Babies are messy! Especially if you're pumping, figuring out where and how to store milk can be a source of stress. Whether you’ve got a freezer full of milk or a few containers tucked away in the fridge for tomorrow, these breast milk storage hacks, tips, and tricks will keep your milk stored safely and neatly for whenever your baby needs it.
“First In, First Out.” Follow this tried and true food service rule and store the oldest milk to the front of your stash. This way you use the oldest milk first and avoid waiting too long to use any particular container of milk. You can buy or create a rotating storage system that allows you to add more milk to the back of your stash with ease.
Freeze your milk flat. Lay your bags of milk flat on a tray or freezer shelf when initially freezing so that it can be stacked more easily. Some people put a small tray in the freezer for new bags of milk. Once your milk is frozen flat, you can move it to a stack, box, or other container.
Labels—not too little, not too much. Label your milk containers in a way that is sustainable for you. Many moms find that date is plenty, others might add things like whether the milk was pumped in the day or night (AM/PM), love notes to your future self, or any notes about the milk/pump session.
Boxes, bins, bags. A stack or pile of bags can quickly become messy and disorganized. Use cardboard or plastic boxes or bins—or larger bags, like gallon plastic bags—to organize the smaller bags of milk.
Just the right amount. Think about how much milk you’re likely to need when it comes time to thaw. You might freeze milk in various amounts so that you can pull out just enough for a full feed, day away from you, or top off.
Especially if you’re pumping often and have lots of extra milk to store, you can run out of room quickly. These breast milk storage hacks will keep your space tidy, while making the most of your pumped milk supply. Curious about how to store your milk safely? Check out our post Stay Safe: Breast Milk Storage Guidelines.
