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Breast milk

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Expressed breast milk makes everyday life more flexible. You can go back to work, do sport or sleep a little longer while someone else does the feeding, and your baby still gets your milk. To keep it as good as it is, only a few clear rules are needed.

This is where we collect everything that happens between pump and bottle. How long breast milk keeps depends on where it sits: at room temperature between 16 and 25 degrees, four hours at most; in the fridge at 4 degrees or colder, three days at most; in the freezer at minus 18 degrees, up to six months. It thaws most gently overnight in the fridge, which takes about twelve hours.

When warming, every degree counts. While nursing, breast milk is around 37 degrees, so body temperature, and a difference of two or three degrees is enough for a sensitive baby to refuse the bottle.

Then there are the questions that really come up: which containers work and which do not, why thawed milk sometimes smells soapy, how you tell that a portion has gone off, and how to keep milk cold when you are out.

If you are only just starting to build a supply: many midwives advise waiting until the first two weeks after birth are over.

  • Hand haelt den BebeWarm Flaschenwaermer neben einer gefuellten Babyflasche

    Breast milk

    The perfect milk temperature for babies – what parents should really pay attention to

    While nursing, breast milk is around 37 degrees Celsius, so body temperature, and that is exactly what babies find pleasant. A difference of only two or three degrees can be enough for sensitive babies to refuse the bottle or become restless while drinking. Being able to read the temperature instead of guessing saves you the test on your wrist.

    Updated September 07, 2026 4 min read

  • BebeWarm Flaschenwaermer neben einer Flasche mit abgepumpter Muttermilch

    Breast milk

    Guide: Freezing and storing breast milk safely

    Hygiene decides: freshly expressed milk is best, chilled milk is better than frozen. Always note the date you pumped, do not keep leftovers, and never warm breast milk in the microwave or in boiling water. If you are unsure, your midwife, lactation consultant or doctor is the right place to turn.

    Updated September 07, 2026 9 min read