Talking to Your Employer
Returning to Work
Storing Your Breastmilk
Stockpiling Your Breastmilk
Where to Pump
Introducing a Bottle
Mother-Friendly Worksite
Mother-Friendly Legislation
I found that it was easier to go back to work after having a baby than I expected because there were other women going through the same thing, even storing their breastmilk in the communal refrigerator just like me. I would certainly do it again and would probably encourage myself to go a bit longer than the 6 months I accomplished next time. 
Pati Ramos-White
Breastfeeding twins
Storing your Breastmilk
Breastmilk can be stored in a plastic or glass bottle with a screw-on lid, or in a sterile, sealable bag. Store your breastmilk in amounts that you use every day to avoid wasting it. For example, most breastfed babies take between 2 and 4 ounces (60–120 mL) of milk when beginning with an alternative feeding method. Storing in 2-ounce (60 mL) amounts and offering additional amounts if the baby is still hungry will prevent having to throw away unfinished milk.
Label the containers with the date the milk was pumped and your baby’s name (if your baby goes to child care where there is more than one infant or if more than one mom is pumping at work).
Month 1 – 6 store 2 – 5 oz per container.
Some children never take more than 3 oz the entire time they are breastfeeding others will take 4-5 as they are starting solids. This depends on the calorie content in the mother’s milk and the amount that they are accustomed to taking from the breast.
Pumped breastmilk should be cooled in a refrigerator or other cooler as soon as possible. The milk can also be frozen if you aren’t going to use it right away.
Many moms notice the breastmilk in their refrigerator looks blue, yellow or brown, and wonder if something is wrong with it. The answer is no—that is normal. Breastmilk can vary in color depending on the foods you eat. It is also normal for breastmilk to separate, so that the fatty part of the milk rises to the top. Gently tilt the bottle or the sealed bag back and forth, and the fat will go back into the milk.
Thaw frozen breastmilk slowly by swirling the closed container of milk in warm water or by putting the container in the fridge the day before you want to use it. Don’t use hot water to thaw breastmilk, and never thaw breastmilk in the microwave. The milk could get too hot and burn your baby’s mouth. Microwaving can also damage valuable proteins in the milk.
Thawed milk can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours but it should not be refrozen.
| Fresh Breastmilk | Thawed Breastmilk | |
| Fridge | 5 days | Do not refreeze |
| Freezer | 3 months | Do not refreeze |
| Deep Freezer | 6 months | Do not refreeze |
| Portable Cooler with Ice Packs | 24 hours |
Read the CDC guidelines.
If you would like to read the science behind the storage guidelines, read the most current Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine protocol.
