I recently received the following question and thought it would be the perfect segue into a “fresh, fridge, or frozen” discussion.  “I have the Medela Pump-in-Style that comes with an icepack and cooler.  The manual says the icepack can store 4 Medela bottles for up to 12 hours.  Now that the weather is getting warmer, and we all know how gross NYC summers can be, if I am planning a day outing, is it really sufficient to use only 1 icepack for the 4 bottles, as recommended by Medela?”

Great question, and one that comes up virtually every week in the Support Group.  In a nutshell, yes, the one icepack will suffice as it’s also in an insulated bag, so you’re covered on both ends.  Also, the icepacks that Medela provides are designed to fit their bottles perfectly into little grooves so they’re almost surrounded by ice.  But, let’s get into a little more detail about the “rules” of storage…

The general guideline for breast milk storage for a full-term baby is easy to remember: Just think “the number 6.”Pumped breast milk may be kept:at room temperature for 6 hours; in the refrigerator for 6 days; in a standard freezer for 6 months. In addition, milk can be stored:in a cooler with ice packs for 24 hours (different than what we were discussing above about the Medela bottles—If you want to store for a full day, the bottles really need to be covered in ice, not just pressed up against it gently); thawed in the refrigerator for 24 hours; in a deep freezer for 1 year. It is important to keep in mind that refrigerated or defrosted milk will naturally separate so that the fattier milk is on the top of the bottle. This is normal, and gently swirling the bottle will help mix the milk up.

This should put everything into perspective.  Anyone who knows me well knows I’m the least risk-taking person out there when it comes to food storage and, in line with that, I take breast milk storage very seriously.  These guidelines are to ensure that we don’t take any risks when it comes to those teeny, tiny, very fragile tummies.