Breast Milk Storage Tips: How to Pump, Store and Transport to NICU

Mother labeling breast milk bottles for safe storage.

Breast milk storage tips help you keep your baby’s milk safe and nutritious. Follow these easy steps to express, store, and transport breast milk without stress.

Important Tips for Expressing Milk

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. Dry with a clean paper towel.

• Gently massage your breast or hand-express for a few minutes to stimulate milk flow before pumping.

• Always clean and sterilize your pump parts before each session.

• After pumping, pour milk into a clean collection container. Fill only up to 2/3 full to leave space for expansion when freezing.

• Label each container with the date and time of expression.

• Rinse pump parts, wash with warm soapy water, and sterilize or boil. Keep clean parts in a sealed zip-top bag.

Storage of Expressed Breast Milk

• Freshly expressed milk can stay at room temperature for up to 4 hours.

• In the refrigerator (2–4 °C / 36–39 °F):

  
  

  • Fresh milk: use within 48 hours.

  • Thawed milk: use within 24 hours. Store at the back of the fridge, not the door.

  
  

• In the freezer:

  
  

  • Standard freezer (inside fridge): up to 3 months.

  • Deep freezer: 6–12 months.

  
  

Transporting Expressed Breast Milk

• Use an insulated cooler with ice packs when carrying milk.

• If visiting your baby daily (for example in the NICU), transport milk chilled but not frozen.

• If visiting every few days or weekly, keep milk frozen until transport.

Defrosting Breast Milk

• Thaw milk overnight in the refrigerator.

• Or place the sealed container in a bowl of warm water or under warm running water. Keep the lid dry to avoid contamination.

• Thawed milk can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.

• Never refreeze thawed milk.

Handy Hints for Pumping Moms

• Look at a photo or video of your baby while expressing to stimulate let-down.

• Take a warm bath or shower before pumping—especially on days 3–4 when milk supply increases.

• Hand-express or massage breasts for a few minutes to help milk flow.

• Practice kangaroo mother care—skin-to-skin contact can boost milk production.

• Visit your baby in the NICU as often as possible and express milk at the bedside if allowed.

Trusted Sources

• Human Milk Banking Association of North America: Best practice for expressing and storing milk

• American Academy of Pediatrics: Breastfeeding and human milk

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Proper storage and preparation of breast milk

These breast milk storage tips help keep every drop of milk safe and full of nutrients so your baby gets the best start possible.