any other plastic bag.
The rule of Four:
- Freshly expressed/pumped human milk can be stored at room temperature (77 degrees F or colder) for up to 4 hours or in the refrigerator for 4 days.
- If you do not plan to use the milk within this timeframe, then freezing immediately is best to preserve the quality of your milk. Milk can be frozen for 6-12 months, though the quality is best before 6 months.
- Frozen milk that is thawed is good for 24 hours in the refrigerator.
- When expressing and preparing to store your milk, make sure to store in small quantities (2-4 ounces is best) to minimize waste (human milk is liquid gold!). Make sure to date the storage bottle/bag so you are using the oldest milk in the refrigerator or freezer first.
Please feel free to contact us here at West Plano Pediatrics if you have any questions about how to manage your expressed milk! We are here to help!
