How can you tell when frozen breastmilk has gone bad?
 
QUESTION: I have read here that breast milk can be stored in a deep freezer for 3
months or more. How do I know when it should no longer be used? Kari, Our breast milk is like most other milk - most moms find they can smell when it is no longer good. When we talk about "deep freeze" we refer to the large chest-type freezer which keep milk at 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Milk can be stored at that temperature for even a year. The normal freezers with a top freezer (with a door that is separate from the
refrigerator's), can usually hold milk for 6 months. However, a lot depends on how often
the door is opened (how many teenagers use it as an air conditioner, is my husband's
description), and also where the milk is frozen. If the freezer has "automatic
defrost" the walls of the freezer heat up regularly - so the milk should not be
stored in the door shelves or against any of the walls, but should be in the center. I
usually say if the freezer holds ice cream so you have to cut it with a knife, then it is
cold enough! Jeanette Panchula, BA, RN, IBCLC
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