Please note, this is a guide that shows how long you can store breast milk for a full-term baby with no additional health concerns.
If your baby has been ill or was born prematurely, it's best to discuss this with your health professional to check that the same storage times apply, and if you're taking colostrum or milk into the hospital, follow their advised storage and transport times.
How to store breast milk at work
If you’re going back to work but still want to feed your baby breast milk, you’ll need to be able to express while you’re at work, store your milk at work, and then transport it home to feed your baby.
The ideal place to store your expressed breast milk at work is in the refrigerator – make sure it’s clearly labelled – but if you don’t have access to one, you can store it in an insulated bag or a cooler with an ice pack, then put the bottles or bags in the fridge or freezer once you get home.
How to thaw frozen breast milk
Remember to use the oldest breast milk in your freezer stash first. It’s always helpful to store your newly pumped milk at back of the freezer and clearly label it with the date it was expressed. That way, when you’re reaching for some frozen milk to give your baby, you’ll always start with the oldest milk first.
The best way to defrost breast milk that's been frozen is to leave it in the fridge to thaw out completely. Once it’s defrosted, you can store it in the fridge for up to 24 hours before it’s used if you haven’t already warmed it up.
However, if you need it to be defrosted right away, you can pop the bag or container in warm water or hold it under warm running water until it's defrosted.
To make your life a little easier, our 3-in-1 Advanced Bottle and Pouch Warmer is equipped with a special setting to defrost frozen breast milk!
Whichever way you defrost frozen breast milk, it must be used right away once it's thawed. You should never re-freeze it, and don’t be tempted to microwave or heat breast milk on a stove, even if you’re in a hurry. Not only will this destroy the nutrients, but it can also cause dangerous ‘hot spots’ which can burn your baby’s delicate mouth.
How to store breast milk on the go
If you want to take some expressed breast milk with you when you go out, make sure it's in a securely sealed container to avoid spills, and that it stays chilled until needed. Our insulated bottle bags are perfect for protecting your milk on the move.
For longer journeys, it's handy to know that breast milk that's been chilled in the fridge can be stored in a cooler bag with ice packs for up to 24 hours. If no ice packs are available when transporting breast milk, you should make sure it's used within four hours.
What to Expect selects products based on real-life testing conducted by staff, contributors and members our user community, as well as independent research and expert feedback; learn more about our review process. Prices and details are accurate as of the
published date. We may earn commissions from shopping links. Breast Milk Cooler Bags Whether you’re pumping milk at the office and carrying it home or need to drop off supplies at your baby’s childcare, so they have enough to drink throughout the day, a breast milk cooler bag is a must. These insulated bags work to keep your milk bottles or storage bags at a safe, cool temperature. Per the
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, freshly expressed breast milk is safe to stay at room temperature for up to four hours or in an insulated cooler bag with freezer packs for up to 24 hours. After that time, feed it to your baby or place it in the fridge or freezer for safer keeping. Any of these cooler bags below will help to keep your liquid gold fresh and safe.
Best Breast Milk Cooler Bag Overall
Momcozy Insulated Breastmilk Cooler and Baby Bottle Bag
Available at Amazon starting at $14
Pros: Cute pattern, holds a lot of bottles
Cons: No shoulder strap
Why We Love It
This well-insulated bag has ample room for bottles and can hold any type, including four eight-ounce bottles and up to six Dr. Brown’s bottles, plus room for an ice pack to extend its cooling capabilities. Some moms say they get 12 hours plus of solid cooling even without an ice pack. The waterproof bag is lightweight with three layers of non-toxic insulating fabric. The Camellia pattern is hard to pass up, too. While there’s no shoulder strap, it does have a detachable buckle on its top strap so you can hang it from your diaper bag, work bag or stroller.
Dimensions: 11 x 9.9 x 1.9 inches
Weight: 3.21 ounces
Best Breast Milk Cooler Bag with Ice Pack
Sarah Wells Cold Gold Breast Milk Cooler Bags
Available at Amazon starting at $30
Why We Love It
Fans of Sarah Wells, maker of one of the top breast pump bags, love her products for all their thoughtful details. This cooler bag includes features like an added ice pack, an extra storage pocket for your pump’s valves and membranes and a sleeve for your baby’s photo. The bag is perfectly sized to hold four eight-ounce breast milk bottles, and it’s made of easy-to-clean nylon in patterns that coordinate with the line’s other bags. It has an adjustable and detachable handle, so you can attach it to your diaper bag or stroller.
Dimensions: 6.5 x 6.5 x 6.5 inches
Weight: 1.5 pounds
Best Cooler Bag for Breast Milk Travel
Columbia Badger Ridge Insulated Baby Food and Bottle Tote
Available at Amazon starting at $17
Pros: Compact yet roomy
Cons: Only comes black
Why We Love It
When you’re hitting the road for a trip, you’ll want a cooler bag that’s both big enough to hold everything you need and insulated enough to keep your baby’s milk cold: this Columbia bag delivers on both counts. The bag has ample room for four Dr. Brown bottles with an ice pack. You can fit five bottles with no ice pack. It has two elasticized interior straps to prevent bottles from tipping over. As for keeping foods cold, it offers high-density thermal insulation with Therma-Flect radiant barrier. On the exterior, it has one zippered pocket and two mesh pockets and a large adjustable shoulder strap.
Dimensions: 11.5 x 4.75 x 9.25 inches
Weight: 7.2 ounces
Best Insulated Cooler Bag for Breast Milk
Skip Hop Grab & Go Double Bottle Bag
Available at Skip Hop starting at $13
Pros: Easy to clean, durable
Cons: Not waterproof
Why We Love It
This fully insulated bag from Skip Hop keeps bottles cold or warm for hours on end. It has room for two large bottles or sippy cups plus an included freezer pack. The two-way zipper lets you grab what you need when you need it. You can pop it in your diaper bag or attach it to your stroller.
Dimensions: 6.75 x 3.5 x 9 inches
Weight: 3.99 ounces
Best Cooler Bag for Frozen Breast Milk
JuJuBe Be Cool Insulated Baby Bottle Cooler Bag
Available at Amazon starting at $30
Pros: Works in high temperatures
Cons: No exterior pocket
Why We Love It
This thermally insulated bag wins raves for its ability to keep breast milk frozen for hours on end — some reviewers even say they had to warm the milk at the end of the day. The structured bag has ample room for bottles of any size, including Comotomo and the larger Dr. Brown bottles. When you’ve moved on from breastfeeding, chances are you’ll still find yourself using this bag to tote water bottles to sporting events or your lunch to work. Bonus: It’s machine washable.
Dimensions: 16.5 x 5 x 10.5 inches
Weight: 5.3 ounces
Best Cooler Bag to Fly With Breast Milk
Medela Breast Milk Cooler and Transport Set
Available at Amazon starting at $17
Pros: Great traveling
Cons: Doesn't hold 8 oz bottles
Why We Love It
You may feel a little like you’re in the Secret Service carrying highly classified intel when you’re toting around this Medela transport set — and that’s a good thing. The double zipper bag is made to fit discreetly in the breast pump bags for the brand’s Sonata, Freestyle and Pump in Style pumps. The cooler bag comes pre-stocked with one contoured ice pack and 4 five-ounce breast milk bottles with lids. Though designed for Medela bottles, it fits Spectra bottles, too.
Dimensions: 5.5 x 6.75 x 6.75
Weight:1.84 pounds
Best Personalized Breast Milk Cooler Bag
L.L. Bean Flip-Top Lunch Box
Available at L.L. Bean starting at $25
Pros: Lightweight, easy to carry
Cons: Not machine washable
Why We Love It
No one will ever accidentally open up what they think is their lunch from the office fridge only to find your precious stash should you invest in this flip-top lunch box with a monogram. It has a double-zipper top that opens to reveal ample room inside and an outer pocket for an ice pack (sold separately). The fully insulated bag comes with a handy top handle and a removable shoulder strap for easy carrying. It is free of lead, phthalates, PVC and BPA.
Dimensions: 7 x 9 x 5 inches
Weight: 10 ounces
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