How long can breast milk be kept in the refrigerator?

In real life, many women cannot feed their babies breast milk in time after giving birth due to work or various reasons. They can extract the breast milk and put it in the refrigerator to preserve it, so that the baby can eat it at any time. Under normal circumstances, the breast milk refrigerator refrigeration time is about 3-8 days, which needs to be determined according to the refrigerator temperature. If the refrigeration temperature is not very low, try not to exceed 48 hours.

How long can breast milk be kept in the refrigerator?

What we usually refer to as refrigeration is the temperature range of 0 to 4 degrees in the refrigerator, but the lower the temperature, the better the refrigeration effect. If you want to consume breast milk within a few days, it is recommended to refrigerate it. 3 to 8 days is the recommended time. Of course, the fresher the breast milk, the better it is for the baby.

The composition of breast milk matches the child's age and nutritional needs. The fresher the breast milk, the more suitable it is for the child's current condition. The breast milk should not be stored for too long, especially after a few months. The breast milk stored after a few months is no longer suitable for the child's physiological needs and its nutritional structure. Therefore, breast milk can usually be stored in the refrigerator for a few days.

If for some reason you are unable to breastfeed in time, you can extract the milk and store it in a milk storage bag and place it in the refrigerator to keep it fresh at around 4 degrees for no more than 48 hours.

If it is at room temperature (20-30 degrees), it should not exceed 4 hours. If placed in a refrigerator at -15 degrees to -5 degrees Celsius, the storage time can reach 6 months. When feeding your baby, you must heat the milk before feeding it to the baby. Do not feed it directly from the refrigerator as it is too cold and will affect the baby's digestion. During the process of collecting milk, you must pay attention to hygiene and avoid bacterial contamination, as this will extend the storage time.

Generally, breast milk can be stored for six hours at room temperature of 22-24 degrees, for three days in the refrigerator at below five degrees, and for two months in the freezer at minus 20 degrees. Generally, breast milk needs to be heated after being taken out of the refrigerator. It is recommended to use warm water to slowly heat it to 40 degrees. Do not use a microwave or open flame to thaw it. Milk cannot be refrozen after being thawed and heated. If stratification and fat droplets occur, shake well before use. It is best to use well-sealed plastic products to store breast milk, followed by glass products.