How Long Is Breast Milk Good For?

You will see various guidelines for how long breastmilk “lasts.” The most common is 6 hours room temp, 6 days refrigerated, 6 months frozen (regular freezer – longer in a deep/chest freezer).

I personally went with 4-6 (hours/days/weeks).

You know, it depends.

A lot depends on your body, how quickly it gets refrigerated, the temperature of your fridge, if it’s carried in a cooler for any length of time, etc.

It’s not like Cinderella’s magic pumpkin, breastmilk won’t suddenly expire on the 6th day/hour/month. Use common sense. Always do the smell test if you’re not sure. If it doesn’t smell bad, it’s probably ok, but again, use common sense.

Breastmilk is precious!  When in doubt (smell it first) and do not throw it out!