How Long Can Formula Stay In The Refrigerator Before Using?

From the five:five:5 rule and beyond, a Michigan Medicine proficient breaks down guidelines to safely store, thaw and heat breast milk or formula.

This commodity was part of a brusk, month long Michigan Medicine Health blog serial called #MommyMonday. From moms and dads to anyone who cares for an babe, bank check out other posts from this series like what to know about mastitis, common breastfeeding positions to improve latching, and what one patient'south personal breastfeeding feel taught her.

Whether you're returning to work, often separated from your petty one, or accept decided to apply formula, it'south important to know best practices for storing breast milk, formula, or a combination of the two.

"It'south essential to store and use them correctly in order to avoid contamination or spoilage," says Carrie Pawlowski, RN , a lactation consultant at Michigan Medicine.

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But Pawlowski likewise notes it tin can be overwhelming at times for moms to remember all of the guidelines. "Storing milk might seem unproblematic enough, but when you're functioning on petty to no sleep, information technology'south the last thing you want to search the internet for at iii a.1000."

So how long tin chest milk sit in the fridge for? How do you safely thaw and fix breast milk after it's been frozen? For more than on those rules and others, read beneath for Pawlowski's recommendations.

So y'all left the bottle on the counter..

See every new mom. But before discarding the golden milk, Pawlowski says breast milk can safely exist left out and used for upwards to half dozen to viii hours at room temperature, at up to 77 degrees. Nonetheless, formula, or a mix of chest milk and formula, should be limited to an 60 minutes.

Keep in heed, though, the rules aren't the same across the lath: if your baby was born prematurely or hospitalized, y'all should completely avoid leaving milk or formula out on the counter, she says.

Co-ordinate to Pawlowski, it'south safest to air-condition milk correct abroad. If you tin't, endeavour and go along the container cool by covering information technology with a cold towel.

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Refrigerating and transporting

When storing baby milk in the refrigerator, always keep the temperature at 39 degrees and place bottles in the back to keep them as cold as possible. A good for you, total-term babe should apply refrigerated milk within five days, while premature or hospitalized infants should consume bottles within 48 hours.

Pawlowski also says information technology's important to distinguish which bottles are breast milk, formula or a combination of the two since "afterward breast milk and formula have been mixed or formula is opened, the bottle is simply skillful for approximately 24 hours."

And any milk and formula mixture should follow the same rules equally formula.

To easily remember when a canteen was prepared, Pawlowski suggests calculation a sticky note or label to it with the date and time that the bottle was made.

"Something I recommend to moms is the 5-5-5 rule. Try and utilize milk within five hours at room temperature, five days in the fridge, and by five months in the freezer."

Carrie Pawlowski, RN, lactation consultant at Michigan Medicine

If you're transporting milk or formula in a libation, both are prophylactic to provide your infant inside 24 hours as long as the temperature was kept between five-39 degrees.

"Brand sure to utilize ice packs if you lot're transporting milk or formula to keep it equally cool as possible," says Pawlowski. "And keep the cooler closed when you don't need to be in it."

Freezing

"Although milk can still be good if it'due south stored longer than what we recommend, not all milk will acquit the same," says Pawlowski. "Also, fat in milk can touch the quality and gustation equally time goes on."

If y'all're storing breast milk within a refrigerator'due south freezer compartment, make sure the area is kept at v degrees and use it within two weeks after information technology's been thawed. This rule applies to all infants.

If using a freezer with a split door, milk should be stored at 0 degrees and brand sure to store it in the dorsum of the freezer where the temperature is the most consistent. For healthy, full-term babies, this milk can be used within 3 to half dozen months. But for premature or hospitalized infants, the time is cut down to 2 to three.

When using a chest or an upright, deep freezer, make certain the temperature is set to -four degrees. For a healthy, full-term babe, breast milk tin exist good for upwardly to six to 12 months. Yet, for premature or hospitalized infants, use that milk within three months.

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Thawing

To gradually thaw breast milk, transfer the container to the refrigerator or place the bottle in warm water, and make certain it'south used within one 60 minutes if warmed to room temperature.

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But never, under any circumstance, employ a microwave to warm or thaw chest milk or formula, warns Pawlowski.

"Not just does it result in uneven heating, merely it tin easily harm the milk or worse, harm your infant."

Later on warming up the milk, Pawlowski recommends gently swirling the bottle before feeding it to your piddling ane.

One time completely thawed, milk should exist used within 24 hours. Any unused milk shouldn't be used for another feeding or refrozen subsequently being thawed, Pawlowski states.

"One question I ofttimes get is whether or not you can add together fresh breast milk to milk that's been in the fridge or freezer," says Pawlowski. "Every bit long every bit the new milk is chilled completely in the refrigerator before the two are added together, then information technology's OK."

When in dubiety

Does breast milk actually go bad? Pawlowski says it tin can. When information technology smells like spoiled milk, toss it. "Be comfy taste testing your own milk – doesn't taste right? Don't give it to your babe."

She besides recommends the 5:5:5 rule, which tin exist a quick lifesaver for moms to reference.

"Something I recommend to moms is the 5-five-five rule," Pawlowski says. "Try and employ milk inside five hours at room temperature, v days if in the refrigerator, and v months if in the freezer."

Looking for some other style to call up all the tips above? Bank check out the chest milk and formula infographics below and save them to your phone for futurity use!

These guidelines were created with references to information from Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (2004) and Centre for Disease Control (2010).